This is a guest blog post by Carol Evenson
As industries continue to evolve to accommodate the changing needs and demands of society, the skills being head-hunted by human resources and talent managers are also changing. And considering that job markets are becoming increasingly saturated, it can pay off to learn and master specific skills. Honing these six must-have skills will not only make you more marketable but also help broaden your career horizon.
Time Management
The ability to manage your time and energy equates to a higher degree of efficiency and productivity in the workplace, skills that any company will want to bring into their organization. Of course, it can be tricky to gauge how effective you are with managing your time and even more difficult to show it to your interviewers. Keeping a journal that tracks your daily tasks, showing up on time for your interviews, and choosing your questions during the interview are good ways to show that you are all about time management and that you can prioritize your energy and time on tasks that matter.
Artistic Ability
This is a broad category that encapsulates things like illustration, painting, and photography. While artistic skills often don’t amount to considerable salaries, they do provide you with the ability to create aesthetically impressive and enticing material to market to your consumers. Artistic skills also train you to think abstractly, which can offer a different way of approaching and solving problems in the office. Thanks to the web, it’s easy to hone your creative skills with free, step-by-step courses guiding you.
Networking
Being good at networking is a skill that can land you a job. Even after you’ve secured work, job offers can come flooding into your inbox from talent scouts and companies interested in interviewing you. Networking is also a good skill to have as an evangelist in your respective industry. This positions you as the voice of your company and tasks you with finding and enticing fresh blood. There are tons of books on how to be a good networker, but there’s no better teacher than actually going out and speaking with people.
Hardware and Software Engineering
This doesn’t necessarily mean you should be tinkering with machines like Tony Stark. Simply building and hacking into electronic devices and their respective software programs can make you technically savvy and highly desirable in the eyes of tech startups, which are currently hiring by the droves right now. What’s great about this skill set is that you can teach yourself how to write code and how to hook up routers and servers. It will take time to get around complex concepts but it’s definitely a worthwhile skill set to have, considering the ridiculous salaries being offered by tech companies.
New Language
Increasing globalization warrants the need for more multilingual folks to act as liaisons for companies coming from different parts of the globe. Languages that are becoming more popular today include Mandarin, Spanish, German, and so forth. Being able to speak more than one language can open up opportunities to help upper-level management in dealing with international transactions and assisting business partners or clientele who only speak their native language.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping pertains to recording any and every financial transaction involving the business. There are many reasons why bookkeeping is important – to avoid an audit from government agencies, to dodge hefty penalties and sanctions, to save time when you file for tax season, and to keep a clear visual representation of your company’s financial health, and so on. Virtual bookkeeping is now becoming popular since it’s more cost-effective for a company to hire outside talent.
Nowadays, it’s not enough to have an undergraduate degree. More and more companies are looking deeper into your resume to see if you have the specific skill set to fit in with their business. If you have any one of these six must-have skills, it will definitely be easier for you to find a good-paying job that you can thrive in.
About the Author Carol Evenson:
Carol Evenson is a process automation consultant who specializes in systems management. She has worked alongside Fortune 1000 companies and currently assists organizations within the the US and UK.
We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on what you consider being must-have skills in your career.
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To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
