Hot topic for job seekers

LinkedIn has released the top ten skills that, generically, employers are looking for in 2024. You can read the article here.

What does this mean for you? The more of these skills you can claim for yourself, the more likely that your resume will get presented to employers. If you can get yourself submitted, then you’re on the first step. We recently wrote an article on the huge importance of customizing your resume for every job description.

LinkedIn allows you to claim up to 50 skills, and I can’t see why we don’t all claim our 50 skills, but whatever you do, you should claim some, or ideally all, of the named ten skills. Below, we explain a little more about what it means to have these skills, and links you to affordable, valuable testing.

Communication Skills

A skilled communicator knows how to handle giving bad news, and how to cope with a disruptive team member, also how to behave with a tentative stakeholder. Do you feel as though you communicate with compelling and persuasive actions, while maintaining your integrity? If so, this is a skill you should be proud to claim. You can test your skills here.

Customer Service Skills

If you are skilled in customer service, then you’ll know how to handle a complaint, and how to cope with a customer who ignores your declared policies. You will know how to make a customer feel heard, and how to cope with open disrespect from any quarter. You will know how to be ambassador for a product and a business. If this sounds like you, then you should be keen to claim this skill and make yourself more open to approach. You can test your skills here.

Leadership Skills

Not everyone wants to be a leader, but if you know how to motivate a team, and also how to cope when the team is unhappy and reluctant, then you have the makings of being a leader. If you know the value in empowering others, and know how to delegate … and if you can strategize through conflict and handle unethical or counter-cultural behaviors, then you should be keen to claim the skill of leadership. You can test your skills here.

Project Management Skills

A skilled project manager sets, adjusts, and meets deadlines, and knows how to cope when critical risks put the deadlines at risk. Project managers respectfully but effectively drive the team to collaborate towards meeting goals and timelines. Scope creep is well handled by a skilled project manager, and stakeholders feel safe because they are kept knowledgeable at an appropriate level. Want to test your project management skills? You can do so here.

Management Skills

“Management” is a big term and is different from “leadership” in that it covers the management of people AND projects AND businesses. If you feel skilled in making business decisions, and in negotiating with vendors, in handling KPIs and strategizing through conflict, then you can claim management skills. If you would like to test your management know-how, you can do so here.

Analytics Skills

If you know how to merge data sets from different sources, and clean up the results … if you know how to spot outliers and determine variables … if you can talk with competence about classification techniques and linear regression, then most likely you can justifiably claim the skill of project management. You can test and certify your skills here.

Teamwork Skills

Being a good team player is understandably a very valuable skill, no matter where you fit in a company. If you can work well with team disagreements, and if you can behave respectfully during conflict … if you take constructive criticism and appreciation equally well … if you know when (and how) to offer help and ask for help, then most likely you can rightfully claim the skill of teamwork. You can test and certify your skills here.

Sales Skills

Many people resist the discipline of sales. Others, however, know that they are inherently good at selling. If you know how to reach out to a stagnant prospect, and if you know when, and how, to remove focus from ‘price’ … if you are good at identifying your prospect’s pain points and if can build rapport at an appropriate level, then shift to closing a deal, then you have the makings of a skilled sales person. You can test and certify your skills here.

Problem Solving Skills

Are you a skilled problem solver? Do you quickly and effectively weigh up pros and cons? Do you know when communication is more, or less, important than action? Are you good at troubleshooting and determining the best next steps? Are you able to be analytical when your decisions fail, and make the most effective adjustments? If so, then you should consider claiming the skill of problem solver. You can test and certify your skills here.

Research Skills

We can all use Google, but are we skilled researchers? If you can quickly and competently rank the value of data sources … if you know when social media wins out over academic citations … if you’ve learned how to assess the credibility of a source and if you know how to effectively compare and contrast conflicting information in order to create a hypothesis, then most likely you can claim to have research skills. You can test and certify your skills here.

Not all of these ten skills will be within your reach and you really don’t want to claim skills that cannot be endorsed. Also some (typically management, and sales) are a long way from many people’s career path, but for many of us, at least half of these skills can be quickly proven and claimed. Help your chances of visibility in the crowded job market, and certify these skills.