The Importance of Developing Marketable Skills

As the world goes through massive economic changes, the types of jobs and skills that are highly marketable will change as well. We’ve already seen how jobs in technology and science will experience growth in the years to come. The skills that will match the growth in these jobs sectors will be the most marketable in the next decade.

There are several marketable skills which will always be useful and necessary in the job market. There are 5 main categories of these skills, which are marketable because they can be transferred from one career field to another, to adapt with the changing times. The five main categories are as follows: Communication, Research and Planning, Human Relations, Organization, Management and Leadership, and Work Survival skills.

The first skill, communication, means that you can speak, write, read and listen effectively, both in large and small groups and in one on one conversation. Nowadays, effective communication must necessarily include electronic communication, such as email, internet search skills, mobile telephones and even social networking sites.

With Research and planning, you should be able to identify and solve potential problems and gather appropriate information. This will also necessarily include using internet resources and possibly databases to gather information and plan solutions.

No matter what the position is, interpersonal skills (Human Relations) are essential. These come in the form of support, sensitivity, being able to understand and convey feelings, and establishing connections with others. Management and leadership skills include being able to coordinate groups and projects (and successfully motivate them through to completion), as well as marketing new ideas or products. Finally, one of the most important marketable skill is “Work survival.” These skills provide you with the ability to cope with the day to day situations, challenges and stresses on the job, and they include: decision-making, enforcing workplace policies, time management, and punctuality and accepting responsibility.

There are a few more of the most marketable skills that all employers will look for. One of these is great work ethic. Employers love to see employees who are able to manage themselves, and hold themselves to a high standard of performance without constant supervision. Another essential skill in today’s job market is being computer literate. Unfortunately, someone with excellent interpersonal skills and an outstanding work ethic still won’t be able to compete without the technological know-how of computer operations. So it makes good sense to list all your computer skills on your resume, and perhaps take a course or online tutorial to brush up on those you aren’t as familiar with.

In a recessionary economy there are by definition, fewer jobs than there are applicants. Closely examine the above mentioned set of marketable skills to see if you will make the cut. And then market them to the best of your ability, through networking and having a professional resume. Even if your current job is in jeopardy or you are simply ready to move to a new career, these marketable skills will put you ahead of the rest.

Perhaps you already have some or all of the marketable skills for today’s job market. You can always increase your marketability by keeping up to date with computer and communication technology, as well as mathematics and writing skills. If you need to gain or develop some more marketable skills, the time to do so is now.