These Are the Top Skills Employers Are Looking For

These Are the Top Skills Employers Are Looking For

Landing your dream job depends not only on your college degree and your working experience. There are top skills employers are looking for when selecting the right candidate for the job.

Irrespective of the position you are applying for, employers are always on the lookout for these skills to make sure you are fit for the position. These skills are commonly referred to as soft skills.

Soft skills are those skills and attributes that are interpersonal in nature and influence how individuals relate to one another. On the flip side, hard skills are those technical skills required to function in the workplace such as computer literacy.

When applying for a job, you must show in your resume that you have these top skills employers are looking for. A combination of these skills with your technical ability makes you irresistible to employers.

The Top Skills Employers Are Looking For

1. Communication Skills

Communication takes place in the workplace every day and it is one of the top skills employers are looking for. In a world of technological advancement, employers are looking for individuals who can communicate effectively and pass messages across, verbally and written.

Effective communication is a very rare but essential skill needed in the workplace. Having strong communication skills makes you a valuable asset to your employers.

The key to communicating effectively is keeping your message simple and clear. You have to ensure your message can be understood immediately while passing information across. Compare these two scenarios:

Text A– “Good day, Agnes, can we go out later when you are done with work?”

Text B– “Good day, Agnes, I’m going to grab dinner at the Chicken Republic when we close from work. Would you like to join me? Bill’s on me.”

If you are the receiver, both sentences tell you that you would be going out in the evening after work. However, Text A does not give you much detail. Text B on the other hand tells you where you would be going, when you would be going, and what you would be doing. This way, you have more information and can either decline or accept the offer.

Improving your communication skills helps you become more efficient and effective in the workplace.

2. Teamwork

The ability to work well with a team is a top skill employers are looking for. Every organization is made up of individuals who need to work together to achieve maximum productivity. Irrespective of the position, it is always in the best interest of the organization when its employees can collaborate on tasks. Hence, employers are always looking for individuals who can work well in teams.

Some of the characteristics of a good team player include trust, honesty, accountability, and open communication. A good team player can be trusted with a task and can deliver at due time. He/she must be accountable and honest in the workplace as this goes a long way in strengthening team bonding.

3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

In the workplace, situations arise that require in-depth analysis, evaluation, and the need to provide a solution to the problem at hand. Hence, employers are very particular about selecting candidates with the ability to think critically and solve problems.

Critical thinking goes hand in hand with problem-solving. It involves the ability to question assumptions, observe, analyze, and derive a conclusion from data. It also involves the step-by-step analysis of a problem to provide solutions.

Problems are bound to arise in the workplace, particularly work and people related. As an employee, it is expected that you should be able to deal with problems as they arise.

The good news is, like every other skill, you can develop your ability to think critically and solve problems. Actively paying attention to how experts, your colleagues, or experienced persons handle problems in the workplace can give you a blueprint to solving work-related problems.

Engage in internships, research, or field experience to collaborate with colleagues so you can develop these skills. If you shy away from tasks, you avoid the opportunity to put your skill into practice.

4. Interpersonal Skill

Interpersonal skills are skills that influence how you interact and work well with others. Because we interact with people every day, interpersonal skill is a top skill employers are looking for.

Also referred to as “people’s skill”, interpersonal skill refers to how well you can interact and engage with people. Even when you are not in a position that requires you to come in contact with customers, you would still need to interact with colleagues and managers at work.

Interpersonal skill is necessary for building relationships and networks. It involves how effective you are in communicating, your ability to maintain decorum and courtesy as well as having good emotional intelligence.

Employers are also looking for individuals who are flexible and can adapt to any given task to meet a particular objective.

5. Leadership Skill

Have you ever met a person with the ability to administrate and manage people while also bringing out the best in them? Northpad has one of the best editorial managers I have seen.

Employers are looking for individuals who can administer the affairs of the organization effectively. Whatever position you are applying for, having leadership skills gives you an edge over candidates.

