It is the most advancing of times in the workplace and such advancement makes it essential for potential employees to become acquainted with a certain set of skills. Be it any industry, you are not exempt from the changing trends in the workplace scenario.
However, of the numerous skills that can be mastered, it becomes difficult for employees to select the most relevant set of skills according to their respective fields. So which skills are in demand and why are they necessary at all? What professional attributes do companies look for in their employees? & What initiatives you should take to stand out? Here we shall explore these questions in detail so that it becomes easier for you to make the most informed and wise decision and make 2019 your year.
While various Hard Skills and Soft skills have become the norm in most industries. But of the endless list of skills that come within these categories which are the most in demand and why?
Top Hard Skills to learn in 2019
Hard skill refer to the field-specific, technical, standardized and learned skill that can be acquired through professional training and teaching. The implicit necessity to acquire such skills is through logic and mental engagement. Such skills are easier to define than soft skills. This could include computing, journalism, artificial intelligence and more.
Some of the Trending Hard Skills
- Cloud Computing
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
- Machine learning, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision
- UI/UX
- Blockchain
- Mobile Application development
- Game Development
- Digital Marketing
- DevOps Engineer
- Scrum, Agile
- AWS
- Cyber Security
- Full Stack Developer
- Software Testing
- Industrial Design
- Writing
- Video Production
- Animation
- Scientific Computing
Top Soft Skills to learn in 2019
Soft skill is the tactical skill that is easier to learn and have flexible usage. Soft Skills are necessary for almost every field and unlike hard skills do not become outdated. These are the more social skills that involve engagement with colleagues, listening, creativity, adaptability and more.
Some of the trending Soft Skills
1. Creativity
Innovation and advancement occur with new ideas and creative engagement triggers such ideas. Most employers consider it a crucial factor to employ freethinkers.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to think from other perspectives and understand their subject positions. Employees who can relate to their clients and colleagues gain better results.
3. Adaptability to New Technology
Technology is inevitable and changing rapidly. In such a work culture only those individuals stand out, who are quick to accustom themselves to the technological
4. Time Management
For higher efficiency and for greater learning employees need discipline in the time constraints of their work.
5. Critical Thinking
To make a firm practical and well-estimated decision an employee must be able to objectively evaluate any work condition.
6. People Management
One needs an interactive engagement with whom they work. It needs conflict management and maintaining a holistic work environment.
7. Communication
Efficient communication skills determine the capacity of an employee to influence, convince and express ideas and opinions.
8. Negotiation
Negotiation is the ability to compromise, convince and arrive at a mutually acceptable decision. It needs debating ability.
9. Decision Making
To arrive at the best course of action from all possible alternatives an employee needs to have sound decision-making skills.
10. Understanding Technology
An employee must be able to comprehend the role and usage of technology, how it can be manipulated in some field and how can it be brought to its best of use.
For you to decide which skill set would be of value to you in your respective field, it is important to think in the following direction
Interlinkage amongst skills
Learning a number of Hard Skills and Soft skills alone will not be fruitful. The selection of the set of skills is as important. You need to be conscious of the interlinkage within some hard skills and soft skills respectively.
For instance, consider cloud computing. If an employee learns cloud computing it would of use for her to look into AWS architecture and Data Science.
Likewise, people management and negotiation skills will not be functional in the first place if an individual does not have effective communication skills.
Combination of Hard Skills and Soft Skills
For functional and productive results most technical skills need to be directed by social skills. For instance, artificial intelligence can make machines think but it is devoid of creativity and imagination that is innate to humans.
System Administrators require problem-solving abilities, communication, and analytical skills along with a technical understanding of a company’s hardware and software engagements. They cannot overlook the technical and neither can they overlook their social skills.
Likewise, without command on one’s communication skills, one cannot be expected to deliver ideas and opinions in the workspace. This particularly becomes very important for Data Scientists who are often expected to present their findings and ideas to nontechnical teams.
Attention to the changing trend
With technological advancement, most traditional technical skills are rather tentative and undergoing changes. One has to be efficient and quick to adapt to these changes. For instance, marketing is going online and most businesses are conscious of blockchain tech, chat boxes, social media platforms, Adsense and creating content that comes off as authentic, influential and persuasive.
This can be addressed with respect to various fields:
- Skills with leveraging and understanding technology
Since technology is changing at a rapid pace. The employers would appreciate their employees to have an updated grasp of the current occurrences in the field. - Focus on Automation, Computing, and Security
The realm of technology goes beyond established tech businesses. Automation, Security, and computing dominate the workspace. For instance, Automation deals with the machine control to automate repetitive tasks and processes that appear for a firm over and over. Such a domain would require Agile Scrum certification. This has also led to a demand for DevOps Engineers.
