Know Before You Go: Key Skills to Master as You Enter and while You Progress Through the World of Work

Dear Young People,

Since entering the world of work as a full-time employee for almost 3 years now, I've noticed that there are some key skills and aptitudes that maybe you were or weren't taught in higher education or otherwise that can be absolutely crucial to your every day work flow and allow for considerable progression in your career and chosen field(s).

Now I'm going to focus primarily on some hard skills here but I will delve into a couple soft skills that would be advantageous to master as well. Reason being, I consistently see information online and elsewhere regarding the soft skills needed to thrive in the workplace, especially given the popularity of topics such as mental and emotional health and wellness, and hardly ever do people reveal the hard skills that can actually set you apart and account for short - long term career gains.

From mastering spreadsheets to developing project management skills to learning about design thinking and so much more, today's modern workplace, fueled by digital technology, demands young professionals who know how to leverage these tech advancements, manipulate and analyse data and essentially oversee activities that we can't solely leave up to AI (just yet!).

Now this may be evident and apparent in some industries and fields, so if you're already up to speed, praises and thanks! However, you might still want the gentle reminder (side note: are these ever gentle? lol).

For everyone else, follow me here as I delve into some essential skills that are actually transferable in the workplace and highly sought after. Not some of the concepts you learned in school that didn't translate quite well or at all to the real world but actuall skills that I've personally seen and heard that are highly regarded in the work place.

Top Hard Skills to Master before or while you navigate through the World of Work

Data Analysis:

Now might be a good time to get back in your Excel and Spreadsheet bag fr fr! In most jobs nowadays, if not all, you're going to encounter some level of data analytics. Given the digital technology boom and the overwhelming amount of data created, analyzed and stored by most companies, data analysis is a great skill to have in your back pocket. Whether your skill level is elementary or more advanced, having the knowledge and experience in this area will be wildly valuable regardless of the industry or field that you work in. Knowing how to analyze data even at the spreadsheet level will be super valuable in any career that you choose. Get at the University of YouTube or an online course ASAP and prepare yourself!

Project Management:

Every initiative at your company or firm starts out as a project before it is transitioned into operations. Oftentimes, in this VUCA world, the lines are increasingly blurred between the two and most times a hybrid. Nevertheless, you cannot go wrong with learning about project management at all. Whether you're an entry level employee or a junior manager, understanding the dynamics of projects and knowing how to successfully manage them from conception to closeout will be a super power of yours! If you aren't acquainted, there are numerous resources to get started. Hit up the good ole G-O-O-G-L-E and start your journey from there.

Design Thinking:

This one is a nice complement to project management and involves understanding the needs and challenges of users, brainstorming innovative solutions, prototyping, and testing ideas to find the best outcomes. Design thinking is a creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and experimentation. It's especially integral to understand this concept when you work in environments that are committed to generating value and selling innovative products and/or services to end-users or customers. Since I've come into the world of work, I've seen where this skill is extremely valuable and highly regarded in the workplace. My advice would be to do a deep dive and look into some of the methodologies and practices of this particular skillset. Come back and tell me how your career progresses when you learn and apply it in your current or future job :) .

Digital Literacy:

Lastly, but certainly not least important, you have to be digitally literate. There is no escaping this one in today's world! This may seem like a no brainer to some but there are many youth across the globe who haven't been afforded the privilege of growing up with laptops, desktops and tablets lying around their homes to become digital natives. Many of these young people often either find it hard to access jobs or difficult to level up or be promoted once they start. Proficiency in using digital tools, software, and platforms may seem like second nature to those of us who were privileged to develop these skills but this isn't the case for many. I urge you to continue upskilling in this domain but also point those who are struggling in this area to the right resources as well. Each one, teach one.

We've looked at the hard skills, let's evaluate some important soft skills ...

Effective Written and Oral Communication:

If you don't know how to write or speak well especially in the corporate environment, it's gonna cost you! Now, I'm not referring to speaking the Queen's English 24/7 or developing a voice that isn't your own, but communication skills are highly sought after, and those who master them often have access to much more opportunities than those who don't. You may be exceptionally literate (you're reading this article right now) but literacy doesn't translate to exceptional communication. In a world of Generative AI, some may think that it's no longer necessary to learn how to write well but that's absolutely far from the truth. Great writing coupled by superb oral communication is a combo you don't want to exist without in corporate and professional spaces. Master the art of communication and watch your career flourish in unexpected ways.

Emotional Intelligence:

Now this one is somewhat of a buzz word nowadays, but rightfully so for good reason! You don't recognize how important it is until you're challenged to work alongside persons who lack it in the workplace. Simply put, emotional intelligence refers to the understanding and managing of one's emotions, as well as empathizing with others. It helps in building strong interpersonal relationships and navigating workplace dynamics smoothly. As I've said before, work gets done by PEOPLE. When you have to work with emotionally unintelligent individuals, it makes your job ten times harder, stressful and miserable. For your sake and your colleagues', take some time to explore this topic and develop the necessary self-awareness and self regulation skills and also study interpersonal interactions and how to deal with and/or manage others and their emotions.

Let's wrap this up with a bow!

I can assure you that there are many other skills (both hard and soft) that you may find equally essential to thrive in your career depending on your industry, field and/or geographic location. Feel free to share some of those tips with the community in the comment section below.

Furthermore, the focus of this article was solely to highlight a few key ones that I believe are general in nature and applicable across a wide variety of industries and sectors.

Bonus Tip: Look into the industry and fields that you're interested in and research some of the most sought after skills in those spaces. Look at them from the lenses of what is currently demanded from entrants and also it would be prudent to look at some of the future trends and skills that would be highly valued in the next 3-5 years and put some effort into developing them beforehand.

If you're still in school right now (bachelors/masters), I cannot tell you how much time you will save and competitive edge that you'd give yourself by developing many of these skills before you even graduate or head out into internships and/or entry level positions. For those who are already in positions , there's no time like the present (speaking to myself here too)! Don't let procratination be your friend in this matter at all. You'd be surprised how much you could level up your skillset in 3 - 6 months (which quite frankly flies by so fast nowadays).

If nobody told your before, now you know. Wield this information with care and share it with those who could benefit from it as well.

Keep building yourselves! Love y'all loads {instert heart emoji}

Have an enjoyable and productive week!

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