Key skills in demand for changemakers & paths to develop them

One of the questions that came up in PCDN’s Career Campus askusanything & networking session recently is what are are the skills in demand for changemakers in diverse sectors and effective options to build these competencies (this was from a young aspiring professional who is completing her?degree).

We drafted the following response and would be great to hear what you see as the core skills (regardless of the particular sector).

First learning a second or third language or more is a huge asset and will make you more competitive in many career paths, particularly those focused on global or glocal issues.

Second is learning and becoming skilled in the business of change which to me means the following:

project management (understanding how to design and run projects even at a small level)

funding (if you can get experience even at the student club level of raising funds, managing a budget, being accountable to a funder)

evaluation (this is super important how to develop indicators, track them, work on theories of change, how to avoid harm, etc.).

Third are developing strong communications skills that include both oral communication & written but going way beyond this to topic that include video editing and production, storytelling, datavisualization and related ways of communicating effectively to diverse audiences.

Fourth is to also explore and understand the key emerging trends in development & social impact such as being conversant in tech (and if you have skills/passion for this area to learn more such as coding, robotics, drones, big data), social innovation & social entrepreneurship, impact investing and innovative finance.

Another area that is critical is all things sustainability and environment whether it green development, reducing carbon emissions, clean energy, making cities greener, retrofitting buildings, etc.

I can write much more but these are several emerging areas. Unfortunately universities aren’t providing the right education for 21st century skills & jobs (I’ve done lot of applied research on this) and while education is essential there are also many ways to complement formal education.

This includes joining professional networks including as PCDN, oikos International Net Impact & AIESEC

Scholarships and Fellowships can be a highly effective way to fund further education and/or professional experience. Several key scholarship resources include: PCDN, IREX, Institute of International Education, Open Society Foundations & ProFellow. MOOCS can also be great way to advance skills, learning and certification and some highly useful platforms include Philanthropy U FutureLearn, edX, Humanitarian Leadership Academy, Acumen Academy and others.

Another great resource is getting involved in the startup and impact scene through hackathons, incubators and more. Also listen, listen, listen to podcasts (we will be putting together a list in the Career Campus soon), for example check out the Social Change Career Podcast

Look forward to seeing what others suggest.