The pandemic has profoundly affected the way companies worked along with a transformation in our daily lives. It has brought a halt to the ‘normal lives’ we used to live. Following the covid appropriate behaviour, everyone is finding ‘Work from home jobs’ and the pattern of learning and skills has changed.
As the new group of graduates will try to build their places in the corporate world, they will be facing an ambience hit by the pandemic and economic crisis. Their success depends on how quickly they can address a challenge, for which skills are needed.
Skill-gap isn’t a new phenomenon. The traditional education system is leading towards inability of students to acquire future ready and practical skills. A creative approach towards education will enhance the capabilities. However, the allegation on the system can’t be reproached as the reason of our inabilities. While systems can’t change overnight, we can consider us updating our skills, by trying the best.
What are some skills which will be highly valued in the future?
1. Machine learning and Artificial learning: AI is a concept to create intelligent machines, which simulate human capabilities. Machine learning allows software applications to become more accurate at predicting outcomes. These are the skills which will change the way we work.
As we are moving towards a more technology-dominated world, the significance of these two skills are augmenting. Many of today’s leading companies like Facebook, Google , Uber have made these companies a central part of their operations.
2. Risk Management: “Nothing great comes without taking a risk.” In today’s times, risks are in every business, from a newly set start-up to a huge company making millions! The company or business can go into loss, buildings can be damaged by fire, losses and defame due to defective products and so on.
In such scenario, the ability of carrying out decisions that will minimise the adverse effects of risks on the organisation which is called ‘Risk Management’ becomes a crucial thing.
To be able to tackle both, pure risks like accidents and speculative risks like losses in stock market investments and business decisions helps protecting public image and saving resources like people, income, assets, etc..
3. Critical thinking: An obvious thing we know is that one has to be different from the crowd, in order to be unique. So, what makes one different from those who still have a traditional approach towards any problem? Yes, their ability to carefully examine and analyse information meticulously and come to a logical decision. This is what we call critical thinking.
Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution. The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry, an example of a manager reviewing the customer feedback forms and coming up with a nice user interface strategy and developing a customer service training session for employees.
So, thinking out of the box and being creative is what makes you different!
4. Sales effectiveness: In a competitive world, where many businesses are offering the same products and consumers have a multitude of options, effectiveness of sales and marketing gets a good role. With changing business dynamics traditional selling methods are no longer relevant.
Courses in emerging technologies enable students to attain a fine balance between theoretical and practical knowledge. Knowledge of factors affecting sales and consumer behaviour gives an edge to a company and the employees.
5. Quick decisive skills: If you spend too much time thinking upon a thing, you will never get it done. Complex situations don’t give you time to sit down, examine and then come to a decision taking hours. When someone would ask you a question or your ideas, you can’t ask for some time to think! You have to reply immediately. Making a less optimal decision is better than thinking and thinking for hours draining out your mental resources. With all the uncertainty in the post covid life, you need the ability to take decisions quickly , in your personal and professional life.
Thus, in a nutshell, you have to amplify on these skills among so many you can adorn yourself with, to stand out against the crowd and to have an edge over others in every opportunity. Embrace everything which makes you unique.
~Deepti Jain
Growth Central VC