The landscape of the workforce is changing. Business processes are further digitizing. There is a myriad of new skills that didn’t even exist until a few decades ago. It really is essential for you to be flexible and adaptable if you want to achieve success.
Don’t worry. In this article, we are going to share with you the high-income skills you need to learn to open up more career opportunities in the future.
Hard Skills
Let’s start with hard skills. These are teachable, measurable, and (or) technical abilities that you need to do your work in a more practical sense. Those types of skills require theoretical knowledge. Investing in your education is key to acquiring that knowledge. Here are the most demanded hard skills:
Cloud Computing
A lot of our digital information is already stored in the cloud these days. This keeps our data recorded, protected, and well-managed across various data centers and repositories. Because of this, our information is also protected against unauthorized access and cybersecurity attacks. This makes cloud computing technology and its experts in high demand.
Artificial Intelligence
Another technology that we believe everyone should at least be familiar with is artificial intelligence. Did you know that a lot of our digital platforms are integrated with AI already?
Take chat support bots, for instance. They are AIs specifically designed to answer frequently asked questions and potentially even resolve common issues. Knowing how to work with AI is a good place to start. However, learning how to integrate it with existing systems and even design one is going to be even more profitable.
Blockchain
In a nutshell, blockchain is simply a way of recording and storing data. However, keep in mind that this technology is more commonly associated with cryptocurrency and related financial services.
Those who are interested in (or are already part) of the industry of banking and finance should definitely equip themselves with the right knowledge and skills to understand how to navigate through this technology as experts predict that we are going to see more of it in the near future.
Sales Leadership
It’s not enough to just know how to sell products anymore. If you really want to achieve success in this career or even set up a business of your own, you must also know what it takes to develop a sales strategy and lead a team to achieve its goals.
People Management
Speaking of working with a team, another crucial hard skill is people management. It involves knowing how to formulate training programs, strategically delegate tasks, motivate people, and optimize the working environment to achieve the goals of a company.
Data Analysis
We are very fortunate to live in a world where there are various technologies to analyze our data already. After all, most businesses accumulate more daily data than an average human being can go through and process in a week. The question is, do you know how to use these resources and make the most of them through interpretation, strategizing, and implementation?
Translation
One of the biggest advantages of living in a digitally connected world is having cultural and linguistic boundaries blurred. Thus, it is understandable why translation is also one of the most in-demand skills today.
It is a common misconception that you only need to learn the second language in order to effectively translate a material. Translating is actually a more complex art that mostly involves deciding the right terms and phrasing to get the most accurate result.
Mobile App Development
More and more businesses require a mobile application to go with their website, platform, or program. Unfortunately, there are not enough experienced mobile app developers to rise up to the demand.
Video/Audio Production
There are a lot of people transitioning to being content creators and online influencers each day for a wide variety of industries, niches, and media. The question is, who helps them produce this content?
There is a huge demand for anyone who has the skills to do anything within the production process from scriptwriting to post-editing. The question is, do you want to refine a specific step and focus on a particular media or do you want to master the entire production process for multiple mediums and sharing platforms?
SEO/SEM Marketing
In relation to the previous point, there is also a need for social media experts to effectively share all this content with their appropriate online audiences. SEO and SEM marketing skills are not just doing their clients a favor but the entire online world.
UX Design
Another industry that seeks to serve online users, in general, is UX design. They are in charge of designing and implementing technologies that provide a better user experience. These include websites, digital tools, online platforms, and even mobile applications.
Industrial Design
Finally, regardless of how much the world digitizes, we believe that there will always be a need for product designers and industrial design experts. From creating a product from scratch to improving the features of existing products, industrial design is definitely an industry we consider high-demand and high-income.
Soft Skills
It is not enough to know how to do things. You need to learn how to socialize and communicate with other people as well. Skills that are related to your personality, behavior, and work ethics are referred to as soft skills.
Emotional Intelligence (or EQ)
Also known as emotional quotient (or EG), this skill is the ability to manage and navigate through your emotions in a positive way. This includes knowing how to understand other peoples’ behavior, adjust communication techniques
as needed, and overcome challenges and conflict.
Creativity
Creativity isn’t just limited to artistic pursuits but also refers to the ability to think outside the box and come up with ideas and solutions, especially to current business problems and issues.
Leadership
Every company and organization needs people to lead and manage other employees not just at the top of the company’s hierarchy, but its tiers as well (such as team leaders and project heads).
Keep in mind that leadership isn’t just all about managing other people but you also need to develop your decision-making and conflict handling as well.
Critical Thinking
In relation to leadership, most companies also appreciate people who can process and evaluate information objectively and with a clear mind. Deduction and other related critical thinking skills are also essential in problem-solving and decision-making.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Finally, we started this article with a call-to-action for you to be more adaptable and flexible, so what better way to end it with the same soft skills as well?
These two are some of the most important skills you need to master. You should be quick on your feet and work with grace even while under pressure. If there are skills that we highly recommend you to start with and prioritize, then it is definitely there two. Good luck!
Author’s Bio:
Lidia D. Staron is the Head of Content at OpenLoans.com. As a financial advisor and former financial planner at an insurance company, she knows that life is full of major events and challenges. She enjoys helping people navigate through important financial decisions while avoiding common mistakes.
