With a rapidly evolving and competitive professional terrain, updating specific skills can be indispensable, especially if you want to lead, thrive and progress in your career. To be on top of the professional ladder, being in tune with the times can be a valuable asset in your arsenal. Whether you’re hoping for a promotion or looking out for a job, here are five skills you should learn to have an edge over your peers.
1. Generative AI
The evolution of artificial intelligence has made it possible for everyone to create customised written, audio, or visual content. With ChatGPT and Dall. E, understanding and using generative AI is an important skill to learn for the progress of your career, even if you don’t directly have to use it for your day-to-day work. Generative AI can save you time, effort and resources no matter your field. It can help you create marketing content, forecast numbers for finance, or code for software developers, as Harvard Business Review noted in their article about why young professionals need to know about generative AI.
It’s also great for entrepreneurs who are looking out for business opportunities. A survey conducted by McKinsey in 2023 showed that AI has risen from a topic relegated to teach employees to a focus of company leaders, with nearly one-quarter of surveyed C-suite executives personally using generative AI tools for work, and more than one-quarter of respondents planning on incorporating it on their boards’ agendas. The survey also noted that 40 per cent of the respondents were keen on increasing their investment in AI overall because of advances in generative AI.
So, with the world turning towards generative AI, it would be wise to dip your toes into it and understand how it can help you professionally.
2. Sustainability
Literacy in sustainability should be on top of every individual's list, especially when the world is dealing with ecological changes due to the climate crisis. Many organisations are now seeking solutions to minimise their environmental footprint while staying competitive in their respective fields. With some knowledge and know-how, you can drive the business towards greener alternatives and look at a net-zero goal.
You can implement sustainable choices in your business and organisations by ensuring a basic understanding of environmental science and climate change. Read up about companies with green initiatives or the current sustainable and technological advancements that can be incorporated into your work.
It requires a bit of forward thinking and foresight to create long-term strategies, whether educating your colleagues or investing in sustainable practices.
3. Networking
Some people are natural when it comes to making a connection; you’ll find them being friendly with most people in the office, attending workshops, or being an active participants in activities within and outside your organisation. But many find networking to be exhausting, time-consuming and irrelevant. If you want your career to go forward, you need to understand that building a social network is necessary in today’s day and age. Research on this topic has proved that professional networks lead to more opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and more excellent status and authority.
The way for you to arm yourself with this skill can be done by keeping four core things in mind. One–concentrate on the positives and look at how it will help you gain knowledge and skills in your job. Two–identify common interests when networking to build meaningful relationships. Three–find something valuable you can offer regarding your speciality and skill set. Four–have a purpose or reason for networking with a particular person or attending a seminar or group activity that would benefit you or your organisation.
4. Project management
Whether you work for an organisation or yourself, you will have projects. The skill lies in how you manage the project and execute it from the idea to completion. You don't have to have the formal title of a project manager for this. Anyone leading a project of any sort needs to understand how to handle a particular project at any given point in their lives in a successful way.
Core skills to be a better project manager include being a good planner and being able to forecast and predict the outcome, risk management, budgeting, tracking and monitoring, and effective communication. Read books about leadership and entrepreneurs and how they led their teams to success. You can also take short online courses to help you identify all the areas when dealing with a project most effectively.
5. Self-marketing
In these competitive times that we live in, for you to be heard and noticed, it is sometimes important to amplify your voice and promote yourself. It’s not about being boastful or arrogant about your achievements. It effectively communicates the value and unique skills you can offer by highlighting your strengths, accomplishments, and personal brand. This skill is most important when applying to new places and for interviews. It’s not just writing down bullet points on your resume but crafting a compelling narrative highlighting your skills, experiences, and passions.
A lot of the time, people tend to undermine their success and the hard work that they put into realising a project. But learning to market yourself and your work is a skill that will come in handy at every point of your career, no matter your age, especially if you lack confidence or are an introvert.
The degree of self-promotion can vary, depending on your comfort level. Start by engaging on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Use it to your advantage if you are an expert or have specialised knowledge in a particular field. Start with these baby steps to get ahead in your career.
Original Article can be found on GQ India
