The 11 Most in-Demand Job Skills in 2024 (and How to Develop Them)
According to a new report from LinkedIn , some of the most in-demand job skills in 2024 will be so-called “people skills,” which are becoming increasingly important as the role of artificial intelligence, automation and other technological advances continues to expand. While specific skill sets will vary from job to job, those identified in the report are broadly applicable across industries and professions.
But knowing that communication skills are important and knowing how to develop them are two different things. That’s why, in addition to the 11 most in-demand skills, I’ve included expert tips for improving them.
Communication
“To become better at expressing your thoughts and ideas, start by working on your active listening skills,” says Brittany Dolin, co-founder of Pocketbook Agency , a Los Angeles-based recruiting firm. “It promotes rapport, helps build rapport, and allows for more effective responses in workplace conversations.”
Even casual conversations with colleagues or other people you interact with throughout the day are your chance to work on communication skills, such as getting your point across in a clear and concise manner and ensuring that when it’s over, everyone involved understands the outcome. including any further steps. For more practice , Stephanie Licata, a learning strategist at Cloverleaf , suggests asking your manager or other team members to give you opportunities to lead meetings and participate in presentations to “boost your confidence in group communication.”
Customer service
Even if your job doesn’t involve interacting with “customers” in the traditional sense, it may require you to provide some kind of service to others – be it patients, students, guests, or people from other departments. To improve your customer service skills, Licata recommends regularly collecting and analyzing both formal and informal feedback you receive from clients (or your performance equivalent). Then come up with specific actions you can take to meet their needs.
Leadership
Employers may be looking for people with leadership skills, but what if you’re not interested in running a department or company? That’s not a problem, according to Licata, who explains that you can also do things like ask for leadership roles or responsibilities on key high-visibility projects or look for opportunities to mentor new employees, even if your company doesn’t have a formal mentoring program.
Project management
If you don’t have experience managing projects involving other people, start with your own. “The good news is that there are many tools that can help you,” says Amara Pope, Ph.D. , marketing and branding consultant. This includes management software like Asana and Hubspot, which she says can help you effectively organize tasks, deadlines, and internal and external communications.
Control
What about being a manager of people, not just their projects? As with leadership, you can also develop your management skills without becoming the big boss. Again, start small, offering to manage small, low-stakes projects “that most people would never agree to take responsibility for,” says Damian Birkel, director and founder of Professionals In Transition. “This will give you invaluable experience, the opportunity to work one-on-one with your boss, and the opportunity to learn about their management style and how they gained their management experience.”
Analytics
Look for opportunities to review or analyze data related to some aspect of your current job, even if you are not required to do so. In particular, Licata recommends applying data analytics to one of your current tasks to gain clarity. Then take it a step further and identify areas where data is not currently being collected but should be.
Teamwork
Whether you loved group work in school or you had to do everything and then had to make it look like teamwork, it probably didn’t take you long to realize that you would have to collaborate with others to achieve a goal. the rest of your career.
You may not be thrilled about it, but don’t fight it; instead, try to become someone that other people actually want on their team,” says Birkel. “That means showing up on time, keeping your promises, holding other teammates accountable, and completing any tasks you volunteer for,” he says.
Meanwhile, interacting with your team is an ideal time to work on the communication skills you’ve honed, including explaining things in a way that holds people’s attention and gets your message across. By actively listening to your colleagues, be open to their ideas, says Nicole Dayan, co-founder of the Pocketbook agency . While some people do this all the time, there are many others who could benefit from listening to their peers and taking the time to consider their contributions. Additionally, as Dayan notes, it demonstrates a willingness to learn and grow from experience and feedback.
Sales
Even if you don’t have a sales job, this skill will still come in handy when you have to sell your ideas to colleagues in a meeting, for example. But rather than focusing on pitching the same idea to everyone, Licata recommends listening or asking what the people receiving the information actually need and tailoring your presentation to their needs. In other words, whether you’re selling a concept, a project, or a product, know and understand your audience.
Problem solving
To become better problem solvers, Pope suggests constantly looking for new challenges. One way to do this is to set new goals for yourself daily, monthly, or yearly, and then figure out what you need to do to achieve them. Not only will it foster an innovative mentality, she says, but you’ll likely gain new experiences as well.
Research
Pope recommends participating in workshops or courses to improve your research skills and become exposed to different approaches and ways of thinking in your field. It doesn’t require a lot of time; you can learn a lot by signing up for one seminar or masterclass every month.
Not sure where to start? LinkedIn’s training course , How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools with Dave Beerss , along with the rest of the company’s most popular AI courses, is available for free until July 1, 2024. There are many other free online courses and workshops to help you hone your research skills, including those fromthe University of Michigan , University of California, Irvine, and University of New South Wales .
Adaptability
Technically, the LinkedIn report includes the 10 most in-demand job skills listed above. But the authors also included what they call the “skill of the moment” that has become the most popular among employers over a period of time: adaptability.
“Companies need employees who will change, rather than panic and change with them, as the business or economy changes,” says Dan Brodnitz , global head of content strategy at LinkedIn Learning. “They are looking for people who are willing to learn new things, embrace any changes that come their way, and who look to the future, even if that means doing things differently.”