Are you considering applying for a job but need help figuring out where to start? You need to know your key skills that can catch the employer’s eye. Having an excellent educational background is also vital if you want to make the application process more manageable and better. Overall, it can give you an edge over others.
Todays job market is a competitive place to be. With so many careers available, with training courses and qualifications applicable for each, its important to be prepared. Therefore, ensuring you have a strong set of key skills that you can rely on can help you get ahead of the game. Whilst many think that gaining certification guarantees them a job, they overlook skills that can further their abilities. This can mean they fall short in the application process.
What are key skills?
Key skills are essential talents and abilities to help you succeed in your career. It’s something you need to finish a task or activity at work. For example, employers often list these traits during job hunts. While everyone has different key skills, there are ones that almost all companies require.
To make it simpler and easier to understand, imagine having a toolbox to fix things around the house. In short, the more tools you have, the more ways you can go around and fix stuff. It allows you to become flexible when it comes to tasks. To sum it up, these are key skills: they make you more qualified and help you finish activities needed at work.
Top 10 key skills that employers are looking for
Companies prioritise key skills because these influence how an applicant will perform tasks. These help ensure that employees can start and finish a job efficiently. Moreover, there is a great potential for growth and leadership to help the team grow. Overall, employees can recognise if an employee can maintain an edge over others.
- Communication skills: Being able to share and present your ideas to workmates. Also, this helps with discussions and understanding done verbally or in writing.
- Creativity: Thinking outside the box is a great way to contribute ideas.
- Leadership: Acting as an inspiration or motivation for others, especially on slow days.
- Teamwork: Cooperation and willingness to collaborate makes room for harmony and the group’s success. This is one of the essential key skills that most companies look for
- Problem-solving: When faced with problems, knowing what to do next is essential. Also, this skill may help solve long-standing issues.
- Time management: Someone who can manage tasks efficiently is also someone who knows how to prioritise what’s important.
- Technical skills: These abilities help you with software, coding, and specific processes.
- Adaptability: Being open to change and flexible when the situation needs it.
- Attention to detail: This helps avoid errors and filter output for corrections.
- Customer service: Taking care of customers through excellent customer service and assistance.
How to improve your key skills?
Now that you know about the top 10 key skills often searched for by recruiters, it’s time to take a step further. As someone who wants to be noticed by employers, job seekers should always aim to sharpen their abilities. It may need a lot of practise, however, it always becomes worth it in the end. Here are ways to improve in each category:
1. Communication
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- Write in a journal: This helps improve your grammar and the choice of words when sending emails or texts. Moreover, it enables you to practise making sentences.
- Listen and observe: Watching others speak is a type of passive learning. This leads to improving your key skills in communicating. You can pick up new words or phrases that you can use.
2. Creativity
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- Collaborate with others: This helps you gain new ideas and information from another person’s point of view.
- Ask Questions: Be curious about what others think of a project or what they think would be a good approach.
- Be open to failure: This is one of the key skills that creates room for improvement and is a great motivation to think outside the box.
3. Leadership
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- Communicate with your members: Let them know that you support their ideas and you want to know about them. Ultimately, this helps them become comfortable.
- Give constructive opinions: Give advice and feedback about work submissions to help boost their confidence and key skills. Also, this gives them new knowledge.
- Share the same vision: Explain to your team what results you want to achieve and walk them through the process. This gives a better understanding overall.
4. Teamwork
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- Approach new teammates: Make the workplace comfortable and open so everyone feels confident speaking up.
- Share ideas often: Always ask for their ideas about a task. This promotes cooperation.
- Ask for feedback: Let them know you’re willing to listen to their opinions and ideas. This is one of the most important key skills.
5. Problem-solving
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- Practising breathing: Deep breathing is one of the best key skills for clearing the mind and helping you think of solutions.
- Ask for assistance: You can’t do everything alone. That’s why you should ask for help from the team or your bosses.
- Remember protocols: Create solutions that still follow the rules.
6. Time management
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- Use tools or apps for scheduling: Using Google Calendar or other scheduling apps makes everything visible to members.
- Prioritise tasks: List down what needs immediate action and continue until the most minor task before starting work.
- Set daily goals: Small goals lead to big ones. Moreover, these key skills are good practise for your colleagues.
7. Technical skills
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- Enrol in specific courses: Enhance your skills by applying for courses focusing on coding, software, and other systems.
- Ask for help: Asking a workmate who’s good at technical skills can also add to your knowledge and key skills.
8. Adaptability
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- Think out of the box: This helps you see the situation differently and think of possible solutions for handling unexpected situations.
- Be flexible when changing: Don’t only stick to one rule or outcome. Be willing to adapt to changes in trends and procedures.
9. Attention to details
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- Double-check everything: One of the key skills is double or triple-checking work before submission. This lessens the need to redo anything.
- Don’t be in a rush: When working, don’t take up too much time, and don’t always try to finish it immediately. This will disrupt the workflow.
10. Customer service
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- Listen actively: Customers feel most loved when they are listened to. Make sure you hear what they have to say.
- Ask for feedback: Verbal or written feedback lets customers know you’re willing to make changes for their needs.
How new technology impacts key skills
With all our advanced technology nowadays, some companies are looking for workers with specific skills. This means that as an applicant, you should at least have an excellent educational foundation in these aspects. More importantly, there is a need for continuous learning so that you can quickly adapt to different changes in the industry. Here’s how technology influences key skills:
- Requirement of technical skills: As businesses starts to adjust to new techs, they would likely want applicants with coding, digital marketing, or data analysis knowledge.
- Collaboration with onsite and remote work: Virtual platforms have allowed companies to divide work between onsite and remote employees. You should be able to adapt to both settings nowadays.
- Emotional intelligence: Being in a virtual setup lessens in-person interactions. Showing emotion through chat or messages is a must in developing key skills.
- Adaptability to new tech: New tools and equipment are constantly introduced. That’s why working with these is a bonus that companies look for.
- Critical thinking: Although new technology can sometimes take over tasks, a human’s critical thinking always wins. The ability to approach a situation creatively is unmatched by artificial intelligence.
Conclusion: Will key skills improve the application process?
A 100% yes. Employers have a lot of applications to go through. They need to see a resume with the key skills they need for the company. Whether you have a great foundation in technical skills or have a solid background in customer service, without other traits, it won’t make much of an impact.
Additionally, highlighting key skills allows you to stand out among other applicants. This will also build your confidence, leading to a more interesting and compelling presentation to the employers. Ultimately, you can make the whole application process smoother if you know how to create a CV with the most desirable key skills.
Identify and improve your key skills today!
The College of Contract Management can help you enhance your CV through comprehensive courses and programmes. We equip you with valuable skills and knowledge to help you throughout the application process. Doing so gives you a better chance at standing out among others.