Leadership is not limited to those applying for managerial positions. Nowadays, most organizations prefer to promote individuals from within who have exhibited strong leadership qualities.

A good leader listens and pays attention to complaints in the workplace, understands the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, and provides the opportunity for optimal productivity from each employee.

6. Digital Literacy

The world today is run by technology and having a basic understanding of the usage of computers and the internet is a requirement by most employers.

Most organizations make use of computers in their daily operations. Thus, having basic knowledge of how to use a computer is top skill employers are looking for.

Some positions require that you have in-depth knowledge of advanced computer skills. Furthermore, it’s only wise to ensure that you are learned in such a field. For example, a data scientist would need to have an understanding of the use of Excel.

However, some basic computer literacy skill includes knowing how to use word processors like Ms Word or Google docs, spreadsheets such as Excel or Google sheets, the use of the internet, and social media.

7. Flexibility and Adaptability

The ability to be flexible and adapt to changes in the workplace is an essential skill needed in an employee.

Innovations are constantly introduced in the working environment and employers expect you to be able to learn and adapt to these changes.

For example, you can be a social media manager and your employer may ask you to head the communications department. Your ability to adapt quickly to these changes is a skill you can develop.

Being flexible and able to adapt quickly is a quality that sets you apart from other candidates. It shows you’re eager to learn and change when needed.

8. Professional Work Ethics

When building yourself for job applications, you should consider learning the ethics required in a professional environment as it is a top skill employers are looking for.

Work ethics refers to the manner in which you conduct yourself in the workplace. It includes traits such as honesty, decency, respect, promptness to mention a few.

Having a strong work ethic enables you to manage your time and get things done promptly and properly. It also means you conduct yourself professionally in the workplace by respecting the privacy and boundaries of your colleagues.

Conclusion

Whatever position you are applying for, these top skills employers are looking for would give you an edge during the application process. You must begin developing these skills as they are the distinguishing factor when selecting candidates for a position.

In addition, make sure you highlight these skills and how you have applied them in the workplace on your resume and cover letter. You would also want to make sure you are being honest because that’s what interviews are meant for; verifying the contents of your resume.

Is there any skill you would want to develop or put more effort into developing? Let me know in the comment section and I would show you how!

10 Tips to Work Better as a Team

10 Tips to Work Better as a Team

In life, living and working alone on your own is impossible. Be it a school science project, a working committee, or a recreational group, people have to work together to achieve a goal. With how different everyone is, working together can prove to be a difficult task. Here are 10 tips to ensure you work better as a team.

10 Tips That Will Help You Work Better As a Team

1. Make Sure to Set Clear Goals

When a team is created, it is usually to serve a certain purpose. This purpose might be clear to some but to others, it might just be a blur of words and activities. It is important for the goals of the group to be stated clearly for the benefit of everybody.

Also, in many cases, team members have personal goals that they look forward to fulfilling while in the group. It is important to bring these goals to light. That way not only will people help you achieve your goal; you will not be a hindrance to the work balance as your personal goals will be considered.

2. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

The role and responsibilities of each team member should be clearly defined at the beginning of the process. These responsibilities should be assigned based on the weaknesses and strengths of individuals. For instance, a person who likes to make comics could be given the role of advertising and a computer guru could handle technical issues. This way, your team runs as efficiently as possible.

Assigning responsibilities also severely reduce the rate of failure in groups. This is because tasks are easily doable bits that form a whole when put together. In an event of failure, it is easy to identify the responsible party and push him/her to improve next time.

3. Ensure There Is Good Communication

In any system, communication is key. Communication is an essential part of everyday life and a backbone of any successful team. Communication does not just mean that one party talks and the other hears; it is when one party speaks and the other listens. In good communication, information, suggestions, feelings, etc. are passed from one person to another.

Skilful communication ensures that the team runs smoothly. It creates awareness and understanding between teammates. It is the way by which roles, responsibilities, and goals are set. Without effective communication, the team is as well as doomed.

