Soft skills - guide for candidates
Why is it essential to develop the right soft skills and how to stay relevant in today's and future labor market?
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted companies to rapidly accelerate digitization plans, and skills needs are changing faster than ever.
Prior to the 2020 lockdown, there was an increasing demand for skills that complement processes related to automation and technological/process-based new job types.
Today, the acceleration and shortage of personnel in the market activates the need for companies to educate, train and develop the right kinds of skills among their existing workforce as soon as possible.
In the current process of normalization and recovery of the market, we notice certain things. Some industries and occupations are recovering more quickly, especially those in high-demand growth sectors, while other legacy sectors are reeling from an equally rapid decline in profitability.
Organizations understand that they need a workforce that will continuously learn, develop, and be ready and resilient to market and industry changes and disruptions.
We convey ways to continue developing the skills needed for current job positions as well as the jobs of the future.
Be proactive
Look for resources that will help you further your education and improve your talents. This may mean taking on a new project to improve skills or enrolling in programs to acquire new knowledge. There are various flexible education options, from short courses, on-the-job training or distance learning. Especially with the rise of remote work, there is no shortage of virtual resources. Find the variant that suits your lifestyle, the time you can spare and the needs in your business life.
Be responsible
Ask management, supervisors and managers to control the development of your soft skills set in a practical sense. You can also ask your manager to rate you on your leadership skills before and after you join, for example, work committees, lead a series of meetings, or take on a new project management task that requires meeting deadlines. Applying these specific measures at the end of the development cycle will help you stay motivated and accountable and will encourage continued growth.
Practice learning
New problems and opportunities will emerge as digital trends continue to change the way we work. In order to respond adequately to these new challenges, learning is necessary. To repeat - learning is the desire and ability to continuously grow and develop throughout your career. Ask yourself, when was the last time you read something from a new or unusual perspective? When did you take the time to explore new industries and technologies? To keep your learning skills sharp, take the time to find new topics and dig beneath the surface of those segments that interest you. Learning and improving skills at work should not be static - especially since skills in the workplace continue to change, as we have clearly seen in the last two years. Improving job skills through lifelong learning is a career-long process. Mastering new soft skills is not a one-time task - keep working on them, listen to the market and develop.
In the rest of the text, we present some of the required sets that increase the competitiveness and success of each candidate today and in the future.
Creative problem solving
One way to differentiate yourself from the competition is to focus on generating creative ideas to solve problems. This process should not be seen as one more thing to be added to the employee's work tasks, but as a means of creating a competitive advantage for any organization.
Communication skills
In terms of communication skills, how you behave or act, how you articulate needs or problems, and how you present yourself in written, video, or spoken form is extremely important. These are skills that can be learned and developed and are extremely important in today's fast-paced world. Insisting on building communication skills in the career path management process increases leadership characteristics and the potential of motivating, cooperating and leading a team.
Cooperation and teamwork
Do you know how well you work with others? To answer this question more objectively, actively listen and ask your team members about the segments of joint collaboration. Take your time and analyze the reactions you arouse in people.
If they are negative, use a calm manner and conversation to find ways of functioning that are optimal for the development of the organization as well as you personally. This way you will show how friendly, cooperative and helpful you are to the work environment.
Analytics-driven assessment and development
People perform best when their role matches their natural abilities, especially in emerging new jobs. Assessment is the most valuable way to understand human potential and match people to the right role.
Strong self-assessment can help you align your skills that can be adapted and applied to new types of careers, especially in fast-changing digital sectors. Encourage the employer or access tests and counseling yourself that can determine the starting point for development.
For those looking to advance their careers, soft skills will continue to be critically important. Accept them, develop your comparative advantages and build on knowledge that will benefit you throughout your career, regardless of changes in job positions in the coming months and years.
