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Having a college degree isn’t enough for success at work. You also need fundamental workplace skills to climb the corporate ladder.
Some fundamental skills you need are communication, teamwork and self-management. Don’t worry if you don’t have these basic work skills. You can learn and build them over time. For instance, if you want to improve on public speaking or workplace communication, you can learn this basic skill.
Not only does a fundamental skill help you improve as a professional but also opens doors. For instance, someone who was afraid to work in a team may find community engagements exciting once they’ve developed the basic skill for it.
If you want to enjoy a fulfilling work-life, identifying and polishing your basic work skills is the way forward.
Let’s look at some important fundamental skills and how developing them will help you advance in your career.
Basic Fundamental Skills
Now that you’ve understood the meaning of fundamental skills, let’s look at some examples. Speaking efficiently, thinking critically and managing workplaces or teams are examples of basic workplace skills.
Think about your last job interview. It’s likely you only highlighted job-specific technical skills. But it’s equally important to showcase the fundamental skill you have. Here are a few basic workplace skills to help you become a better professional:
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Problem-solving
Problems at work are inevitable. It could be a faulty production line, angry customers or a system failure. Being a good problem-solver who thinks analytically and objectively will help you find creative solutions.
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Collaboration
Teamwork or collaboration is a critical fundamental skill in the workplace. When you and your coworkers strive to achieve organizational goals, it’s important that personal goals align with larger goals. Working collaboratively helps minimize errors, address problems and improve your workflow.
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Taking Initiative
You don’t always have to wait for instructions at work. Organizations encourage their employees to be proactive and take the initiative themselves. Making decisions based on your knowledge, experience and skills helps you climb the ladder faster.
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Verbal Communication
Being good at communicating your ideas verbally is a useful basic skill at work. It helps you stand out and opens doors to opportunities that require meeting clients, etc.
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Written Communication
Writing effectively is a critical workplace skill. It’s important to write effective emails and comprehensive reports that are easy to understand.
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Change Management
Adaptability is key in our dynamic world. If you can move with the times and withstand challenges like changes in business policies, economic climate or internal regulations, you’re more likely to do well at work.
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Empathy
Understanding others and listening to their problems will help you collaborate better in teams. Empathizing with your coworkers or putting yourself in their shoes also increases productivity as it boosts employee confidence.
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Leadership
Leading others is a key workplace skill that every modern professional needs. You may have juniors at work who need your guidance and support. Your leadership style will help them deliver their best and become the best version of themselves.
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Self-Improvement
Always try to grow and become better at the things you know or the things you want to learn. There’s no end to how much you can teach yourself. Self-improvement is about understanding who you are and doing what’s best for you.
These basic workplace skills are in no way exhaustive. There are many more that you can incorporate into your personal and professional life. Harappa Education’s Interpreting Self course will teach you how to identify your fundamental skills. You’ll learn about your strengths and weaknesses, ways to improve them and become a better professional. Start your self-improvement journey with our high-impact online course.
Explore topics such as Professionalism at Work, How to be the Best Version of Yourself, Performance Management & Performance Management Process from our Harappa Diaries section and work towards your career goals.
