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.
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