As every year goes by, it seems like new skills and talents are required to get the job you want. It can be frustrating trying to figure out exactly what talents you should have. By getting ahead of the demand for certain skills, you will set yourself apart from the crowd. Read below the skills that employers are going to be looking for this year, and get ahead of it!

Decision Making

While this may not be a new skill by any means, it is something incredibly valuable to know how to do. When entering the workforce, whether it be from another job or college, it may be scary at first. You don’t want to make the wrong move, but you also don’t want to keep asking what you should do. Sometimes it’s best just to go with your gut and make the decision yourself. You’re going to make mistakes, but being confident and showing your manager or boss that you can stand alone and be independent will go a long way. 

Time Management

We are living in such a busy time. We have work, friends, family, social media, mental health… so many things to keep track of. Especially now that the workforce is so competitive to get into, it’s hard to not completely eliminate something we should be implementing into our everyday routine. By showing your employer you know how to balance your life and disperse your time to what is most important will give them insight into how you work. This can possibly lead to more than one important project being assigned to you because they know how you can manage different tasks at once. 

Adaptability

Adaptability is essential and goes along with decision making because when you’re working, there may be some bumps along the road that you cannot control. This can be aggravating and throw you off like it would for most. The important part of those obstacles, though, is that you figure out how to overcome them with ease. By adapting to the current situation you’re in, such as working from home during a pandemic, will show that you can handle change. It also shows you can adapt to different roles you may not be used to and that you can be a team player. 

Emotional Intelligence

This is one of the newest sought-out skills for 2020. So you may ask, what exactly is emotional intelligence? It’s basically dealing with your own emotions while being aware of the emotions of others around you. This is being able to handle your own emotions, whether it be upset or frustrating. Along with being able to calmly handle your own emotions, you are very empathetic and are able to put yourself in other’s shoes. That does not mean you always feel for them, but you are able to understand where they are coming from. 

Efficiency in Technology

This final skill is one that has been pretty necessary for a while. Now, being efficient in technology does not just mean you know how to use a computer or phone –  it’s constantly evolving into something else. To have this skill, you now need to be very efficient with all aspects of technology including social media, analytics, various platforms, etc. You not only need to have a firm grasp on what they are but know in depth the different features of each and how to use them to their best ability. Most jobs will assume you have a strong grasp on most of these but being able to become completely proficient in them will set you apart. 

Developing skills that are valuable to the job search is vital, but if you don’t have some of these skills, don’t worry! There is never a better time to start than today. It’s important to get ahead of the curve and develop skills that will continue to be important and some that will emerge as well. 

Have some new ideas on how to stand out from the crowd? Great! Now head over to Burkhart Marketing to see if we can connect with you!