2023 is going to be that year. With barely a couple of weeks to go, there couldn’t be a better time to position yourself with in-demand skills for the future of work than right now.
As you send in those resumes and cover letters in 2023, employers are going to be reviewing them in newer paradigms than they did in 2022. To find out those in-demand skills employers are going to be expecting from you in the coming year, be sure to read this article to the end.
Let’s get right to it.
1. Data Literacy
It was Clive Humby, the British mathematician, who gave us the saying: data is the new oil. And, indeed, no truer words have been said.
Companies are learning that intelligent data helps them gain visibility, make better judgement calls, increase their productivity, and ultimately drive up profits. So, if you have those skills that can help organizations do more with data, you bet they’d be more willing to grant you an audience.
Data literacy is the ability to read, analyze, and interpret data, using what you’ve learned to trigger a boost in all areas of a business, including human resources, marketing, project management, sales, etc.
These days, most companies are instilling data-driven operations in all of their departments and not just their IT departments. So, having data skills doesn’t just make you a stronger candidate for a job. It also makes your work experience richer and more impactful as you interact with your fellow employees from other departments.
When preparing your resume and cover letter, be sure to highlight your data literacy. If you’re yet to get any form of literacy in that niche, this is an excellent time to start taking courses.
2. Adaptability
Every serious company knows that there’s one thing you must always expect as an organization, and that is the unexpected. Organizations must be nimble and agile enough to roll with the punches or risk being out of business.
In 2023, this soft skill is going to become even more sought after. Not only is the global landscape of work and economy changing fast, but technology is also evolving quickly as well. Organizations need employees who are not too rigid to go with the flow and keep superseding expectations in a fast-paced environment.
It could be new operational processes, the rollout of a new software program, or a new way of interacting with customers. Whatever the case, adaptability is key, and you want to highlight it in your resume. Show your prospective employers how you’ve been able to adapt to changes in your work experience and still deliver at an impressive level.
3. Agile Project Management
Agile project management is a flexible way of managing projects, involving the breakdown of large complex projects, into smaller ones called sprints. As the project begins, the teams involved will run through different cycles of planning, executing, and evaluating while maintaining strong collaboration both with one another and with stakeholders.
The world has moved over to remote and hybrid work, so ensuring team cohesion is becoming a more urgent need than ever before. To be a valuable team member, therefore, an employee must now possess high-level agility, communication, and organization skills.
Little wonder we’re beginning to see more roles like Product Owner, Project Manager, and Agile Coach on the rise. What these guys do is to foster collaboration among different teams and departments within an organization.
To be able to function in any of these roles, you’re going to require knowledge of specific tools like SCRUM and JIRA. You’d also need to possess soft skills like organization, critical thinking, positive thinking, leadership, and interpersonal relationships.
4. Digital Marketing
In the future, people and organizations are increasingly going to make their homes on the internet. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, in this fourth industrial revolution, more than half of all employees need to be upskilled or reskilled to meet the demands of the new work landscape.
Specifically, WEF states that the new industrial revolution is witnessing a rise in the demand for jobs that require digital literacy, critical thinking, and public-facing operations. If you know anything about digital marketing, then you know that this skill embraces all of these other skills mentioned.
Digital marketing is that instrument through which brands reach, engage, and convert their audience. And there are various means by which they get that done these days, ranging from SEO marketing, content marketing, email marketing, influencer marketing, etc.
But don’t get it twisted. Digital marketing isn’t a skill for traditional marketing roles alone. These days, even non-related departments like HR and recruitment roles also need digital marketing, for instance, in the case of employer branding and performance marketing.
To succeed in these roles, therefore, you’d need to be adept at basic design, search engine marketing, social media management, customer relationship management systems (e.g. Salesforce), etc.
5. Remote Communication and Collaboration
Technology has enabled employees to become more connected than ever before. So, naturally, there’s a huge expectation for today’s employees to know how to collaborate. Little wonder remote communication and collaboration are high up on the list of in-demand skills for the decade.
The pandemic probably gave everyone the wake-up call they needed. We saw employees and organizations everywhere having to draw on their soft skills, visual communication, and other relevant skills to be able to collaborate in order to work efficiently from home.
When teams are not together in a place, achieving teamwork can be tasking. It gets worse if team members are scattered across time zones. If teams and team members cannot find a way to collaborate, then workflow breaks down, trust becomes difficult to build, and morale is deflated.
On the other hand, if everyone on the team masters the art of effective collaboration, teams can work together to deliver results and trigger growth for their organizations, regardless of where they are.
6. Lateral Thinking & Innovation Management
The job market is transforming, and so should you. One way to do that is to start thinking laterally. These days, problems require individuals to think critically and innovatively to come up with a solution. It’s pretty much the survival hack in this shifting economy.
