Educational qualifications aren’t enough to land one a job. These days, companies look for a host of qualities in candidates. They are seeking someone who is their best self and share that with the company. Your degree would’ve prepared you for the nuts and bolts of the job. Now, it’s time to put the icing on the cake by preparing and embodying the following skills/ qualities as well:
Communication
It doesn’t matter what your qualifications are if you cannot communicate your expertise and value in effective ways (including both verbal and non-verbal), then your core skills won’t get a chance to be used. For example, if you are into data science and pursuing a course in data science, you may still need to improve your communication otherwise, even if you were to pass the interview, interacting and maintaining relationships with colleagues would get difficult.
Also, remember that an integral part of communication is listening. If you only speak, you are just talking. Not communicating.
A few ways to build strong communication skills are:
- Reading, so that you get the gist of how to express yourself effectively.
- Writing reports, columns, e-mails, etc. to develop consistency in the flow of ideas.
- Speaking up more and that too with utmost detail.
- Listening to podcasts, speeches, and interviews to strengthen your attention span and understanding of other people’s words.
- Focusing on your body language as an extension of your mind and words.
Teamwork
You can be a wizard when you work alone. But, what about the times you have to collaborate? Are you as efficient and productive then? Can you make use of the opportunities that a group environment presents?
A profession always comes with the prospect of collaboration which is why t’s important to be a good team worker who can be relied upon with tasks and duties. You won’t have to collaborate with your colleagues always, but you will always be team-working with a client.
Being cooperative, understanding, and patient there goes a long way in completing projects successfully. In the office, one should be aware of the qualities and setbacks of the other teammates and work their way around the rough edges for maximum productivity. No one can take up tasks on their own. Dividing work in chunks and putting in equal effort will not only result in meeting deadlines but will also create a healthy work environment.
Problem-Solving
Whatever we do, problems will always be a part of our life. At the workplace, problems range from technical to creative to people and client/ time management. Hence, a problem-solving attitude can come in really handy in times of pressure. If you can be the person who is calm and hunting down solutions when everyone’s operating from a place of stress, you will be an invaluable asset to your company.
An important aspect of this problem-solving attitude is the ability to discern. Which problems need to be pondered over and which can solved quickly? Which ones require careful thought and which ones already come with the necessary information? This distinction will help you in the workplace. It will allow you to give time to the problems that make a difference in the long run without spreading yourself thin, worrying about inconsequential things as well.
Self-management
The biggest responsibility is self-responsibility. At the workplace, this shows up in the form of: taking responsibility for meeting deadlines without a manager hounding you; figuring out the most efficient working methods for yourself; efficiently delegating and getting the work done when the opportunity comes up.
This also includes emotional management and stress management. When conflicts or stress arise, can you handle them effectively without buckling under? When a colleague is acting out or the boss is crude with you due to mounting pressure, can you let go and keep your cool? Do you have the emotional dexterity to take care of personal problems and not let them affect your work? And vice versa? All of this is self-management which isn’t explicitly asked for in job openings and vacancies but is much needed in the workplace. If only for your own benefit.
Initiative
If you can see things that need to be done and do them without being asked, then you have an initiatory or enterprising spirit. Same if you think about creative solutions that can be implemented to solve a persisting problem. An enterprising employee is also a dependable and trustworthy employee which automatically makes him/ her valuable to the organization.
Initiative also includes the quality of eagerness. Eagerness to learn, eagerness to know, eagerness to work well, and eagerness to succeed along with others. This eagerness is directly transmuted into optimism, problem-solving, communication, self-management, and teamwork. Thus, initiative can also be seen as a fundamental/ base quality of any professional.
If you are exploring career options, read our in-depth article about the top 10 high-paying jobs in India.
The above 5 skills are the core of any well-rounded and well-developed professional. In addition to your core skills, work on developing these as well. Then watch as your career continues to strengthen and soar.
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