Expressed keenness, then somehow got employed (8)
I believe the answer is:
enthused
'expressed keenness' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with communicating as well as being past participle verbs.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'then somehow got employed' is the wordplay.
'somehow' indicates anagramming the letters.
'got' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'employed' becomes 'used' ('use' can be a synonym of 'employ').
'then' is an anagram of 'enth'.
'enth'+'used'='ENTHUSED'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for enthused that I've seen before include "Showed eager liking for or interest in" , "Filled with eager liking and interest" , "The nudes (anag)" , "Showed great interest" , "Made extremely interested" .)