Having Useful Skills for any Career can make you a valuable employer to have. It increases your chances of being hired. So take some time out of your day to read up on how you can assess and develop your career skills
Top Skills Employers Look for
Employers focus on getting the right candidates for their business. Even though there are specific skills you will need to do a job, there are some useful skills for any career. You can gain these skills in a number of ways.
Communication
Communication is all about being able to relay a message in a way that everyone understands. This refers to both written and verbal communication. Great thing is we offer a number of courses that focus on Business English so you can communicate like a professional.
Teamwork
Having the ability to work in a team shows that you are capable of building positive working relationships. It also shows that you are able to manage and delegate tasks effectively to achieve business goals.
Negotiation
Negotiation skills include planning, strategizing and persuasion. This allows you to have constructive conversations to settle disputes and come to agreements within the workplace. You may need to negotiate contract terms, project timelines and much more.
Organisation
Organisation skills involve prioritising tasks. It also includes working effectively and meeting deadlines. Having good organisation skills also means that you have good time management.
Ability to work under pressure
Everyday in the workplace is different. Working under pressure is essential for any working environment. It also shows that you can keep calm during stressful situations and not get overwhelmed.
Confidence
Having confidence in what you do is important. Showing confidence in yourself, your colleagues and the work you produce all contributes to the success of the business. Remember that there is a difference between confidence and arrogance.
Transferable Skills
Transferable skills develop throughout your career. These skills can be utilised in every position you work in. You can gain these skills by studying a number of courses such as management, marketing and even some diploma courses. Focus on improving them and maximize your career.
Motivation and Enthusiasm: Employers want to see that you are enthusiastic about the work that you are doing.
Initiative: Showing employers that you can think for yourself is highly valuable. Having initiative also shows management that you work independently.
Leadership: Most roles require you to have leadership skills. Always keep an eye out for opportunities where you can showcase this skill.
Problem- solving: Being able to critically analyse situations and come up with realistic solutions.
Types of Skills
Are you familiar with hard and soft skills? Your hard skills are listed on your CV and are the skills you gain through your studies. Soft skills are displayed during your interview and trial week. Each of these categories can be further broken down into subcategories.
Subcategory | Description | Type of Skill |
Hybrid | Combination of technical and non-technical skills | Combination of hard and soft skills |
Transferable | For every industry | Mainly consists of soft skills |
Job-specific | Gain through education and job training | Combination of hard and soft skills |
What Skills are Needed for Future Jobs?
With the world evolving quickly, you have to make sure that your skills do too. This means gaining skills that will be needed for more than a few years. You never know where you will be in 10 years, you might be part of building the first flying car.
Digital Literacy
Everything we need revolves around technology. That’s why there is a rise in the need for employees to have digital literacy. This skill can be used across many industries and adds value to your skillset and CV. You can use computer courses to gain the knowledge you need.
Social Intelligence
Regardless of the technological advancements that are made, social and emotional intelligence will always be a need. This is because there is a human factor to every industry. So being able to communicate and understand people will always be crucial.
Financial Literacy
You might not want to go into a career such as accounting. But having some financial literacy can be an advantage. Get overall knowledge on the financial sector with a short course in accounting, bookkeeping and finance.
Assessing Your Skills
Even though your manager assesses your skills from time to time, you can too. You can take a look at your skills and see if any of them need to be improved on or updated. By doing this your CV is constantly up to date and your skills are fresh.
Reflect on Your job Description
The best way to assess your skills is by going to your job description. Here you will find the skills required for your job. You will then be able to see if you have gained the skills or if you should still gain them.
Zero in on Soft Skills
Most professional soft skills can’t be taught in a classroom or workshop. Note down your skills and think of how you have implemented them in your career. With these notes you will clearly see where you need to improve.
Look at Your Performance Reviews
Performance reviews happen once or twice a year. Your manager will score your performance based on a criteria. Use this feedback and work on the point where you got a low score.
How do I Develop my Career Skills?
Keeping your career skills up to date is very important. Luckily we have a few tips to help you out with it. These are things you can do throughout your career and improve on with time.
- Set goals for yourself
- Do a SWOT analysis
- Enrol in Courses
- Apply for company training
Get the Skills you Need for the Career of Your Dreams
Are you interested in gaining skills that you can carry throughout your career? Contact one of our course experts and sign up with us today.
- Call us for free on 0800 39 00 27
- Or fill out a contact form for a call back