Keep Your Skills Up To Date – 21st Century Workforce Skills

August 2, 2019

In a world that is advancing and altering, the skills needed for people to succeed in the workforce are also evolving. Therefore, it is our responsibility to answer these questions: How do we change to adapt? What skills are needed to succeed? And what skills are most valued by an employer? Such skills may include technical skills, communication skills, workplace flexibility, and travel ability.

Technical Skills

First and foremost, having technical skills are now a requirement to succeed in today’s workforce. Knowing your way around a computer is needed, and understanding software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are beneficial to advancing your placement in the workforce. These skills are useful for documentation purposes and they tie into research, presentations, and bookkeeping aspects of the workforce.

Communication Skills

Having strong communication skills is essential to succeeding not only in the workforce, but advancing in everyday life. The ability to communicate effectively with your superiors, co-workers, and customers is so important, no matter what industry you are in. As technology has advanced, workers in the digital age must know how to effectively convey and receive messages whether it be in-person, over the phone, email, or via social media. Being clear and concise when communicating is also essential. Thinking about what you want to say before you say it will keep your messages direct and will also limit confusion from your audience. If you have excellent communication skills, you will get noticed. Excellent communication skills will land you promotions and will keep you successful in your career journey.

Workplace Flexibility and Travel Availability

As the world evolves, places of work are also changing. The ability to work from home is a new phenomenon. Many employers like the ability to save on workplace expenses by having their workforce work remotely. Working remotely also allows more flexibility for the employee. However, with more freedom comes more responsibility. The need to stay active and on top of your game is a required skill, or you could begin to slack. This could effect your performance in negative ways. Thus, quality work is crucial. Another new workplace phenomenon is a necessity for travel. Travel availability is a very viable asset for today’s employers. The ability to have an employee that can travel provides more opportunity to both the employee and the employer.

The world is continually adapting and changing. Staying ahead of the curve and learning new skills are what allow us to not only survive, but grow. If we compare today’s workforce to that of the fifties, the changes in skills needed are very apparent. The main lesson to learn here is that as the world evolves, we need to as well.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, or check out our talent blog for more job tips and advice.

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