New to the job market or considering a career shift? If you haven’t been active in the recruitment process lately, you may be surprised at how much the in-demand job skills have changed over time. Now, companies are often looking for a combination of hard skills, such as technical expertise, and soft skills, from creativity to communication.
If you are wondering how your past employment and personal strengths fit into today’s job market, connect with an employment expert at Staffing Network.
In-Demand Job Skills Involving Education and Experience
Hard skills are often connected to areas of expertise, meaning a skill you learned through education or job experience. For instance, if you know how to code or are skilled in SEO marketing, those are hard skills. But if the code or marketing strategy is complex, being able to clearly explain it to someone else in the office would be a soft skill.
5 in-demand job skills that are hard skills:
- Affiliate marketing
- Cloud computing
- Coding ability
- Data science
- Sales
Employers prioritize hard skills because productivity can increase when individuals have the skills to complete job tasks efficiently and on deadline. Hard skills can also boost employee satisfaction which can help with retention.
Soft Skills and Solving Problems
But there is a reason why hiring managers are interested in soft skills as well. Soft skills are an important part of supplying a high level of customer satisfaction and can help teams grow and develop as a stronger unit.
5 examples of soft in-demand job skills:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Dependability
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
While soft skills can be more difficult to measure or quantify than hard skills, they are no less valuable. If two or more candidates for a position have the hard skills necessary to complete job tasks efficiently, it is often soft skills that will end up tipping the scales toward one candidate or the other. In other words, soft skills could land you the job.
For some, working with an organization on a contract or temporary basis is an important way to determine if the job is the right fit. If the organization is having issues with teamwork and organization and your soft skills improve productivity, you could be just the right match, even if you didn’t have all of the hard skills listed in the job description.
Similarly, if a team is full of workers who are good at problem solving and communicating but they could use more hard skills, your experience and education could be just what an organization needs. Either as a short-term hire or as a temporary worker who comes in to boost productivity every season.
Do you want to learn more about what positions are available and what in-demand job skills you need to secure the career you want? Staffing Network is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm that specializes in light/skilled industrial, engineering, and operations professionals. Let our experts help you find the best position for you. Connect with Staffing Network today.