The skills to help you stand out in 2020 – and how to get them

New Year is a time for personal renewal: taking stock of who we are, redefining who we could be, and resolving to fulfil more of our potential. The idea of “New Year, New You” can sound like a cliché, but If you live in the UK, there’s never been a better time for reimagining what you’re capable of than right now, at the start of 2020.

The year ahead, and years to come beyond it, are filled with “known unknowns.” We know now that Brexit is likely to happen. We know that the economic landscape is changing. We know that these things will affect the UK economy and the types of jobs and opportunities available to us – but we don’t know how. It’s a lot easier to navigate an uncertain, changing world when you have confidence and motivation; when you feel in control of who you are and what you’re capable of. A new study from LinkedIn Learning shows that investing time in developing your skills is one of the most powerful ways to build this type of forward momentum.

The sense of wellbeing that learning brings is multiplied when the skills you’re developing align with the skills that businesses need. You get the benefits of building mental flexibility, keeping your mind and curiosity engaged – and you also benefit from the knowledge that you’re becoming more valuable to those around you. It feels good to be in demand.

For the start of 2020, we’ve analysed in-depth LinkedIn data to reveal the skills that are in greatest demand in the UK, right now. We’ve run this analysis for both ‘hard’, technical skills that are related to specific tools and technologies, and the ‘soft’ skills that are more internal and interpersonal. And we’ve ranked the fifteen most valuable of these capabilities: the five most in-demand ‘soft’ skills, and the ten most in-demand ‘hard’ ones.

It’s a common misconception that only some of these sought-after skills can be learned – and that only certain types of people can learn them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Precious capabilities like Creativity, Adaptability and Persuasion aren’t innate; they’re not something that you’re simply ‘born with’. They can be developed through understanding, through practice and through confidence. The same applies to the ‘hard’ skills in our Top Ten. You don’t need a Maths degree to master Analytical Reasoning; you don’t need tens of thousands of followers to understand how to communicate on social media; you don’t need long experience in algorithms to grasp the principles of Artificial Intelligence. These are rapidly changing skills for a rapidly changing world. Prior knowledge is no match for a genuine appetite for learning.

This is why, for each of the skills in our top fifteen, we’ve pulled together recommended LinkedIn Learning courses to help you start building your capabilities right now. We’ve also unlocked 13 of these courses so that they’re available for free until February 13th 2020.

Here’s your guide to the skills that matter, why they matter – and how you can start learning them for free for the next couple of weeks.

The UK’s five most in-demand soft skills for 2020

The fact that soft skills can seem less tangible than hard ones doesn’t make them any less important. On the contrary, a rapidly changing workplace puts an even higher value on the ability to generate new ideas, adapt to new ways of working, build teams and inspire others. In LinkedIn’s recent Global Talent Trends survey, 92% of recruiters said soft skills are now at least as important as more technical ones such as the ability to write code, analyse data or create designs. And this is especially true of the UK, where businesses expect change but aren’t certain of the form it will take. Our data shows that the value of soft skills is enduring. The top five most in-demand skills show relatively little change from a year ago. Here are the five most worth investing your time in:

1: Creativity

As technology advances, the value of creative thinking advances with it. New challenges and opportunities require people who are comfortable thinking beyond what’s worked in the past. And creativity isn’t just sought-after in the professions like marketing that it’s traditionally associated with. Businesses are hungry for original thinking and new ideas in everything from software engineering to HR and sales.

Learn Creativity for FREE until February 13th with this course: Banish Your Inner Critic to Unleash Creativity with Denise Jacobs

The speaker, author and creativity evangelist reveals how to silence the parts of your brain that hold creativity back, undermine self-confidence and quash ideas before they have time to develop.

Also recommended:

Creativity For All with Julian Velard, Stefan Mumaw, Amy Wynne, Ben Long, Denise Jacobs

 An inspiring line-up of songwriters, artists and creative directors explore different aspects of the creative process through quick tips and hands-on exercises that anyone can try.

Creative Exercises to Spark Original Thinking with Amy Wynne

 Fine Arts professor Amy Wynne shares empowering insights for broadening your ideas and turning creativity into a habit.

