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In India, there’s been a growing convergence between technology and business processes, which has redefined job roles. High-end jobs that are knowledge-oriented require continuous skilling and reskilling. Foundational skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, communication and team-building have taken center stage. While there’s been a growing demand for such 21st-century skills, India is struggling to bridge the skills gap.
In this digital economy, there’s an ever-growing need to upgrade skills. Employers are looking beyond college education and technical skillsets; they’re prioritizing behavioral, social and cognitive skills for potential employees. But the skills gap has pushed employers to approach the problem from another angle. Recruiters are hiring professionals who are flexible and can adapt to the changing demands of the organization and industry. Therefore, there’s room for skilling, reskilling and upskilling.
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Why Are Skills So Important?
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The Most In-Demand Skills Of 21st Century
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Exploring The Latest Skills In Demand
Why Are Skills So Important?
Every employer wants to hire the best candidate out there. In addition to technical knowledge and work experience, they want someone who is dependable, hard-working and gets along with colleagues. In short, they want someone who fits into the workplace culture. Therefore, a majority of recruiters base their hiring decisions based on what skills a candidate brings to the table.
When you develop your skills, you not only have a competitive edge over other candidates but also gain new learning experiences in the form of:
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Career Development Opportunities
Many job roles require specialization in a particular field; skill development helps you grow in a particular field and this further opens new doors for career advancement
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Personal Growth
Skills are not only instrumental in your professional development but also lead to personal growth as you focus on improving analytical, decision-making and communication skills
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Increased Industry Knowledge
Many skill development and training programs provide you with local industry knowledge that supplements your existing skills
Skill development isn’t time-bound. You can gain new skills at any point in your career. Learn to challenge yourself and step outside the comfort zone through continuous learning and development.
The Most In-Demand Skills Of 21st Century
In today’s workplace, people prefer a good balance of both technical and foundational skills. No matter which field you’re in, having certain employability skills can increase the likelihood of success. Let’s look at the top skills in demand that are instrumental to your career.
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Technical Skills
Commonly known as hard skills, technical skills help you navigate job-specific duties and responsibilities. They’re often learned through formal education and training. Here is a list of technical skills in demand.
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Business Analysis
Analytical skills help understand a specific situation and solve it through rational decisions and actions. It not only helps in efficient problem-solving but also helps you drive organizational objectives. This is why individuals with strong analytical skills are in high demand across industries. Some of the common analytical skills include observation, decision-making, data interpretation and brainstorming. These help you reach logical conclusions that enhance the quality of decisions made.
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Sales Leadership
Sales is the primary driving force behind business growth and profitability. Selling is an art as it requires strong communication, persuasion and negotiation. Sales leadership skills help you close business deals and lead others. Successful sales leaders are strategic and identify opportunities as they come along. They’re result-oriented and highly motivated.
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Mobile App Development
With digital advancements, there’s been an impressive increase in digitally-driven businesses. In fact, startup businesses have solved various socio-economic challenges through mobile technology. This has led to an increased demand for mobile application development. If you want to become proficient in app development, you’ll need specific skills like coding and graphic design.
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Digital Journalism
Digital journals and e-magazines are among the most popular ways to read literature and news in recent times. While journalists need to research and write stories, they also promote them through online platforms like social media. Digital journalism focuses on creative writing, interviewing and researching skills.
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Marketing
Marketing is an umbrella term that encompasses different activities such as social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing among others. It helps increase brand visibility and develop a brand image, which eventually builds customer loyalty and increases revenue.
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Foundational Skills
Often called soft skills, foundational skills aren’t as quantifiable as technical skills. They focus on the behavior, attributes and personality of an individual. Interviewers often try to gauge whether you’ll be a good fit for the workplace by judging candidates based on these skills. Let’s look at the foundational skills in demand that are crucial for professional success.
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Creativity
High-performing individuals approach problems differently. They look for out-of-the-box solutions and consider multiple alternatives before reaching a conclusion. Creativity and innovative thinking stop you from jumping to conclusions and help you make rational decisions. Creativity is also a key entrepreneurial and leadership skill.
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Persuasion
Whether it’s working in a team or managing one—you need strong communication skills to work together. You can’t bring people on the same page unless you can persuade them of your ideas, thoughts and opinions. Effective communication not only helps you convey your message but also the intention behind it. It further establishes trust and increases transparency.
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Collaboration
Interpersonal relationships act as catalysts in professional development. Successful teamwork depends on trust, communication and empathy. People in management positions often focus on understanding the needs and expectations of their team because it helps achieve common objectives. Collaboration skills include people management, teamwork, negotiation and communication.
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Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence also refers to your emotional quotient or EQ. Emotional intelligence includes the ability to not only manage your own emotions but also empathize and communicate effectively with others. When you recognize and manage emotional needs and expectations, it’s easier to connect, communicate and collaborate with others.
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Adaptability
Modern workplaces are fast-paced with constantly evolving business and industry needs. The ability to manage change and adapt to changing work environments is crucial. Responding positively to changing circumstances, finding unexpected solutions to problems and keeping an open mind are some of the much-needed adaptability skills in the workplace.
Exploring The Latest Skills In Demand
The list of skills in demand is constantly evolving with changing industry and business needs. As the COVID-19 pandemic created a new normal, remote work opened up a new territory of business demands and expectations. Some of the top skills in demand that gained prominence in recent times include:
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Planning
As we took to virtual spaces— for webinars, workshops, or even hiring—planning and coordination became important. The ability to juggle information and carry out an online activity requires planning and organization skills. You need to have an eye for detail to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
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Writing And Editing
Content marketing is one of the largest growing industries that boomed during the lockdown. A majority of businesses, especially small-scale and startups, started focusing on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to get potential customers to visit their website. Content marketing skills such as writing, editing, proofreading and copy-editing have become extremely important.
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Teaching
The shift to virtual classes and coaching was one of the biggest hurdles of the pandemic. Thanks to the boom in the education technology sector, virtual learning became more accessible. The increasing demand for online classes created new job opportunities and a need for many more people with online assessment writing and curriculum design skills.
Voluntary skill development is a stepping stone for lifelong learning or an ongoing and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. To constantly pursue new learning experiences is to get on the path of becoming the best possible version of yourself. If you want to step outside your comfort zone, develop a growth mindset and realize your true potential, Harappa’s Leading Self course will help you achieve that. Learn from the best of industry experts and expand your knowledge about personal growth.