4. Create Trust within the Team

In a system where people have to trust each other with their collective success, it is important to build trust among each other. Trust is a solid block that will hold the team up and allow each person to focus on their part of the job. This is because they trust the others to also play their part in ensuring the success of the group.

In addition, this trust can be built by a group discussion where everyone talks about their personal lives. Some studies suggest trust-building exercises to boost the team while some others just suggest that the team spends a lot of time together.

5. Decisions Should Be Made Together

Making decisions for the group is not the responsibility of the group leader. Everyone’s ideas should matter in the process. In making a decision for the group, each and every individual opinion should be sought and respected.

It is important to remember that our environments and personalities differ. As such, our opinions might be vastly different. Do not let this drive a wedge between the group. If necessary, decisions can be put to a vote but only as a last resort. It is better to try to convince one party or even come to a compromise.

6. Reward Every Achievement

No matter how little the achievement is, it is essential to reward people for doing their work well. Whether this reward is in form of praise, award, or gifts, every act of diligence would be rewarded. It makes personnel feel appreciated and motivated to do more. In a company system, a teammate of the year award, people person of the year award, and other such seemingly meaningless awards will greatly improve teamwork.

The human brain loves to be praised. When appreciated, it does not want to lose the respect of others hence, individuals work even harder to maintain their status. Everyone else who has had to clap for a successful individual would also love to stand in the person’s shoes thus enhancing their work. Care should be taken, however, to not let these awards divide the team.

7. There Should Be Constant Check-Ins

Team members should constantly check up on each other and their works. A social media chat room could be created and regular meetings should be scheduled to discuss the ups and downs of teammates’ personal lives and team responsibilities. This promotes trust, enhances communication, builds understanding, trust and so much more.

Also, when a teammate is stuck on his/her part of the project, they can quickly call the attention of the rest of the team to the problem.

Hence, a solution can be found and the team will be more effective. Frequent communication also enables teammates to communicate their inability to fulfil their roles so the project will not be put in jeopardy.

8. Celebrate the Team’s Diversity

In a professional or school team, it is very unlikely that everybody is from a similar circumstance, social standing, and even city. These differences should not be seen as a weakness but as a strength.

A group with 7 people from 7 different cities with 7 different skills will usually have a more beautiful project than with 7 completely similar people. This is because the first group pulls 7 different experiences into its project. Instead of a monotone work, their project will have diversity and will usually be unique as compared to the project of the second group.

9. Create Regular Brainstorm Sessions

For a group to work better as a team, everyone must have a say in the matter of the type of project to do and how to go about it. This is where brainstorming comes in. Brainstorming is a group discussion aimed at producing ideas and ways for problem-solving.

When the entire group is part of the project, they will be excited to see their ideas put into the play and be more willing to help the project come to life thus, ensuring a responsive, happy, and efficient team.

10. Select the Right Team Leader

A leader is not an authoritative, dictatorial person but a person who values trust, hard work, team spirit, and people’s opinions. To be a leader is to be ready to succumb to the people’s wishes and to be able to hold steadfast unto decisions. It is to be kind yet firm, to be as soft as foam yet as solid as a rock. A team leader is a person in front of a tug of war game. He is at the forefront and bears the brawn but knows that he needs to support of every other member to actually win the game.

Choosing the right leader is the second most important tip to work better as a team after communication. The right team leader will act as a cement to maintain the group. Therefore, teammates should study each other thoroughly before deciding. It is important to note that leadership is dynamic.

The person who is most fit to lead might not be noted right away but later into the group project or the former leader might no longer function as effectively, therefore, need a replacement. In these situations, it is important to discuss the new developments and decide on the change of leadership.

Conclusion

Team works are not easy. Many people would rather work alone as they feel it is more flexible, assured of success, and overall easier on them. But with the tips above, working in a team will feel like a cool breeze on a hot day and all the teammates will be content, happy, and satisfied.

I hope you find this piece helpful. If you do, please leave a comment in the comments section.