 2: Persuasion

 In times of change, businesses need people who can explain the ‘why’, inspire teams around new ideas, and persuade colleagues, partners and customers to approach things differently.

 Learn Persuasion for FREE until February 13th with this course: Persuading Others with Dorie Clark

 The Duke University professor and bestselling author explains techniques for influencing others (and reinventing yourself) by taking control of how others see you.

 Also recommended:

 Leading Without Formal Authority with Elizabeth (McLeod) Lotardo and Lisa Earle McLeod

Leadership isn’t just for managers or C-suite members. In this inspiring series, you’ll learn how to exert a positive influence from any position in an organisation.

Persuasive Coaching with Brian Ahearn

 The author and consultant explains how to become a better manager by adopting the psychological techniques of coaching.

 3: Adaptability

 It’s an old saying that change is a constant – but for businesses in the UK it’s never been more of a constant focus than it is this year. In this environment, the ability to embrace change, stay positive, and help others to do the same can transform your value to your organisation.

 Learn Adaptability for FREE until February 13th with this course: Managing Stress for Positive Change with Heidi Hanna

 Is stress always something that you need to hide from? Or can you train your brain to respond to feelings of pressure in more positive ways? Brain Initiative senior researcher Heidi Hanna talks through the role that stress plays in change and growth, with ideas and exercises to turn it into energy and action.

 Also recommended:

 Developing Adaptability as a Manager with Dorie Clark

 A crucial component of adaptability is developing a mindset that’s open and curious about potential change. Dorie Clark explores how to build a more adaptable outlook for both yourself and your team.

 Finding Your Time Management Style with Dave Crenshaw

 Leadership coach, Dave Crenshaw explains how to move between different approaches to productivity and thinking about time, in response to changing priorities.

 4: Teamwork

The working environment is moving away from individuals in strictly defined roles getting their head down on a particular task. Organisations know that their ability to adapt depends on having employees who can collaborate effectively with others, multiplying the impact of their own skills.

 Learn Teamwork for FREE until February 13th with this course: Being an Effective Team Member with Daisy Lovelace

 Kelley School of Business professor Doctor Daisy Lovelace explains the most important characteristics of valuable team members – and how to cultivate them in yourself.

 Also recommended:

Shane Snow on Dream Teams with Shane Snow

 The Contently co-founder shares his vision of Dream Teams: groups of people that are culturally additive rather than culturally the same, and who find ways to work, thrive and stay together despite their differences.

 Teamwork Foundations with Chris Croft

 Chris Croft is a teamwork troubleshooter, who’s spent two decades enhancing people’s ability to work together – sometimes dealing with dysfunction, sometimes helping already good teams become great. His course is filled with practical ideas for overcoming the hidden barriers to more effective collaboration.

5: Time Management

As time pressure increases, the ability to cope with new demands while staying productive is more valued than ever. Our skills data shows that Time Management is particularly highly valued in both the UK and Europe.

Recommended courses for Time Management:

Time Management Fundamentals with Dave Crenshaw

 Dave Crenshaw shares practical strategies for increasing productivity and overcoming distractions.

 Managing your Energy for Sustainable High Performance with Tony Schwartz

 Tony Schwartz explains the importance of time management rhythms, and aligning your approach to being productivity with your emotional, mental and spiritual needs.

 Time Management for Managers with Dave Crenshaw

 How to evolve your approach to time management when you’re balancing your own to-do list with keeping your team productive.

The UK’s ten most in-demand hard skills for 2020

 In an increasingly disruptive, increasingly digital landscape, technical skills can rapidly rise in value. This is reflected in our Top Ten most in-demand hard skills for the UK, almost half of which didn’t feature in our ranking a year ago.

1. Blockchain (NEW to the Top Ten)

 It’s been around for less than a decade, but blockchain is already a vital element in future planning across a broad range of sectors. It promises to transform the way that data is collected, stored and shared, with greater security and greater control for individuals over their own information. Understanding its potential is a vital skill across many different roles.

