What are the most in-demand skills for the modern workforce?
Here’s an interesting fact:
Right now job vacancies are at a record high in many regions of the U.S. However, at the same time we are seeing a huge influx of job seekers and unemployed workers. So what exactly is going on?
Simply stated, the skills most in demand for the new economy don’t match what these potential employees are offering, and employers are struggling to find candidates that can do the work! This means there’s never been a greater need for training and education than right now.
The Top 5 In-Demand Skills According to LinkedIn
Cloud computing
Data mining
Mobile development
Network security
Middleware and integration software
Cloud computing
Data mining
Mobile development
Network security
Middleware and integration software
What we can learn from these results is that a basic understanding of technology and data is going to be a huge part of staying relevant in the new economy.
How To Address The Skills Gap
Workers don’t want to be left behind in their future search for employment, but there needs to be a way to address this skills gap that the average American can access. While work experience is a great addition to your resume, workers will need to use a wider range of training, education, and on the job instruction to ensure they stay ahead of the curve.
Think about it this way: it’s time for the adult population to address their work skills and training just as they would their own children. Consider the wide range of swimming, music, and extracurricular activities that people enroll their children in to allow them to get ahead—and imagine what an impact if we took the same initiative in our own professional development!
Whether your employer funds the initiative or you enroll on your own accord, the easiest way to get ahead is to further your studies.
Important Skills From 2015 to 2020
To truly understand the shifting economy and the areas that will be in high-demand in the future, it might help to compare the current skills required of employees versus those predicted in 2020, ranked in order of importance. These findings from the Future of Jobs Report highlight just how different the landscape could be for workers in a few years’ time.
A major standout from this table shows the importance of creativity in the modern workplace. With a wider range of new technologies, practices, and products on the rise, the worker in the new economy will need to be equipped with creativity and open mindedness in order to succeed.
So, what does this mean for you? If you’re looking to change careers in the near future or if you’re just getting started in the workforce, it’s never been more crucial to keep your skills updated. While work experience itself can get you ahead, there’s only so far you can go without up to date training and education.
How to Stay Relevant in the New Economy
Staying relevant in the workplace and the new economy isn’t just a matter of learning a new set of skills and hoping they’ll take you there. AT&T CEO Randall Stephen recently stated that there is a constant need to “reboot” yourself and those who don’t invest time with online learning each week may find themselves obsolete eventually. That’s the reality we are facing.
That may seem scary to some, but the nature of the new economy and the pattern of evolution in learning and training methods are handing us a roadmap to the future—and the opportunities we are being presented with are boundless.
The simple solution?
If you’re currently in the job market, consider the needs of the new economy and consider how you can apply this to a skillset that interests you. By getting started now, you are making yourself an invaluable asset to the workforce of the future and ensuring that you have a place in it.
References
The 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
To Stay Relevant, Your Company and Employees Must Keep Learning
