That You Can Demonstrate Heading Back to the Office
We are in an interesting time. After a year in which many of us approached our jobs in ways we never imagined, we are now headed ‘back’. For some, we’ll pick up where we left off and the past year will just be a milepost (“Let’s see, I remember I was working from home, so that must have been 2020….”). For others, we’re finding that going ‘back’ just doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. And then there’s the whole spectrum between with areas of change, maybe hope, slight anxiety, or ambivalence. Wherever you find yourself, now is a great time to review and prepare to demonstrate your key skills as you navigate to that next phase, whatever it may look and feel like.
In addition to the technical or job-specific skills that you acquire through your role and personal learning, there are a whole host of softer skills that you likely use every day that can be overlooked by leadership and invisible to hiring managers. Are you aware of the soft skills where you excel, and are your prepared to sell your mastery of these skills to win (or keep) the perfect role for you? Demonstrating that you are well-rounded gives employers a reason to want to work with you.
Let’s explore some of the more important soft skills that you need to cultivate and sell to leadership.
Interpersonal Skills
The development and use of interpersonal skills is vitally important. Being able to communicate with clarity and diplomacy is a requisite for any successful role. This doesn’t mean only being able to speak and listen. There are subtleties such as knowing when to take the lead and when to step back.
Problem-solving Skills
No employer wants a worker who continuously runs into brick walls in the course of their day. Someone who is capable of using their initiative and creating solutions is desired. Being in the habit of making decisions serves you throughout your career (and beyond). Certainly being in a leadership role requires working through issues with a degree of self-confidence.
Business Acumen
Gaining a general understanding of how organizations work and operate will make you a more desirable worker. More specifically, having in-depth knowledge of how your industry (or one you wish to enter) works can give you a working knowledge that you exhibit to leadership or in interviews. Further, it helps you understand how decisions are made, an important aspect of being a leader.
Teamwork
If you don’t play well with others, then your leadership team isn’t likely to see you as a key member of their organization. Working within a group and recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of others demonstrates your effectiveness in reaching the goals. Let’s also not forget that top five interview question: “Tell me about a time when you worked in a team”.
Organizational Skills
Time management is crucial to the work world. From showing up on time to learning how to deal with and prioritize the demands of different managers, excelling in this area can have an impact on success. Don’t forget juggling multiple tasks and submitting everything on time.
Take advantage of this seismic shift that we are experiencing. Brush up on identifying, understanding and selling your key skills. No one is planning to do it for you.
