Conditions are tough for job seekers today. Even though unemployment rates are low, the job market is extremely competitive.
Are you sick of looking at your resume and feeling like it’ll only take you so far? If you want to advance your career, you’ll need to take measures to improve your worth in an employer’s eyes.
The best way to do this is by expanding your career skills. A dynamic resume shows businesses you’re adaptable and have the drive needed to learn new things.
If you’re wondering where to start, keep reading. We’re discussing ten skills that will improve your chances of landing your dream job.
1. Collaboration
It doesn’t matter how good you are at your job, if you don’t work well with others, you’re limiting your success.
Many modern businesses take a team-based approach to their operation. This means they’re looking for people who can bring ideas together, handle constructive criticism, and work towards a common goal.
This is extremely important in creative roles. You need to be able to open yourself up to new ideas, even if they’re foreign to you. It’s also important to display interpersonal skills so employers feel confident you can interact well with a new team.
2. Project Management
The ability to see the full scope of a project and break it down into manageable tasks is the basis of project management. This is a valuable skill, even if you’re not a project manager.
Many business owners have great ideas all the time but don’t know how to bring them to life. They need people with project management skills to help them achieve their business goals.
This skillset involves delegating tasks, meeting deadlines, and budgeting. If these sound like strengths you already have, consider getting a project management certification.
3. Public Speaking
The ability to moderate a meeting or give a presentation are invaluable skills in a professional environment. With so much business relying on digital communication, this skillset is rare.
Set yourself apart by becoming a great public speaker. You may feel like you don’t have it in you, but this is a talent you can learn over time.
Two of the most important components of public speaking are confidence and mental control. Once you master these, start taking on the responsibility of running meetings or conference calls. When combined with your primary skillset, public speaking can open many doors for you.
4. Leadership Skills
Every company needs leaders to manage, mentor, and inspire their staff. Not only will leadership skills help you land jobs, but they’ll also help you move into upper management.
Taking on the role of a leader is important in today’s professional climate where many people prefer to concentrate on their own skillset. This is especially true in the tech industry.
The ability to manage and guide employees will result in employers giving you more responsibility. You may end up educating employees on everything from workplace hazards like those found on SafetySkills to job advancement training.
5. Creative Skills
A creative mindset is an advantage at any job. In addition, you don’t have to be part of a creative team to think dynamically about your job.
Creativity in the workplace involves finding new ways to solve problems and develop initiatives. This means using experience, resources, and passion to do things in unconventional ways.
If you’ve never considered yourself a creative person, you’re only holding yourself back. Today, marketing, sales, HR, and management roles all benefit from employees who think outside the box.
6. Resourceful Time Management
For businesses, time is money. They expect their employees to display effective time management skills to ensure clients remain happy and day-to-day productivity is consistent.
If you’re working in a project-driven environment, time management is a must. It’s also important if multi-tasking is part of your job.
If you’ve struggled with this skillset in the past, there are plenty of time management courses that will help you make changes to your workflow. If you need to invest in a class, do it. The knowledge and skills you’ll learn are well worth the money.
7. Sales Ability
Let’s face it, the bottom line of most businesses is revenue. Sales is the force that drives this initiative.
Even if you’re not in sales, you need to have a fundamental understanding of it. After all, you should know how the product or service you’re creating is getting sold to the public.
Sales ability will also benefit you internally. It will help you sell your ideas, give you a leg up when providing customer service, and increase your knowledge of business development.
8. Technical Prowess
Any professional competing in today’s job market needs to have a certain amount of technical skills. This is an advantage in almost any industry.
This doesn’t mean you need to know how to build a website from the ground up. However, you should be able to operate apps, common administrative systems, and web-based programs.
If technical knowledge is a weak point for you, look into taking classes on basic desktop usability. It’ll surprise you how much this will help.
9. A Good Communicator
One of the most important aspects of professional life is good communication. It’s critical when working with internal team members and clients.
You need to hone both your written and verbal skills. This will allow you to effectively communicate in all situations, from phone conferences to chat messages.
Remember that half of all communication involves listening. If you’re not a good listener, information will fall through the cracks and mistakes will occur.
10. Be a Self-Starter
Businesses need employees who can take an idea and run with it. This requires the ability to create your own initiative and accept accountability for a task.
Being a self-starter also means taking risks, networking with others, and establishing a unique workflow with regard to projects. If you can do this successfully, you increase your value exponentially.
Improve Your Career Skills and Find Your Perfect Job
If you’re sick of settling for jobs instead of doing something you love, it’s time to work on boosting your skillset. Doing so will strengthen your resume and open doors you never thought possible.
Consider the career skills discussed above when deciding where you need to make improvements.
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