By Staff Writer
Every time I come across something new, I just can’t
help wanting to learn more about it; be it graphic design, coding or search
engine optimization, the list is endless and yet there’s just not enough time to learn it all, which
means I have to zero down to the skills that will most benefit my career.
A lot of skills are
needed in order to survive and thrive
in today’s workplace. To learn what these are, I talked to some people who shared
with me their views on the most essential
skills needed to boost one’s career.
Great
communication skills
Communication is part of our daily activity. Without
proper communication,
much can’t be achieved. It’s believed that most employers are looking for
candidates with strong communication skills, after
all, whether you’re spending your time talking to clients, co-workers, or
company partners, your effectiveness hinges on being clear, concise, or
persuasive.
Of course, communication can mean a lot of things,
so if you’re looking to improve your skills, you’ll need to first be real about where your most significant weakness lies. Challenge yourself to work on one thing at a
time to upgrade your professional
communication.
Leadership
abilities
You might assume that strong leadership is only essential when you are managing people, but
this is important to your success even when you’re the most junior person on
the team.
Every time
a group of people comes together; they need
to choose what to do and when to do it. So, if you know how to unify a group
and make quick decisions without conflict, you’ll be incredibly valuable
because you will have exhibited leadership skills.
An
understanding of marketing
It doesn’t matter what profession or industry you
belong to, at the end of the day; your
success depends on the customer. That’s why it’s essential to understand why
people make the decisions they do and then use this knowledge for your
company’s advantage.
Even if your role isn’t
so closely tied to marketing, it’s important to know how the process
works. If you want to know more about the topic, read broadly on the subject,
ask experts during your free time or better yet enroll for an online course
where you can learn the ropes and get some more credentials added onto your
resume.
Financial know how
You have to understand the basics on financial
matters related to a business. As a bonus, this knowledge can also translate into
your non-work life. While there are plenty of books and online resources that
can get you up to speed here, you can also follow financial experts on social
media or read financial sections of your favorite news source.
A
knack for teamwork
You may be thinking that this is something you
already know how to do, but working as part of a team is a skill you should be continuously
improving during your entire career.
If you’re looking for ways to be a better team
player, start with your listening skills, ‘It’s an art to know when to listen
and when to speak up.’ I found it most important that one must be able to listen
to others with an open mind even when they have opposing views.
Navigating different personalities in a group including
your own is also critical. It’s important
to understand everyone’s strength and weaknesses, so you can leverage what people are good at while balancing out
those areas they need to improve on.
Finally, making an effort to get closer to your team
while keeping them excited and engaged is also a bonus.
Once you are ready to invest in your own personal
growth as a student who’s willing to join
the workforce, look for programs that can help you focus on developing your skills in your area of
interest, however, always remember that no matter what, the above five areas
will help you build relationships, think strategically and be seen as a leader among your co-workers and friends.
Comments are closed.