Skill is the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance. : dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks. : a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability.
Whether you're a professional or a graduate, in your job hunt, your skills matter. They tell potential employers what you can do, how you can do it, and even who you are. All skills can generally be divided into two main types: hard skills and soft skills. And you'll need both in your career.
Here are 10 Essential Skills
1. Communication Skill
A communication skill is defined as the ability to effectively achieve one's communicative goals or the proficiency with which one engages in particular communication behaviors.
When communication occurs, it typically happens in one of three ways: verbal, nonverbal and visual. People very often take communication for granted.
Communication helps us build relationships by allowing us to share our experiences, and needs, and helps us connect to others. It's the essence of life, allowing us to express feelings, pass on information and share thoughts. We all need to communicate.
2. Teamwork Skill
Teamwork skills are the skills that enable you to work well with others. Candidates with strong teamwork skills are sought out by employers for many reasons—they demonstrate leadership, collaboration, and good communication. Employers expect employees to be team players.
Teamwork brings people together (the bonding agent) and motivates them to rely on one another to get things done. Teamwork also makes progress easier (the lubrication) and allows the group to overcome obstacles that would have stymied an individual. Without teamwork, none of that would be possible.
3. Initiative Skill
Initiative at the workplace is the ability to seize the potential of an idea and take action without direction from someone else. Individuals showing initiative can create or control a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.
Skills and attributes that often go hand-in-hand with taking the initiative include:
Innovative thinking .
Problem-solving .
Entrepreneurism .
Creativity .
Leadership .
Confidence and the self-belief to try something new.
Being quick to learn.
How proactive you can be.
This is Important because taking initiative demonstrates confidence, high self esteem and a willingness to work hard. This is also the case in your personal life, as being confident helps you to feel ready for whatever life throws at you. Taking initiative also means setting goals, achieving goals and completing tasks.
4. Professionalism Skill
Professional skills are career competencies and abilities used in the workplace that are beneficial for nearly any job. Professional skills are a combination of both hard skills (job-specific duties that can be trained) and soft skills (transferable traits like work ethic, communication, and leadership).
Being professional can ensure a positive first impression, successful interpersonal relationships and a lasting reputation within your organization and industry, according to Katy Curameng, director of career planning and development at UMass Global.
The 4 Elements of Professionalism
Here are some key elements of professionalism… Appearance.
Accountability. The next element I will be discussing is accountability.
Competence. Competence is being able to do your job in the most effective way.
Integrity.
5. Leadership Skill
Valuable leadership skills include the ability to delegate, inspire and communicate effectively. Other leadership traits include honesty, confidence, commitment and creativity. In IT, executives are often required to be jacks-of-all-trades.
A good leader is able to bring out the best abilities in his/her team members and motivate them to work together in achieving a shared goal. A good leader is also organized and keeps the team on track and focused to avoid delays.
Good leaders possess self-awareness, garner credibility, focus on relationship-building, have a bias for action, exhibit humility, empower others, stay authentic, present themselves as constant and consistent, become role models and are fully present.
6. Detail-Oriented Skills
Detail-oriented is a skill you can include on a resume that tells employers that you pay attention to details, notice small mistakes, and are able to deliver high quality, accurate work. It's a soft skill that means you can learn new job responsibilities and carefully perform them to completion.
Examples of Being Detail Oriented
You check your own work carefully.
You work with numbers/data that must be highly accurate and error-free.
You manage or coordinate class projects.
You are responsible for checking the work of others.
You're proactive and stay ahead of what you might be asked by your manager.
7. Analystical Skill
Analytical skills are problem-solving skills that help you parse data and information to develop creative, rational solutions. An analytical person in the workplace focuses on making sense of the facts and figures and using logical thinking practices to identify a fix.
Analytical skills are important because they allow people to find solutions to various problems and make concrete decisions and action plans to solve those problems.
List of Analytical Skills
Research.
Forecasting.
Problem-solving.
Data mining.
Data and metrics interpreting.
Reporting.
Organization.
Communication.