The first quarter of 2020 was a turning point for many, including businesses, job seekers, and students. The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated innovative business strategies, remote work and online learning became the new norm, and consumer behavior changed significantly.

Unfortunately, some companies could not deal with the financial loss and had to shut down completely, while other companies embraced a hybrid work environment hoping that things would get back to normal soon. However, as we pass what is hopefully the tail end of the pandemic, we see that remote work is here to stay for a bit longer, and potential job candidates are required to be tech-savvy while embracing the new normal of remote work.

If this is the year you are looking for jobs, you will want to stand out from other potential candidates and this means that you should be thinking beyond your educational degree and training certificates. However, if you are someone who is considering launching their own business as a newbie entrepreneur, you can benefit immensely from the services of a business life coach.

However, if you aim to join a business, you will be surprised to know that employers seek potential candidates who excel in soft skills besides a few essential hard skills. Here are some essential job skills that will land you a position with the best businesses. Read on to learn more!

Continuous Learning Skills

Today potential employers are looking for people to join their company who have a learning attitude. The days are gone where jobs used to be mundane, and a typical job would involve you sitting at a desk and typing things into your computer.

Since the pandemic hit, potential employers are looking for people who are constantly looking to improve their soft and hard skills. In addition, today, businesses are operating in a different online landscape where people must continuously polish their skills and adapt to a rapidly evolving technology market. In addition, lifelong learning can enhance your understanding of the world around you, provide you with more and better opportunities and improve your quality of life.

The candidates who don’t have a learning attitude, don't make good team players in the eyes of potential employers, which is why it is essential to stay on the top of your learning game to stand out from the rest of the other candidates.

If you don’t know where to start and how to improve your skills, you can check out online classes and learning platforms, such as Udemy, to see what skills you can learn which would enhance the knowledge of your relevant field.

Time Management

When it comes to soft skills, employers are looking for team players who are good at decision-making and time management. Employers want to ensure that their team uses their time wisely and gets more done within the flexible time framework with a hybrid and remote work office environment.

With remote work, the employer wants to be confident that you can be trusted with the deadlines and reliable. Therefore, if this is your first time working in a remote office, we recommend that you choose a silent and comfortable spot to set up your workstation from where you can focus on tackling all the tasks efficiently.

Decision-Making Skills

If you believe that everyone can make decisions, you are in the wrong. The truth is that while everyone believes that decision-making is no such skill that needs to be learned and polished – the truth is the other way around.

More people struggle with making decisions than you might actually think. Many people struggle with the doubts that accompany certain decisions, such as what if they make the wrong choice, what if they fail to succeed in the project, what if the team won’t agree to get on the board.

Today, employers are looking for skilled people who can handle the pressure of making decisions while assessing the criteria and coming to a solid conclusion. Everyone makes wrong decisions once in a while. However, the wrong choices should never become a setback.

You need to understand that decision-making doesn’t only depict a particular attitude; on the contrary, it indicates a strong and positive skill, which suggests that you are willing to take potential risks now and then. Good decision-making skills are also a characteristic of great team leaders.

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Emotional Intelligence

Despite that remote working has become the new trend, we are still humans, which is why employers are looking for potential team candidates who are great with emotional intelligence. In case you don’t know, the characteristic of emotional intelligence refers to staying in tune with one’s emotions as well as being able to comprehend the emotions of others, such as your team members and potential clients.

Those days are gone when you were supposed to leave your problems at home – mental health is the number one priority of many sectors, including different workplaces. That said, potential employers, in 2021 and beyond, will be looking for someone who can show empathy, not only to their co-workers but also your own self, their boss, and potential clients.

Being a “people person” is essential, and you don’t necessarily have to be an extrovert to be one. All you need is the right set of skills, and you are all good. You could also take an emotional intelligence quiz to see in which areas you are lacking and what you can potentially do to boost your EI.

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Conclusion

You hopefully now have a better picture of what your potential employers are looking for when hiring new candidates. Besides the characteristics mentioned above, you will also need to be tech-savvy as we are moving into a different landscape heavily influenced by our era of Digital Darwinism.

Believe it or not, digital media is influencing everything these days, including consumer behavior, the way businesses are conducted, business transactions, etc. That said, if you want to stand out from other candidates, you won’t only need effective market knowledge for the niche that you are applying for.

But you will also need to know the complexities of digital and social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; speaking of which, it might also be a good idea to understand smart work, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence).

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