Top 10 Skills You Need at Work That Have Nothing to Do With Your Job
Hiring managers make the tough decision of who is the best candidate for a job based not only on the specific job requirements, but also on the basic “soft skills” that every employee must possess, such as communication and teamwork. Here are 10 additional professional skills everyone needs.
10. Writing skills
If you are not a writer or editor, you might think that your writing ability has nothing to do with your work. However, 51% of employers say communication skills (like writing) are a must for their employees. Mike Borozdin, a former Microsoft engineer and now a senior technical director at DocuSign, advises all programmers to hone their writing skills . Without being able to communicate clearly or express yourself correctly, you probably won’t be successful at work. Writing is also especially important if you are working remotely , as your emails, instant messages, and other text messages will be your primary form of communication with your boss and coworkers. Improve your writing with these top 10 tips or take a look at the Periodic Table of Speech Figures .
9. Verbal communication skills
This goes hand in hand with writing skills, which are part of the good communication requirements that almost every employer has . Whether it’s a clear message when you’re speaking in a meeting, giving a presentation that doesn’t suck , or just chatting at an office party, improving communication at work is one of your key roles. If you need to get your message across quickly, think back to the SHORT method or check out our 10 Best Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills .
8. Self-confidence and assertiveness.
Self-confidence may seem like something that you either have or you don’t, but it is actually something that you can practice and develop. Without a healthy dose, you probably won’t be able to do your job well, let alone advance your career. Likewise, giving up confrontation can keep you alive . You will also need self-awareness to improve every aspect of your life, including your productivity. Of course, there is a difference between assertiveness and arrogance , and a difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness , but as long as you don’t overdo it, these skills will help you perform better. Learn to develop your confidence here, or to quickly build your confidence at work, try a powerful pose .
7. Time management
It is one of the cornerstones of productivity, so it should come as no surprise that it is an essential skill at work. We’ve probably shared too many time management tips over the years to mention here, but some of them you might want to revisit:
- How to learn to estimate time for tasks
- How to manage your time on an irregular schedule
- Freelancer’s Guide to Time Management
- Only work during good hours to be more productive
- Three Time Management Mistakes You Don’t Understand
In fact, productivity has more to do with managing your energy than managing tasks or time, but you get the idea. Also, forget about multitasking – it makes us work less efficiently, not more, and wastes time if you don’t do it right .
6. Networking Skills
Your employer might not say directly that you need to be able to communicate in order to do your job, but for many of us, this is a skill that plays an important role in our work (and not just in finding a new job ). For example, if you ever attend a work or industry conference, it pays off if you can successfully work in the room . It can help you find new clients, attract new talent, and expand your professional circles. Here is how to expand opportunities for professional dialogue and eight tips as to establish more meaningful connections .
5. Basic technology skills
Even those who do not work directly with technology or do not work in a professional office must have some basic technical skills and knowledge. How to navigate your company’s web portal to make changes to HR (harder for some companies than it sounds!), How to use any company communication media (whether they use Slack, rely on text messages, or some proprietary system ) and just the basics of how computers work and what the main components are so you can talk to your IT department when you need help troubleshooting. Even simple and effective email is a valuable skill. Eric Schmidt of Google says it’s the number one habit of effective people . Of course, the more technical skills you add, the more you expand your options at work and improve your qualifications – for example, by learning HTML and CSS, you can start contributing to your employer’s website and blog. Here are 10 simple things everyone who uses a computer should know, and more difficult things if you are a computer scientist .
4. Critical thinking and problem solving
We all have to make decisions at work, evaluate ideas and come up with new ones. Many jobs are inherently problem solving. Knowing how to think is far more powerful than knowing what to think about , but these are skills we have to work on. Learn how to train your mind to think critically , develop Sherlock Holmes-like observation , and make decisions with the Six Thinking Hats technique . When you demonstrate your critical and creative thinking skills, you will earn a lot of respect at work and become a more valuable employee.
3. Negotiation skills
Negotiation skills are naturally important when negotiating wages , but in other cases, good negotiation skills can come in handy at work. The monster points out that through good negotiation, you can resolve conflicts and find win-win solutions for your team. You can regularly negotiate with customers or suppliers, negotiate shift shifts with colleagues, and negotiate with your boss to let you work from home or take on a large project. Use these five tips to better negotiate with just about anyone .
2. Ability to work well in a team.
Hiring managers often emphasize the importance of cultural relevance and the ability to work well in a team when they evaluate candidates for jobs, whether they are entry-level or higher-level positions. Few people work alone – we rely on others for our work as others rely on us. Just feeling part of a team can fuel your work . Highly effective teams communicate well, share common goals, and even make time for humor. If you can follow these seven rules of working with others , build trust with others, and handle criticism well , you are golden.
1. Empathy and emotional intelligence.
Empathy is your most important skill, both at work and at home. Empathy for others will help you better understand the people around you, the needs of your customers, how to motivate others, and how to deal with conflicts with others. The difference between knowing and understanding is empathy . You can improve your empathy by learning to really listen and by practicing trying to see things from the perspective of others.