 Learn Blockchain for FREE until February 13th with this course: Blockchain Basics with Jonathan Reichental

 Jonathan Reichental is an award-winning leader who focuses on unlocking the value in new technologies. In this beginner’s course, he explains what Blockchain is, why it matters, and how to think about adapting your organisation to respond to the opportunities.

 Also recommended:

 Blockchain Beyond the Basics with Jonathan Reichental

 Building on the Blockchain Basics course, Jonathan Reichental explores exactly how blockchain has enabled virtual currencies such as Bitcoin – and how it can be used across other sectors.

 Blockchain: Learning Solidity with Emmanuel Henri

 Emmanuel Henri dives into the practicalities of building blockchains with a guide to learning Solidity, a programming language that’s used to create blockchain applications.

 2. Analytical Reasoning (Non-mover)

 Companies are collecting more data than ever before, and they know that competitive advantage depends on deriving high-impact insights from it.

Learn Analytical Reasoning for FREE until February 13th with this course: Strategic Thinking with Dorie Clark

 Strategic thinking is the ability to think on different scales: big and small, long and short. Dorie Clark explains how to cultivate strategic thinking as a habit, both for yourself and your organisation.

 Also recommended:

 Learning Data Analytics with Robin Hunt

 Robin Hunt explores the principles of data science and data analytics, with practical exercises using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access.

 Power BI Top Skills with John David Ariansen and Madecraft

 Power BI is a Microsoft Business Intelligence tool that can dramatically broaden your skills as a data analyst. This short course explains how to use it for extracting, modeling and visualising data.

 3. Cloud Computing (Down three places)

 In just a few short years, it’s become the expectation that businesses will be built and run using the Cloud. This creates enduring demand for software engineers with the specific skills to develop these systems.

Learn Analytical Reasoning for FREE until February 13th with this course: Learn Cloud Computing: Core Concepts with David Linthicum

 Designed for professionals making the move to Cloud Computing from other areas of technology, this course explains the fundamentals of the cloud and how to adapt your existing technology and project management skills.

 Also recommended:

 Azure Administration Essential Training with David Elfassy

 This course for Cloud administrators dives into the details of how to use the Microsoft Azure platform.

 Cloud Native Development with Chris Bailey

 A course for developers that explores the implications of the cloud for how software is designed and explores how to unlock the full potential of the technology using Node.js, Docker and Kubernetes.

 4. Artificial Intelligence (Non-mover)

 AI has the power to amplify the impact of any skill and any employee. With businesses feeling the pressure to make effective use of the technology, understanding how it works and how to apply it can have a transformative impact on your career.

Learn Artificial Intelligence for FREE until February 13th with this course: Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Machine Learning with Doug Rose

Learn about one of the most important areas of AI with this introductory course that explores different types of machine learning and the different types of algorithms that you can use to unlock its potential.

Also recommended:

Big Data in the Age of AI with Barton Poulson

How should AI change the way that you approach using data? This deliberately non-technical course examines the possibilities – and how your data strategy can adapt.

 Introducing AI to Your Organization with Jonathan Fernandes

 Businesses of all sizes are feeling the pressure to adopt AI technologies in order to stay competitive. But how do you start? And how can you plan investments to avoid distractions and costly mistakes? Consultant Jonathan Fernandes explores the principles of successfully planning and implementing AI.

 5. Business Analysis (NEW to the Top Ten)

 Demand for Business Analysis is growing faster than any other skill in our rankings. Why? Because this emerging area is crucial for helping organisations adapt to change. Using data-driven analysis to decode the needs and goals of your organisation is a key part of developing strategies: for yourself, for your team and for your business as a whole. It’s an increasingly valuable skill for any professional.

 Learn Business Analysis for FREE until February 13th with this course: Business Analysis Foundations with Greta Blash

 This course explains the principles of business analysis and why they play such a critical role in the success or failure of projects.

 Also recommended:

Data Analytics for Business Professionals with John Johnson

 A course that explores the principles of data-driven decision-making, with stories and case studies that bring the ideas to life.

 Data Driven Presentations with Excel and PowerPoint with Gigi von Courtner

 Data-driven storytelling is the key to turning business analysis into strategies that everyone can buy into. This course gets hands-on in explaining how to tell those stories with Excel and PowerPoint.

