These In-Demand Skills Can Help You Get Ahead in Your Career

You’ve already got a job, but think you could do better. Or you see others with similar credentials moving ahead of you. What can you do?

Let’s start with your resume. Your job experience and academics are what they are. But you can make yourself more attractive for jobs or promotions by highlighting – or acquiring – the in demand skills that good employers look for.

So if you’re job hunting or simply want to update your CV, read this article to see the must-have skills to help you fast-track your career.

What Job Skills are in demand right now?

Job skills are usually divided into hard and soft skills. Hard skills are specific, measurable technical capabilities. These include industry-specific knowledge, the software you’ve mastered, or certifications and licenses you have. Each industry has different requirements, which you will find in the job descriptions.

The Two Kinds of In-Demand Skills

Based on jobs currently posted in Jobstreet, here are some of the technical skills now in demand :

1. IT skills - Data science, UX or UI design, cloud computing, web development
2. Marketing skills: Digital or SEO marketing, video editing for social media
3. Analytics in data, finance, and business intelligence

Hard skills are quantifiable and measurable. For example, a written exam can test your English proficiency. But it can’t measure the soft skill: how you use your proficiency to communicate with others. Put another way, you can teach a process but not an attitude.

Do you feel your hard skills need an upgrade?  If you have the building blocks, you can learn many higher-level hard skills through online certificate courses. Research carefully to find the best course you can afford and commit the time to. At work, make an effort to learn new things, and apply them to help your team. You can also volunteer for project teams in areas new to you.

Also read: Can a master’s degree in the Philippines help? Here's what real employers say.

So how do hard and soft skills relate? Most successful careers are a combination of both. It can also be said that while hard skills will get you a job, it’s soft skills that will make your career.

Soft skills are now a must-have to get ahead

Soft skills involve relationships, behavior, and managing yourself and your work. While difficult to quantify, they are becoming more in demand. Employers see how important they are to productivity, an effective work environment and even employee retention.

“Hiring managers are prioritizing soft skills in a way they never have before,” according to US career expert Andrew McCaskill. Interviewed for a business news network, McCaskill mentioned dependability, communication and problem-solving as skills in particularly high demand.

Why? Remote and hybrid work are here to stay. This means a constant flow of new situations, colleagues and pressures that employees must adjust to – and soft skills help us do that. They’re so important that global companies are hiring specialist soft skills coaches to keep their team members in fighting form.

(Historical fun fact: soft skills helped the Philippines become a world leader in the BPO industry. Decades later, amid intense competition, we should use them to stay ahead while we build our hard technical skills.)

Just as important, soft skills are transferable. So if you're moving into a new field – or a new country – present your soft skills as an advantage and prove you're not starting from zero.

It must be said too, that soft skills are key to the Filipino workplace. Our culture is intensely group-driven and personality-oriented, with much left unsaid (“pakiramdaman”). You will need different soft skills to navigate the written and unwritten codes of your workplace.

The best skills to learn and understand

1. Dependability

Employers need to know they can rely on you – to complete tasks, follow procedures, meet deadlines, and be professional. In high-turnover industries, they also want to see you stay in positions for a reasonable length of time, rather than job-hopping.

2. Communication

"Oral and written communication skills” is one the most common requirements in Jobstreet ads. Of course, every office wants people who speak and write clearly, respond promptly to email, and speak up in meetings with foreign colleagues. Can you summarize a report in writing, and defend your opinion convincingly but respectfully? How did you handle a technical glitch during your last Zoom call? These are all examples of communication soft skills you should have.

3. Problem solving and decision making

Every job brings situations not covered by the employee manual. So employers look for people who are proactive, show sound judgment, and – within their job level – take the initiative to solve problems. Tagalog words that capture this are “maabilidad” at “may diskarte.”

4. Resilience / Stress management

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from the inevitable workplace stress. This skill is important for people’s mental health, a subject now openly discussed in the workplace.

5. Time management / Organizational skills

When there’s too much work for the available time, can you prioritize getting the job done? Time management skills are useful everywhere, but are most relevant to jobs in administration, coordination, production, and operations.

6. Collaboration or teamwork

This means you’re experienced at working in a group – even with remote colleagues or those from different cultures – dividing up tasks and overcoming differences to meet your group’s goal. Aim for ninja-level skills in platforms like Trello, Mireo, Google Suite, etc.

7. Empathy / People skills

Empathy is when you can put yourself in the other person's shoes, achieving better results because you see their point of view. "People skills" are your ability to get along with others, at all levels, day to day. You may have superior hard skills, but you'll struggle if no one wants to work with you.

Also read: 10 Ways to Promote Respect in the Workplace

How to present soft skills on your resume

If soft skills aren’t quantifiable, how do you discuss them to add value to your resume or interview? Skip the vague generalities. Be ready with brief, specific examples of how you used your soft skill/s to find a solution. Connect your skills to the money you saved or earned for the company.

For example, “Through collaboration, time management, and communication skills, I help my team deliver detailed business documents under challenging turnaround times. Our last proposal was overnight, and we won a PHP 10 million project.”

This is harder than it looks. Give yourself time, and think carefully. Once you’re done though, you will have great responses for your interview – the first test of your communication skills!

Now that you know the in-demand skills – including the ones you already have – you can take the next step. Sign up for or update your Jobstreet profile. Consider different skill sets for different jobs or fields.

When you're ready, #LetsGetToWork!

Search for jobs or download the Jobstreet app via App Store or GooglePlay. Need help writing your resume or preparing for an interview?