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The ever-changing workplace we see before us places new and greater demands on workers. In order to keep evolving and stay competitive, one must always be on edge for new developments in their field. Your soft skills and hard skills are what make you stand out from your competition; they make you unique! Below you’ll find some of the skills in each set that will help you stay competitive in evolving workplace conditions.
Soft skills are essentially a combination of social and communication skills; they correspond to your emotional intelligence, and can be used in a variety of settings. Hard skills are abilities that can be measured. They are the specific skills that can be learned through schooling and training. They are more defined and less universal than soft skills.
Soft Skills
Many believe that soft skills are the key to succeeding in your career. The truth is, no one knows what the future holds, but having these four soft skills will definitely help you face any circumstance.
1. Problem-Solving
A soft skill that has always been an anchor for employees in any workplace is problem-solving. However, with today’s challenges and the growing necessity for quick solutions to serious issues, problem-solving is more important than ever, and will continue to be. As social Science researcher and dissertationist, Frank Hamilton states, “[Any] skill that trains you to overcome obstacles and find solutions will prove very useful not only for big developments in the department of work but in your everyday life”.
2. Creativity
It takes creativity to devise new ways to run a business, manage an office, or sell a product in these constantly changing times. Creativity is also one of those skills that will help you stand out from the crowd. The ability to generate ideas, find alternatives and unlikely combinations will be very useful in problem-solving, communication, negotiating and many other areas of your life. No matter how much the circumstances change, the world will always need innovators and people that think differently.
3. Resilience
Resilience has been described as the ability to adapt well to stress, tragedy, change, and other difficult or painful human experiences. Being resilient is not synonymous with not experiencing stress – quite the opposite, actually. Resilient people learn to work through emotional pain and suffering in order to thrive and move forward. The workplace of the future requires people who can withstand difficult situations both at work and in life.
4. Communication
The Covid-19 pandemic reminded us more than anything else of the importance of communication. Aside from verbal communication, we also communicate through body language and our facial expressions. It’s important to remember that effective communication consists of two factors: sending and receiving. Active listening and communicating is the single most important skill of collaborating! More than ever, organizations are realizing the benefits of working as a team rather than as individuals with have separate job duties that do not overlap.
Hard Skills
There are many speculations about how the workplace of the future may look. However, all of them have one thing in common, and that is technology. After the pandemic, many organizations saw this time as an opportunity to try different models, most of which involved remote working, and the following skills.
1. Digital Literacy
One of the most important skills that present and future employees need to have is digital literacy. Additionally, remote-working requires that all employees be able to work successfully on laptop or desktop computer, use various software platforms, communicate through different applications with their colleagues, achieve online security, and conduct basic research. If these skills weren’t imperative before, they will certainly be non-negotiable going forward.
2. Data Analysis
We are already living in an age where data mining is a strategy that most organizations use to grow. The more data is legitimately acquired, the more outlets companies have to reach individuals through advertising and marketing. It’s safe to say that Data Analysts will have a home in the workplace for the unforeseeable future. The adoption machine learning (the study of computer algorithms) and Artificial Intelligence indicates the need for future candidates to have basic knowledge of SQL, Microsoft Excel, MATLAB or Python, and Business Intelligence software and tools.
3. Data Visualization
Aside from analyzing and sorting data, data visualization is also gaining ground on job postings and this trend is sure to continue into the future. Data Visualization is the interpretation of data and its organization into tables, charts, and graphs. There are many programs that experts in the field are using, namely: Microsoft Power BI, Google Charts, etc. Those will a skill in this area can expect to see their value grow as the workplace continues to evolve.
To conclude, the workplace of the future seems more complicated and demanding than ever. Candidates will need to stay alert, be flexible, and adapt to any circumstances that may arise on a higher level than before. As problem-solving, creativity, resilience, and communication are key factors in career (and life) success, digital literacy, data analysis, and visualization are necessary skills in both today’s and tomorrow’s workplace.
About the Author: Donald Fomby is a self-taught content writer who has enjoyed success with numerous popular blogs. Currently, he’s a writer at SupremeDissertations. Donald focuses on sharing useful knowledge for small and medium-sized businesses. He enjoys sharing his knowledge in the form of tips, tricks, and guides.
Editor: Fred Coon, CEO
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