The heightened inclination to the digitization of data will not disappear and thus the threat of cyber attacks will only continue to exist. Cyber Security as a field in itself is in great demand. Data, information, system, network and cloud security professionals are most sought after. - Digital Video Production
Video Production is a trending field amongst businesses for endorsing, marketing and promotions. Animation within video production opens a vast scope for learners and for firms to attract their target reach. Aspects of journalism would also be included in it. Video production along with animation and creative bent together make a profitable and promising skill set. - Industrial Design
Products undergo change, whether technical or the more concrete hardware changes. Industrial Designers merge architecture, design, and engineering in the development of the designs for products. Also, UX developers and UI designers dealing with the interface of the screen are just as much within the trend. The field is of ample potential given a creative and logical thought be applied to it. - Mobile Application Development
Mobile Application Development along with Game Development lies in the more traditional sphere of software development. However, the large smartphone success determines that it a highly demanded skill set. Businesses are also using Mobile Applications to broaden their reachability to their consumers. - Full Stack Developer
Full Stack Developers are engineers dealing with database, servers, clients. They have the know-how of programming, basic design, database, and management skills. The skill set within the job is a prerequisite. - Adsense, PopAds, Infolinks
Platforms like Adsense, Infolinks PopAds etc. have made marketing largely productive. Their engagement with Machine Learning makes the skill susceptible to the field. - Data, Intelligence, and Learning
While Data Science remains as an overarching sphere that will remain in the field, Artificial Intelligence will become the focus. Multiple sectors will be affected by AI as it would become prominent in the market. Machine Learning and Natural language Processing along with AI will only expand. - Help Desk and Desktop Support Professionals
Most Businesses are customer facing and require the help desk. For the right customer service and troubleshooting, this job requires technical experience and soft skills for necessary results. Delivering of technology product and technology-enabled service need representatives with emotional intelligence. - Blockchain Developer
Blockchain Developers are in demand because of the of the high impact of the technical skill in various industries. The skill set needed for becoming a blockchain developer would include an understanding of Blockchain systems in addition to possessing strong software development or engineering skills. - Software Testing
Software Testing is basically the verification of the expected result of a Software System. What is emerging increasingly, however, is automated testing, the field has undergone advancement in such a way and the same would be expected of you.
Combining a Skill with a Personal Attribute
Skills like critical thinking, decision making, and vision are such that after an extent they need to be internalized by an individual, so much so, that they become natural to the individual. For example, if a game developer has emotional intelligence then it would be easy for her to understand the catch in a particular kind of game, the target audience and the possible reception of the game amongst the users.
Combining Skills with your Strengths
The choice of the skills you intend to learn this year must have some resonance with the field in which you have expertise. Forth, i,s, you can consider the interrelated skills. For instance, cloud computing, AWS architect, Machine learning and artificial intelligence are all interrelated in the work they are deployed in.
Time Period and relevance
It is true that skill learning is valuable if you are considering to switch your job or simply trying to undertake innovative and challenging tasks at work. However, you need to be conscious of the time it would take for you to learn and master a skill. Also how relevant would be the skill that you select today in your future? Some soft skills could be of such abstract nature that you can not determine the exact time it would take you to learn them with absolute conviction.
Making a better impression
It is true that employers are looking into these skills with great importance. But it is also true that employers cannot keep hiring experts with the undergoing changes. It then turns out that you need to upgrade your position before your employer. Things that can be done to stand out would include:
- Active participation in training programmes
It is only through such training programmes that you can acquaint yourself with the priorities of your firm and acquire the skills that are in urgent need. - Social media presence and web awareness
No company can survive in the market if they do not endorse themselves in the social platforms. Being aware of the attractions and jargon of web is only favorable. - Taking ownership and running teams
Leading a team and taking greater responsibility than before shall bring you within the limelight. - Becoming technologically savvy and efficient.
With every information getting digitized and work becoming digitized, technology has become inevitable for you. - Focusing on work ethics and being politically aware
The high reachability and connectivity have changed the political sphere increasingly. Being aware is another way of being consumer conscious. - Creativity
Becoming a free thinker and one who can come up with out of the box and original ideas. - Becoming Strategic, logical and ahead with respect to the changing trends and market responses.
Tell us in the comments which skills you would learn & focus on this year!
