Key skills for Professionals

Key skills are employability skills that you need for work and they are very important for life also. By developing these skills, you can improve the chances of a better job and better career. These play a great role in your CV also. You have better chances of selection for the job if you have better skills.

Key skills are of two types:

• Soft skills- Soft skills are personal qualities that show your personality trait such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, Work ethic, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership skills, Stress Management, Organizational skills, Analytical skills, etc.

• Hard skills- Hard skills are based on the job you need to perform. They are related to specific technical knowledge and training like technical Skills, Presentation skills, Design skills, Data analysis skills, Writing Skills, Marketing skills, Project management skills, etc.

Soft skills

1. Communication skills

Communication skills are the most common and frequently used professional skills in our life. You use communication skills to give and receive different kinds of information, and it helps you to understand and be understood by others while communicating. These skills may include sharing ideas with others, actively listening to conversations, responding, and public speaking.

2. Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are the qualities and abilities that allow you to work with a group of people during conversations, projects, meetings, or other collaborations to achieve a common goal. Your teamwork skills are dependent on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest. 

3. Time management

Time management is the process of organizing, planning, and dividing your time between specific activities. Good time management skills enable you to work smarter, not harder. If you work smartly, you will get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time while performing a task will damage your effectiveness and cause stress.

4. Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills help you determine the source of the problem and find effective solutions and will advance your professional skills. Companies rely on people who can assess both types of situations and quietly identify solutions. Problem-solving skills are valued by employers in any job and are extremely useful in other areas of life such as relationship building and day-to-day decision-making.

5. Creativity

Creative thinking means your ability to use the imagination to generate new ideas or the ability to think about a task or a problem in a new or different way. Creative thinkers look at things from a unique perspective that is invisible to others. They can find patterns and make connections to find opportunities in complex systems. If you are a creative thinker, it will assist you to solve complex problems or find interesting ways to approach tasks.

Hard Skills

1. Technical Skills

Technical skills include specialized knowledge and expertise in fields such as IT, engineering, or science. Typical technical skills are abilities to use specialized software or equipment.

2. Presentation skills

If you want to deliver effective and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences, you need to have good presentation skills. It includes interaction with the audience, transmitting messages with clarity, engaging the audience in presentation, etc.

3. Design skills

The design industry is growing nowadays. As a designer, you can bring out your creative side with interesting visuals and graphics. There is no limit to what a designer can illustrate with their unique skill. If you want to be self-employed and work as a freelancer, you should learn how to design, and it is an excellent skill to have.

4. Data Analysis Skills

Data analysis is the process of retrieving, organizing, and analyzing information to help a company to improve production, efficiency, or other valuable aspect of the business’s operations. Data analysts generally work in all industries, from retail to academia. They have to collect their data. From the collected data they create reports that summarize patterns and offer solutions to their customers in the form of updated systems, procedures, or protocols.

5. Writing skills

Writing is one of the important skills that is used in almost every organization. Effective written content help to influence the reader. These skills are also used in technical and scientific jobs, to write emails, documents, etc.

Thus, we came through various key skills that are useful to work effectively. If you want to get the job you should work on improving your skill whether it is soft skills or hard skills.