Nowadays the world has moved on from being a group od separate countries, nations, beliefs and lifestyles into a global village bound and intertwined into itself. This level of Connection or never before existent communication is courtesy of the technological advances and breakthroughs in all of the aspects of our lives, from how we communicate with our loved ones to the discovery of space.
One of the other effects of the Development of Technology is that in today’s modern world you’re not just competing locally for the dream job you want, you’re actually competing with thousands of other equally prepared & qualified Individuals.
This means that understanding today’s modern job market is a must if you want to work in that company or field you’ve always dreamed of working in. Realizing this we decided to point your attention towards some of the most needed skills in Today’s competitive job market.
1) The Current State of the Job Market
So before we proceed to discuss the needed skills of our modern job market we thought it is a good idea to have a look at the current state of the job market you’re likely to find yourself competing in.
These statistics mostly reflect a time before the COVID-19 toke the world by surprise leading to a somewhat stagnation in the recruitment and employment process. So here is our modern-day Job Market in the form of Numbers.
- According to the US Bearue of Labour report, the employment rate which was at 3.9%, its lowest since the 2000s is currently 4.1 since October, making the market more competitive.
- When comparing the Figures of the Job Report in February to those of March we find that despite the Job figures in February generally pointing downwards, they witnessed a sharp increase in March with a Net increase in about 30,000 jobs.
- According to an article by Jobscan, the total number of job postings in March of 2020, when compared to the same time last year witnessed a 24% decrease.
- As per liveCareers 2018 skill gap report, is that the average Job ad contains 21 skills while an average resume only lists 13,
What this means is that chances are more scarce than before and that those job seekers will try to get the most bang for their buck with each employment they make.
On the other hand, the number of skills listed & required by employers on different job postings & Making the need to know what the market needs more critical than ever.
2) The Essential Skills of Todays Job Market
Now that you’ve got an idea of the nature of today’s competitive market its time move on to the most sought out & important skills for job seekers.
- Communication Skills
If there was ever a time when communication skills and interpersonal skills were needed it would be in today’s Job Market especially with the rise in companies and firms opting to a work from home format due to the spread of the CoVid-19 Epidemic.
Being able to communicate effectively is a must-have skill in today’s modern world, in and outside your workplace. It is also a skill that is tested by your Interviewer as a part of your soft skills test.
Having the abaility to establish relations, listen attentively to the conversation going around you and respond in a way that would make you stand out & delivering messages in a professional and accurate manner are not only reasons for you to be recognized for your work but also the main reason you’re nominated for a good opportunity.
- Basic Technology & computer skills
In Today’s world, most if not every aspect of our workplace is digitalized and performed wither using a laptop or a desktop computer.
Another reason why you should do this is that it will make you more effective in processing your work & achieving quicker results and will be a great addition to your other technical skills.
So what we mean here when we say basic technological skills is a good understanding & command over the Microsoft Office package including Word, Excel, Powerpoint & the rest, the different solutions offered by google such as google docs, sheets, slides, Gmail,
Being able to communicate with your team via chat & other messaging apps will also come in handy for those quick updates & responses.
A good understanding of the different social media platforms out there like Facebook, Instagram & Snapchat will go a long way, with a more in-depth knowledge of them needed for those who are planning on pursuing a career in Digital Marketing
- Problem Solving & Critical Thinking skills
Changes In today’s business market & customers can come quick & impactful and if the current epidemic has taught us anything is that the businesses that are smart enough to pivot and adapt to that change are the ones that survive.
That’s why having the ability to think quickly on your feet and adapt to the quick adjustments and contribute with meaningful solutions to your company, in turn, increases your value, displays your analytical skills and your ability to solve problems quickly and effectively.
Another aspect where critical thinking would help you out with is breaking down your tasks and different practices in the company and figuring out points of improvement and ways to achieve better results efficiently
- Organizational & multi-tasking skills
It’s not uncommon that most of you out there would view having organizational skills as something that would pertain more to those assuming a managerial or executive role
This is not entirely true though as the displaying of such skills even at a more entry-level position is bound to catch the attention of your superiors and allow you to stand out.
As for multitasking skills there the bread and butter of any successful employee or even manager.
Today’s tasks are surely made easier due to the development in technology but that also means that you’re expected to handle more than one function or task at the same time.
Actually many companies. If not all companies and entities include some form of a test to your Multi-Tasking Ability.
To sum it all up these are some of the most needed skills in today’s modern job market. This does not mean that other more technical jobs may require different or more qualifications but displaying these characteristics will land you the job of your dreams and make you thrive.
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