With technological advances and an increasingly digital workspace for most professions out there, there is a greater demand arising for so-called ‘futuristic skills’ which are essential skills that will prove useful and lucrative in the decades ahead.
Here are a few essential new skills for you to move with the times and advance your career in the best way possible.
Brush Up On The Tech
Regardless of your profession (it could be anything from teaching, legal, accounting, designing, and so forth) you need to be able to have full digital literacy in order to remain competitive. Technology is always advancing and keeping track of the newest developments is a key way to advance your career even if it means investing time and money in courses and training programs to bring yourself up to speed.
Become A Polyglot
At no other point in history has there been a greater demand for polyglots which are people who can speak multiple languages. Due to the rise of globalization and a shared global culture and similarities, having knowledge of or being fluent in more than two languages is a real advantage. It can help in a range of jobs especially pertaining to global platforms where content has to be created for other countries or tutoring and other communication avenues have to be utilized.
Even if you are working full-time you can join a language school and learn languages you feel are relevant to your line of work. Many expats before relocating to their countries of choice, take time to learn to read and write in the main native language. While digital stimuli are useful for learning languages, physical visual aids can prove invaluable so laminators for teachers can be used to create worksheets or revision material.
Coding & Programming
Computer programming and knowledge of coding are now relevant to just about every field and profession out there. They definitely fare well even as side skills or something to add to your work or skills portfolio.
Coding relates to communicating with a computer to perform any task or function you are trying to achieve and programming can relate to everything from apps and games to software and Artificial intelligence. The future is computer-based so taking programming and coding courses will undoubtedly come in handy when you are advancing your career.
Being A Good Public Speaker
While it may not occur to you that great public speaking skills are needed for seemingly ‘futuristic’ jobs, communication skills have always been in vogue for every profession out there. Whether someone is a teacher, lawyer, or even a builder, if they can communicate well with peers, customers, clients, workers, and colleagues, they can achieve advancement in their career with a lot more ease. Good communication skills are key for gaining leadership positions in the workspace and getting promotions. Public speaking can also be learned and practiced through courses and training programs and is a worthwhile skill set to work upon.
Statistics
A skill that is continuously in demand is data analysis and statistics. Data analysis relates to analyzing and interpreting information and statistics to come to a workable and usable conclusion. Data analysis is used in every organization and particularly in marketing, accounting, forecasting, business, and even in the medical industry.
Data analysis proves invaluable in business applications in particular because it can show where the business should put its money, which product or service is selling and why and whether changes need to be made to the product portfolio. Buying and selling statistics can show which demographic is the best fit for any business’s products and that will in turn affect marketing strategies.
A Pro At Project Management
Project management dictates theories, processes, mechanisms, and strategies to cope with workload and projects to ensure a desirable and efficient result. Many people that have undertaken undergraduate degrees in business administration or even in medicine will then pursue a degree in project management.
This is simply because project management certifications allow them to use their knowledge and obtain leadership positions for which this is an essential skill. Not only is project management about getting work done according to a specific timeline, but it also relates to problem-solving and troubleshooting, and staying within budget along with bringing out the best in your workforce or subordinates. This is a wonderfully versatile skill to have in your arsenal regardless of your line of work as it fits a diverse range of professions such as an interior designer portfolio or the career of an entrepreneur or banker.
Web Design & Photoshop
In today’s world, everything is visual and rightly so. Taking a course and developing your skillset in Photoshop or similar design software can give you an edge over your colleagues allowing you to make better presentations and other content. It always helps to have a skill of Photoshop center stage in your resume and it can make you a better candidate for creative design-based jobs.
Web design is similarly a very sought-after skill because each organization and business needs websites and an online presence. Having a know-how of cybersecurity and related measures is also essential and short courses can cover how to protect yourself and your employer’s networks from hacks, data leaks, and data loss. A soc 2 auditor for example analyzes any organization’s online and information storage systems and detects weak points that can be used by a malicious hacker.
Reading And Cognitive Development
Globally a shift back to reading from excessive device usage is happening because research has shown that reading books can make you smarter, more attentive and a better problem solver in life and at work. While reading fiction builds empathy and emotional intelligence, reading non-fiction relating to your own field can put you ahead of your colleagues and peers in terms of knowledge and creative thinking.
Reading can also be done through audiobooks (easy to play on a commute or at the gym) or through e-books which can be read on a tablet, phone, or e-reader making it easier.