It’s great to have one career path that you stick to. But you should also try to hone your skills and keep an open mind by learning complementary skills. Doing this will give you the breadth of thinking to breathe fresh insight into whatever problems you come across. This way, you can help your organization identify new business opportunities, improve on R&D projects, and even cut unnecessary operational costs.
To grow your innovativeness, valuable skills like product discovery, design sprints, lean startup, and design thinking are must-haves. So, get to learning to make your candidacy more competitive in 2023.
7. Social Media
Knowing social media is no longer a nice to have. At least, not in the kind of media climate we find ourselves in today. We all live online now, so social media is everything. Whether you’re using it as a marketing tool, a sales tool, or as a recruitment tool, social media has proven to be a formidable tool for achieving dynamic results. So, it’s advisable to get social media savvy.
Many organizations now seek social media specialists that will help them communicate with their target audience more efficiently, as well as engage existing customers and potential hires.
Moreover, being digitally fluent and active on social media will also help to boost your reputation and give you much-needed attention from potential employers and recruiters. It goes without saying that many have been recruited based on their social media presence alone, without ever submitting an application to said company.
So, if you think social media is just a waste of time, well, think again. It’s one of the in-demand skills for the future of work, and you’d be wise to get the hang of it now.
8. Emotional Intelligence
It can’t be stressed enough, your employability is not tied to how many hard skills you have alone. You also need soft skills as a matter of grave importance.
In 2023, most job openings will require candidates to have both technical and social skills. So, people with high emotional quotient will be given preference in the immediate future.
As Daniel Goleman puts it in his book, emotional intelligence is the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.
Why is emotional intelligence so important? Well, several reasons.
First, you become aware of your coworkers and their feelings. Secondly, it helps you to build healthy relationships and create a warm working atmosphere of empathy and positivity. In such environments, work moves faster and the organization achieves its set goals.
But emotional intelligence has benefits beyond the workplace. If you have high emotional intelligence, you’re more likely to be content and effective in your personal life.
Emotional intelligence teaches you to master your mind, helping you become more productive. If you don’t know how to control your emotional battles, it will sabotage your ability to focus on your work and deliver outstanding results.
So, it’s not a surprise that emotional intelligence is one of the in-demand skills employers are looking out for in the coming year.
9. Coding
At this point, it’s no use saying you’re not a techie. If you want to help your candidacy in 2023, it will help to know some basic coding. You don’t have to be a guru, of course. But if you have no coding knowledge or experience, consider taking an online course.
Also, try diversifying into AI, machine learning, data analytics, or cybersecurity.
It’s very vital not to stick your head in the sand with regards to coding and computers. The truth remains that computers will dominate the future. So, one way to future-proof your career even beyond 2023 and gain the edge over other candidates is to know a bit of coding.
Coding will expose you to opportunities and shape you to become more innovative, another one of the in-demand skills you need in 2023.
I should probably also mention low-code and no-code development. As the names suggest, low-code and no-code development are alternative methods of developing applications without using super technical development tools. However, there is a difference.
In low code, you use graphical user-interface-based tools to develop certain application types. In no code, on the other hand, you don’t need coding at all to develop applications.
Let’s not forget to mention blockchain knowledge. In 2023 and beyond, it is expected that cryptocurrencies and NFTs will be a major trend. So, appreciable expertise in this niche will open doors for you.
As I said earlier, computers dominate our future. So, organizations are going to need a workforce of people who are digitally literate and tech savvy.
10. Communication (Verbal and Written)
In today’s job market, knowing how to communicate effectively is highly in demand. Whether you’re doing that in verbal format or in written form, consider brushing up on these skills if you think you could be better at it.
Communication skills are highly prized in all the biggest corporations of the world as it means that you’ll be better able to understand challenges, proffer helpful solutions, and galvanize others to action.
So, do yourself a favor and sharpen those skills. You’ll thank me come interview time when you’re outshining other candidates and holding your interviewer’s attention with a vice-like grip.
11. Industry-Specific Tools
Technological disruption is everywhere. So, even in your industry, there are many technological advancements you need to keep abreast of.
What are the latest tools? What are the newest technologies? Make sure to get familiar with them and highlight these in-demand skills in your resume.
Some examples of such tools and technologies include Google Classroom, Slack, MATLAB, scheduling software, Intuit, practice management software, Adobe Premiere, project management software, Rhino, GitHub.
So, get to learning and start boosting your CV.
Conclusion
How many of these in-demand skills do you have? And how many are you looking to learn? Feel free to share them in the comment section. But don’t forget to work hard to build these skills and show them off in the most flattering way in your resume.
If you need help with that, check out my article on writing a great CV.
I wish you the very best in your career path in 2023, and I hope you achieve all your dreams.
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