Landing a job in the present situation is a tough proposition. Most companies have frozen new hires and are busy downsizing to cut costs in the Pandemic driven scenario.
To move from the resume filtering process to getting and interview is itself tough. One needs to focus on skill sets that set you apart and bring forth the knowledge that employers are looking for.
Here is a list of top job skills in demand going into 2021.
For convenience, we have broken the list down into soft skills and hard skills. The most in-demand soft skills based on data collected from 2020 are:
- Communication
- Conflict resolution
- Emotional Intelligence
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
Hard skills can be an exhaustive list, hence we have pared it down somewhat to include technical and management skills.
- Brand Management
- Artificial Intelligence,
- Deep learning
- Finance special emphasis on block chain and Cryptocurrency
- Supply chain management
- Cloud computing
- Analytics
- UX design
- Video production
- Affiliate marketing
In the soft skills department, one needs to be a very clear and effective communicator in today’s world where a large part of business and office transactions are carried online.
If you are articulate, concise and to-the-point in your communication, then it is a definite plus.
Collaborations and conflict resolution are good skills to leverage as, again, working in a team where most business is carried out online is an advantage.
Emotional intelligence holds you in good stead in today’s difficult times where social interactions are limited and the economy is tough, so to handle unexpected hardships with equanimity is required.
In the hard skills department, the list includes all the jobs that are in great demand and will continue to be so in the coming years.
Businesses have gone digital, which entails moving all the customer-related interactions to be handled online. This has shifted the focus and people need to learn the new ways of communicating and providing services to customers and consumers who are bombarded with information.
Data analytics, Artificial intelligence, UX designing all are corollaries to this digital shift in business. Data reveals that “research and development” is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand skills for software developers in 2021, with 3% of all applicants listing it on their resumes.
Skills in cloud computing are in great demand due to the increasing number of companies moving business functions to the cloud, (the remote servers).
Analytics :Brainstorming, detecting patterns, interpreting data, observing, theorizing, integrating new information and making decisions based on multiple factors and options available all require the use of analytical skills. And with AI and Deep learning throwing up reams of data, companies need people to interpret the same.
Supply chain management has become the most important cog of this big digital eco system. Any hitch in inventories has a domino effect on the production, manufacturing and marketing plans of a company. To make it more streamlined and automatic, businesses are constantly looking for candidates with wholesome experience in geotrade, mechanics, and the various automation tools available.
Blockchain: Companies of all types and sizes are increasingly leveraging blockchain—the technology that underlies cryptocurrencies like bitcoin—to reduce costs, cash flow discrepancies and transaction processing time.