The skills you were told at the start of your degree are most imperative to the workplace have now changed!
The most recent review from the World Economic Forum shows that skills such as quality control and active listening no longer qualify in the ‘Future of Jobs top 10 skills’.
Instead here’s what you need to be able to get ahead in the job hunt.
(source: Future of Jobs Report, World Economic Forum)
Top 10 Skills in 2020
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- People Management
- Coordinating with Others
- Emotional Intelligence
- Judgement and Decision Making
- Service Orientation
- Negotiation
- Cognitive Flexibility
Top 10 Skills in 2015
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordinating with Others
- People Management
- Critical Thinking
- Negotiation
- Quality Control
- Service Orientation
- Judgement and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Creativity
The Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum shows that within the 5 years between 2015 and 2020, employer preferences toward job skills favoured creativity and the ability to think critically as more important to the world of work than people skills such as teamwork and people management, which are still considered important.
The two tables also show major discrepancies in the disappearance and introduction of certain skills with the likes of active listening and quality control falling short of the top 10. What is interesting however, is the introduction of emotional intelligence and cognitive flexibility to the leader board; no longer is what you produce enough, employers now care about how you work, how you think, and your ability to socialise and manage relationships within the workplace.
But what is emotional intelligence? According to Psychologist Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence has five core components:
- Self-Awareness – your ability to detect and understand your own emotions and their affect on those around you
- Self-Regulation – your ability to control your emotions and how you process them
- Internal Motivation – how motivated you are to complete certain tasks for personal reasons rather than for reward
- Empathy – your ability to recognise the motivations and emotions of those around you
- Social Skills – how adept you are at networking and managing social relationships
For marketers in today’s industry, emotional intelligence is therefore growing in importance.
One difference between 2015 and 2020 is the continuing emphasis on digital activity and the connection between the self and the web.
Brands in today’s society have begun to capitalise on this connection, and the skill of emotional intelligence within marketing strategies through the use of online influencers and digital brand ambassadors. Not only is emotional intelligence key as a personal skill, it is now also a tool used to generate revenue.
So how do you increase your emotional intelligence? A start can involve making small changes to the way you react and treat situations in the workplace.
Below are three tips to get you started:
Be assertive
In utilising a more assertive way of communicating you can express an increased control over your emotions and motivations.
Respond, don’t react
Especially during situations of conflict and charged emotion, responding with reason and allowing yourself time to process emotion will allow you to exhibit a controlled and rational demeanour.
Maintain a positive attitude
They say negativity breeds negativity and a great way to maintain a positive atmosphere within work is to practise ways to maintain a positive attitude. Try meditation, music, or good food to lift the mood of your environment.
