Alveena Ahmad
No job is completely safe, as we’ve previously discussed. One can never be certain that they will be able to hold their position for the rest of their career due to factors such as unstable economic conditions, disruptive technological advancements, or even toxic workplace politics.
As an employee, you have no control over job cuts, but you can make sure that your current skills are marketable and that you can add value wherever you end up. In 2024, having these 5 skills will help you land any job.
1. Intentional Communication Skills
Clarity of expression and articulation in all forms of communication will always be valued skills. However, given the recent advancements in AI technology, it makes sense to move beyond basic expression to deliberate communication.
Intentional communication: what is it? Most of the time, our main objective is simply to communicate our ideas without considering the consequences, at least not intentionally. When we communicate intentionally, we do so with a specific goal in mind.
To be clear, I oppose manipulation, which is hiding or falsifying facts in order to benefit oneself. Rather, I advocate for the process of crafting a thoughtful message that takes into account the requirements of your target audience, the message’s context, and your intended result.
Employers place a premium on intentional communication skills because they show a person has the capacity to unite people around a common objective. Intentional communicators are excellent leaders and collaborators in the workplace because they ask insightful questions, have meaningful conversations, and show genuine interest in people and the organization.
2. Data Skills
The ability to transform raw data into actionable insights is still a sought-after skill set that could land you a role this year, as organizations strive to make data-driven decisions. What’s even more exciting is that almost every industry needs data skills.
For instance, data specialists are in high demand in the marketing industry because of their ability to analyze and interpret consumer data to optimize advertising spend and customize campaigns. Even in the retail industry, where businesses must be able to effectively manage inventory and keep an eye on consumer trends, data skills are valuable.
The capacity to analyze and interpret data will always be useful when it comes to cutting costs, making the most use of available resources, or streamlining operations. Thus, data skills ought to be at the top of your list if you’re seeking to learn a new skill and have a knack for working with numbers and patterns.
3. Strategic Thinking (What AI Can’t Do)
There’s no denying that artificial intelligence has advanced significantly in recent years. In particular, generative AI has advanced to a level never before possible in writing, generating images, audio, and even video. That being said, it is incapable of using strategic thinking.
The ability to come up with strategic solutions for issues that are found after analyzing complex situations and spotting patterns in the data is known as strategic thinking. Even though AI is very good at sifting through large amounts of data and distilling it into concise summaries, because it is not sentient, it is still incapable of applying the critical and creative thinking abilities needed to make decisions. For the time being, only living beings such as yourself and me possess the ability to think strategically.
Even better, practice and experience help develop strategic thinking abilities. Just like with any muscle, you can develop your ability to think strategically by exercising it consistently.
Therefore, develop the habit of analyzing even the most straightforward problems from several perspectives and formulating several possible solutions if you want to improve your strategic thinking. Dividing large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces will also help you approach them methodically.
If you follow through on all of this, you’ll be able to establish yourself as an important member of any team.
4. Sense of Humor
I contend that individuals ought to feel honored to be the office’s personality hire. They contribute significantly to the betterment of not only their team but also the people and culture around them. People actually enjoy working with people they like. Also, most people find humour endearing. Even if you are the hardest worker in the room, your value to the company is unlikely to be realized if you lack communication skills and interpersonal skills.
Hiring managers are statistically more likely to call you back for an interview if you can lighten the mood and create a positive vibe in the room. This is not to say that you have to be the office clown. That is something I can personally attest to! If you work on these abilities, your career will be very successful. I’m cheering you on!
5. Leadership
The drive for leaner teams was a major factor in Silicon Valley companies’ massive layoffs that began last year. Famously, CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 to be their “Year of Efficiency” and went on to eliminate over 10,000 positions, with middle managers accounting for one-third of those losses.
It would be easy to conclude that your leadership abilities are outdated and that you would be better off contributing on your own. Conversely, lean teams, where smaller teams are expected to achieve the same, if not higher, levels of success with fewer personnel, are where leadership abilities become even more valuable.
