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Introduction
Every young person dreams of landing the job of her dreams. However, these days, it’s not just about scoring the perfect job for you, but also about you being right for the role.
What are the skills needed in today’s workforce? What are the non-negotiable qualities you must possess? The author of this sample essay takes us through her list.
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The Five Most Critical Skills for Career Success
We all want the perfect job. But in this day and age, contentment and satisfaction no longer just come from scoring the dream job for you. Along the way, being the right contributor for the role begins to matter a lot more. Our goal becomes more than just having personal joy in being part of today’s workforce, but also being part of a shared purpose and playing a strategic role in accomplishing it.
In terms of personal development, what are the key qualities and skills one must possess in order to be successful as a working professional? I would like to share with you five from my own list.
Good Communication Skills
From the moment you submit your application to your first day at the job, you are already communicating with your employer. Therefore, how you articulate and express yourself matters at the onset. It is safe to say that communication is one of the most important skills you need to master before applying to any job.
During the interview process, it is important to be able to convey that you have all the industry knowledge to do well in your desired role. You also need to provide reasons why you are applying, and they need to be well-aligned to the company’s vision and mission. You need to be familiar with their business and its importance in the industry it operates in. Finally, your skills as a communicator shine the most on the job when you are tasked with managing people or finding a resolution to a conflict. There is nothing like unintended miscommunication that makes things go south quite easily.
Self-Discipline
Many organizations today are looking for self-starters and proactive individuals. They don’t want to spoon-feed new hires because they want you to have ownership over your scope of work. They will guide and coach when needed, but for the most part, they will be looking to you to use their resources in the best way possible to do your job well.
Taking initiative is part of a good work ethic. People gravitate to those who don’t need to be followed up just to get the work started. It makes a good impression on your bosses if you anticipate what will be needed from you rather than waiting for people to spell it out.
A Positive Attitude
How you approach your work and set the tone in your immediate environment really matters. Positivity doesn’t mean glossing over problems or minimizing them. What it does mean is adopting an optimistic mindset that despite inevitable issues that may crop up at work, there will always be opportunities to make the most out of them. The ability to look at what seems to be a hopeless situation and see it as a creative opportunity is a prized quality in any worker. These are usually the people who progress to strategic leadership positions because they can see the bigger picture.
You also need this kind of perspective when your turn comes to coach new hires. Training from the ground up can be very time-consuming, and when people repeat some mistakes, it can be easy to get frustrated and give up on the person. Being positive means looking at the employee and seeing where their strengths are and how you can give them space to capitalize on them. It also means encouraging them to keep working on their action points and checking in on them after every milestone to monitor their progress.
The Willingness to Adapt
Businesses are constantly evolving to align themselves with the changing needs of their consumers. In the same way, as advocates of the business, employees must be willing to adapt to every business pivot the organization does. This may mean practical changes for them, whether it’s an adjustment in their scope of work or a migration to a new or related role. It may also mean an unexpected but welcome promotion.
Adaptability is honed when we constantly keep ourselves on our toes. We need to monitor the movements of the industry and initiate our own research so we can be updated on the latest trends. This way, we won’t always be caught off-guard when the company announces changes to its business model or organizational structure. We can develop foresight as we gain awareness of potential game-changers and their implications. We can even plan ahead and propose ways in which our department can roll with the changes and be a stronger asset to the organization.
Finding Joy in Generating Ideas
Growth and innovation always begin with one idea. As new hire, we must never tire of coming up with new ways to improve our way of work from the very beginning. While we are still gaining our footing and experience in our role, we bring with us a fresh perspective, which seasoned employees and supervisors may need to see something differently.
Idea generation can start by providing feedback on a current product or service. It is always good to imagine ourselves as the consumer or client and think about how we would personally react to our experience of the brand. Usually, our personal insights can trigger the identification of various opportunities for the brand to level up its game. Ranging from improving social media content to reconsidering consumer messaging, our insights can inspire our team to brainstorm new approaches to selling a product or service.
A good way to brush up on your idea generation skills is to have an informal brainstorming session, where people can throw out random ideas and reactions to concepts, with all the other participants acting as a sounding board.
Conclusion
There are more than just five qualities to master for career success, but these are my top five. I think that a well-prepared employee has the right heart, the right perspective, and the right skills for the right role. When all of these things come together, it is beneficial for both the company and the individual. Both of them experience success.
When I assess myself based on these five qualities, I know that I still have a lot to work on. I particularly need to be coached and mentored in terms of idea generation and communicating effectively. I need to seek out wiser and more seasoned people who can invest in my career journey and share with me their best practices so that I can refine these skills and be at my best. I believe that investing in myself is the most practical and powerful thing I can do as a student because it will set me up for future success and satisfaction. I want to make every effort and maximize this season that I am in so that I can participate in my future employer’s vision and purpose.