Skill Management

Job market has always been competitive but the present times are even more worrisome. Due to a number of factors from economic instability to capitalism to obsolete education standards, a lot of people fail to acquire jobs according to their eligibility.

We are increasingly seeing people with high profile degrees, struggling in jobs totally different from their area of specialization because of the lack of opportunities or rather the ferocity of competition. So what to do? The answer lies not in raging against the unfairness and harshness of the society but having a pragmatic approach.

Yes the competition is fierce but it just means you need to up your game. How can you convince the employers to choose you amongst the hundreds vying the same opportunity? You raise your value in their eyes. And how to do that… two words- Skill Management.

There are two writers, both good but one is also well-versed in, say, graphic designing while the other one only writes. Who do you think is a better choice for a publisher looking to minimize their workload? I mean publishing books takes a lot of effort but if your writer comes with their own unique cover designs and illustrations to accompany the book- wouldn’t that make a better deal?
Or if you are applying for the position of a manager at some international establishment and you have all the qualities of a good leader but your competitor can also speak multiple languages in addition to all the other skills… who do you think would be better choice? Of course the one who can make more guests feel welcomed. I mean isn’t that common sense? You go for the person ‘best suited’ for your needs.

Then how to make sure you have the upper hand when opportunities show up? Having more than a couple of good cards is always wise when you are up against thousands of other talented, well-educated people. So having more than one skill makes sure your value rises in the eyes of the employer, giving you more chances to prove yourself.

Now the ‘skills’ we are talking about can be a number of things. Knowledge of multiple languages, good communication skills, soft skills, other more technical ones… anything! As long as you have something extra to offer that makes the HRs stop and think before moving on to the next resume.
In the present times, the skills which show the most growth opportunities include- foreign languages, knowledge of computers, basic knowledge of creative tools or different software prevalent in the chosen field, good business communication skills, interpersonal skills, and even…. Experience is a skill!

Of course, it is not possible for everyone to be good at everything and all these things do take a lot of practice and effort. So what you can do is choose the one that goes the best with your job. Except for communication skills…. those are a necessity no matter where you go or do.

So if you are a Graphic Designer, you can polish your copywriting skills and vice versa. If you are in Hospitality sector, make sure to work on interpersonal skills and of course, knowing a couple more languages will boost your profile. Actually knowing more than 3 or 4 languages can aid you in many more fields ranging from corporate to scientific research. And if you are good you can work as a translator/interpreter for government or big companies with international dealings. Which brings us to the point that if you indeed are an active linguist, it works well to have good interpersonal skills.
See the trend? For every main job, there is an accompanying skill that can do wonders for your career trajectory. Find yours and polish it good! Who knows this little step can lead you to your dream job even among the fierce competition?