 6. Social Media (Down one place)

 It drives digital marketing campaigns, dominates customer interactions and user experiences and is an increasingly vital source of data and insight. Businesses in the UK prize skills in social media higher than any other market – and that makes this a worthwhile area in which to invest your learning time.

 Recommended courses for Social Media:

 B2B Foundations: Social Media Marketing with Luan Wise

 This course explains the principles of social media marketing for B2B businesses, with strategies for influencing the buyer journey on different platforms.

 Marketing on Instagram with Anson Alexander

 A hands-on guide to building your business on Instagram, which takes you through creating accounts, differentiating your brand and using stories effectively.

 Social Media Marketing: Social CRM with Megan Adams

 Customers expect to engage with businesses on the social platforms of their choice. This course explores the challenge and the opportunities.

 7. Affiliate Marketing (NEW to the Top Ten)

 Seen as key to building partnerships with social media influencers, Affiliate marketing is a rapidly growing element of the marketing skillset.

 Learn Affiliate Marketing for FREE until February 13th with this course: Influencer Marketing Foundations with Chelsea Krost

 Millennial marketing expert Chelsea Krost explains how to partner with micro, macro and mega influencers to promote your brand and drive business growth.

 Also recommended:

 Marketing Tools: Digital Marketing with Anson Alexander

 This course introduces the principles of Affiliate marketing networks, how to know when they’re right for your strategy – and how to choose the right one to partner with.

 Improve SEO for your Ecommerce Site with Sam Dey

 How to leverage Affiliate marketing as part of your wider Ecommerce and SEO strategy.

 8. Video Production (Down two places)

 Video streaming represents over 70 percent of all consumer Internet traffic – and that creates a big demand for video production skills.

 Learn Video Production for FREE until February 13th with this course: Social Media Video Strategy: Weekly Bites with Ashley Kennedy

 Social media is becoming the key distribution channel for video content – and so you can maximise the value of video production skills by learning how to tailor content to social media channels. This course explains how.

 Also recommended:

 Connecting with Your Audience Using Video with Jaime Cohen

 Video doesn’t just build businesses – it’s increasingly important for establishing your personal brand, sharing your ideas and showcasing your skills. Personal branding coach Jaime Cohen explores how to tell your story through video.

 Social Media Video for Business and Marketing with Ashley Kennedy

 Different marketing objectives and different social media channels require very different types of video. Ashley Kennedy explores the secrets of different video formats and types.

 9. UX Design (Down one place)

As expectations of technology evolve, people’s patience with clunky and unsympathetic design deteriorates – and the value of UX designers who can mix technical skills with empathy, grows.

Learn UX Design for FREE until until February 13th with this course: Getting Started in User Experience with Chris Nodder

 This introductory course takes you from the principles of user experience design through to intermediate level skills like visual design and prototyping.

 Also recommended:

 Learning Adobe XD with Tom Green

 A practical, step-by-step guide to mastering one of the most important software packages for UX design.

 Interaction Design: Software and Web Design Patterns with Diane Cronenwett

 Learn about the principles of applying patterns to interactive design.

 10. Scientific Computing (NEW to the Top Ten)

 Scientific Computing skills take the use of technology to the next level by looking beyond the use of mainstream tools to plan new types of software architecture and explore the boundaries of data science. Companies need more professionals that can develop machine learning models and apply statistical and analytical approaches to large data sets.

 Learn Scientific Computing for FREE until February 13th with this course: Parallel and Concurrent Programming with Python 1 with Barron Stone and Olivia Chiu Stone

 Parallel programming holds the key to writing faster and more efficient applications and multiplying processing power. This course helps people with some existing programming experience to take their skills to the next level with Python.

 Also recommended:

 Learning MATLAB with Steven Moser

 MATLAB is one of the most popular programming languages today for engineers and scientists, and with good reason-it allows analysts to work efficiently with large amounts of data.

 Introduction to Quantum Computing with Jonathan Reichental

 How to plan for a future when the processing power of computers will exponentially increase.

Wishing you all the best whatever you are doing to learn and grow this year!