There’s no denying it, when you’re looking for a new job, you have to make sure that you can bring it. Not just a positive attitude, but real skills that make you valuable. Whether you’re considering a career change at some point in your life, or you simply want to make sure that you’re the best candidate for any job that you apply to, you might want to focus on transferable skills, in particular. Here, we’re going to look at some of the skills that can make you a valuable asset in any workplace, period.
The Use of Office Software
A lot of modern work is done using digital technology. For the vast majority of workers, this means using a suite of office software. Microsoft Office is the most popular suite of tools. Though it’s not uncommon to find certain workplaces using its free alternatives, such as the Google Office suite or OpenOffice. Getting some MS Office training is going to make sure that you’re familiar with that suite of software. But most of the skills you learn will be applicable to other suites, as well.
There are little differences to get used to. But for the most part, they all share very similar sets of tools. Tools for writing documents, creating slideshows, and creating and managing spreadsheets and databases. All of which can be vital admin for the workplace.
Technological Literacy
Although it is not a specific hard skill like the office software training mentioned above. Having an aptitude for different kinds of software can demonstrate a different, but relevant and highly valuable quality: technological literacy. Millennials might have been raised interfacing with all kinds of technology. Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are actually experiencing a dip in the levels of technological literacy. This is due to the use of tools that have vastly streamlined UIs. Showing that you are able to adapt to different kinds of technology using different UIs can make you very valuable. It’s likely to take you a lot less time to learn the tools and software required to take on new responsibilities.
Written Communication
Nowadays, most of the communication we partake in, professionally, is written. Typically, this happens in emails. How well you are able to compose and communicate can be vital. A lack of clarity can lead to miscommunications, and errors in your written communication can result in you looking unprofessional. This is especially true for those who are working from home. They might not be in the office as often, if at all, and so are going to rely on excellent written communication even more. There are courses that can help you improve your written communication. Helping to ensure that you’re not using incorrect grammar and spelling. Also to help you with your word choice and sentence structure for the sake of clarity.
Verbal Communication
Of course, you’re not going to be writing all the time. Whether it’s in person, with colleagues, during team meetings, or with clients and customers. You want to make sure that you are able to clearly communicate in person or over the microphone, as well. Good verbal communication skills are very important. It is about practice and making sure you are confident. Also comfortable enough to deliver your intended messages. Also voiding habits that can get in the way of clarity of communication. There are groups that are dedicated to improving their verbal communication that you can join to get comfortable. This can include help and training with public speaking as well, which is a slightly different, but very closely related skill.
CPR and Other Emergency First-aid
When an emergency situation happens within a workplace, the team is going to need individuals with the right skills to mitigate the risk as best as possible, and sometimes it can even save a life. For most workplaces, it is mandatory to have someone with CPR training there. The National CPR Foundation can help you be that person. Is National CPR foundation AHA approved? Yes. This means that you can put that certification on your resume. This lets employees know that you bring real CPR and emergency first-aid skills with you. Every workplace can benefit from having a CPR certified employee.
Research and Planning Skills
You do not have to work in a scientific field to make good use of research skills. In fact, research is likely to be used in any professional context where you have a problem to solve or a goal to meet, but you don’t immediately know the most effective ways to reach it. Being able to show large-scale planning competence, such as the ability to accurately identify issues, assess them, gather information about solutions, and create ideas that you can then turn into actionable plans is always a good asset, and can be a great indicator that you could be fit for a leadership position.
Leadership
Of course, good planning skills are not all that is required of a leader. In fact, leadership skills could be more accurately identified as the collection and cohesion of many of the mentioned skills above. For instance, you’re going to need good communication skills to be able to meaningfully direct your team, you’re going to need the ability to motivate them and to get them on board with your goals, and you’re going to need to be able to adequately assess your needs and allocate your resources, including your people and time, to deal with them effectively. Leadership training can be highly valuable for helping you fill the gaps in your skillset, as well as to develop the confidence to lead a team of professionals.
Attention to Detail
Not a skill that you can get any specific training for. But good attention to detail is a habit that you can learn. It’s something that typically catches the attention of employers when you indicate it on a resume. It is, effectively, the quality of being able to catch the finer details of processes, plans, and actions.
This can include attention to detail in checking products, workplaces, and other physical assets to highlight issues that you can solve, as well as attention to detail with data, be it your financial books, datasets, or otherwise, to fix discrepancies and ensure accuracy. It can even be as simple as making sure that your written resources have as few spelling or grammatical errors as possible. Attention to detail also typically indicates a higher standard regarding the work you do, a trait many employees can find attractive.
Adaptability
Show employees that you are willing to adapt to all kinds of roles and responsibilities. Such taking on further training in hard skills in the future. This indicates that you are a worker who is willing to put in the effort to be the best person for the job. Outside of those positions that require formal education, this is one of the most valuable skills that you can bring to any job that you apply for.
You don’t need to overload your resume with every single skill named above. But you should consider getting training and certification in a few areas. This will help make sure that your resume has the extra shine that can make it catch an employer’s eye. Make sure you have the skills that make you valuable.
Leave a Reply