Are Your Work Skills Up To Date?

College degrees aren’t the powerhouse of a resume they once were. College graduation is a requirement for getting a well-paying job, but college doesn’t seem to give us all the minimum requirements to obtain a job in our career field. Skills to succeed in college don’t necessarily translate to a successful career. Companies are looking for skilled, analytical, and dedicated applicants to fill the ranks. 

It is too easy to feel our resumes aren’t adequate the longer our job search continues. There is good news, though. You can learn skills to boost your resume and shoot to the top of applicant shortlists. The skills to obtain a high-paying job don’t always require a college degree either. 

Here are some skills you can learn before the end of the year.

Basic Coding

Coding is often incorrectly stereotyped. Coding is a skill anyone can learn. There are countless ways to learn how to code without going to college and getting a new degree. Businesses around the world require coders to keep their business functioning. Code isn’t exclusive to operating a website and running apps. Code is useful for internal procedures as well. 

HTML and JavaScript are good places to start. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a common language for web pages. A basic understanding of HTML is useful to bloggers or companies that want to be found by search engines. HTML is a good place to start to get an understanding of the core elements of coding. You can learn to code for free through books, videos, and online tutorials.

Analytical Skills

Another hard skill capable of lifting your resume to the top of the applicant pile is analytical skills. Too often, we rely on gut feelings or visible trends. There is too much data produced to continue relying on what is clearly visible. Data analytics are key to boosting efficiencies in all businesses. The correlation between seemingly unrelated products often hides in the mountains of data. The most profitable companies rely on data to aid their decisions. Knowing how to collect data and analyze trends can boost your chances of promotion.

Data comes in all forms. Surveys are a useful tool for understanding what the consumer wants, but they are less influential than what the consumer actually purchases. There is a reason you’re asked to create an account to make a purchase. Companies want to collect data about your purchases. Data science transformed the way grocery stores are organized. So-called memberships are actually tools to collect data and determine customer habits. For example, if a company notices a customer is buying cereal, but not milk, there might be issues with milk at a particular store. Grocery stores are using this data to change their offerings to meet the demands of their customers. There is a reason we see ads for Cheerios next to the baby food. 

Communication Skills

Not all skills are technical skills or measurable by an aptitude test. Communication can make or break a company. Appropriate communication is often overlooked when thinking about employable skills. During the application process, and on any application documents, be sure to use concise language, proper grammar, and a respectful tone. The little things often carry us further than a hard skill. 

Communication goes beyond the words we say. How we speak is important, but so are the things we don’t say. Non-verbal communication, like body language, plays a factor in how we are perceived. Make sure to clearly list communication skills on your resume.

Always Keep Your Resume Updated

It is always good practice to keep your resume up-to-date, even if you aren’t looking for a job. Most positions offer resources to learn new skills on the job. You can use new skills to get a promotion with your current company or look for a new job that better aligns with your career goals. There are plenty of reasons for leaving a job. Consumers and investors are beginning to consider the ethics of the companies they endorse. Professionals are starting to band together to stop their company from unethical practices that further inequality. Finding a company that matches your moral code could be a boost to your morale.

Conclusion

We are constantly learning new things without knowing it. Very few jobs are static. As we progress through our careers, we learn new things without paying much attention to what we are learning. Keeping track of skills you learn is a good way to keep your resume up-to-date.