Master 101 Essential Job Skills for the Modern Workplace

As barriers to education continue to lower, the job market has welcomed a massive influx of trained and specialized professionals. They fill positions in every sector. As competition for jobs increases, the importance of having desired job skills has never been greater. Job skills encompass both soft and hard skills, and refer to the competencies a working professional possesses in the workplace.

To maximize your chances of landing a job interview for your dream position, relevant job skills should be interwoven throughout your CV (Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter to demonstrate your proficiency and competence to potential employers. This article serves as your backstage pass into the most desired job skills that employers seek in the modern workplace. Whether you're a fresh graduate entering the job market or a seasoned professional updating your CV, this is your one-stop shop for all information related to adding the perfect job skills to your resume. Let's get cracking!

Job skills refer to the diverse set of abilities and knowledge that individuals bring to the workplace. These skills are crucial for professional success and can be broadly classified into hard skills, soft skills, hybrid skills, and transferable skills.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills 

Hard skills are knowledge sets that are quantifiable and specific to a certain profession or position. Hard skills typically relate directly to job-specific responsibilities and are generally acquired through traditional education, professional development training, or hands-on experience. 

By contrast, soft skills are interpersonal attributes that enhance a professional's ability to create, engage in, and maintain cordial professional interactions within a team. Soft skills are typically harder to quantify as they are not acquired in the traditional way that hard skills are learned. That said, soft skills are fundamental for workplace success. 

Hybrid Skills 

Hybrid skills are the intersection between hard and soft skills and refer to the combination of both skills on a resume. The best resumes and CVs will have a mix of hard and soft skills and are effective in demonstrating that a professional is well-rounded, can perform technically, and can integrate smoothly into the work environment of a company. More and more recruiters are beginning to give preference to resumes that contain a hybrid mix of job skills, and many jobs (particularly those in leadership positions) now require a strong combination of both soft and hard skills. Some of these jobs include Project Manager, Artist, Digital Marketer, and Manager, for example.

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills refer to highly versatile skills that can be applied in a broad range of industries and professions. Transferable skills are often conflated with soft skills, as many can be classified as easily transferable to other professions. 

The continuous evolution of domestic and international job markets has been fueled by rapid technological advancements, modernizing work standards, and globalization. Naturally, the expectations for desired job skills have shifted to accommodate the social and economic changes that countries around the world have experienced. In this section, we will discuss the three main factors that have affected the in-demand job skills for the modern workplace.

Remote work

One of the most significant shifts in recent years is the widespread adoption of remote work. COVID-19 and the general digitalization of many industries have ushered in a new phase of the modern workplace, taking many jobs out of the traditional office setting and into the home. This change has led to an increased demand for job skills related to digital collaboration, adaptability, flexibility, and self-management. Professionals now need to navigate virtual work environments effectively, have the know-how for a range of digital work and collaborative applications,  collaborate seamlessly with team members across the country and world, and manage their time by holding themselves accountable at all times. 

Technological advancements 

Technological advancements have created a growing demand for individuals with strong computer and related technical job skills. The understanding of how to leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to facilitate workflows has become increasingly important in the face of its rapid utilization within virtually every industry. Professionals must now be technically skilled in a wide range of new job skills, including the use of digital office applications to streamline asynchronous workflows, keeping abreast with technological advancements that optimize previously labor-intensive tasks, and being computer literate enough to adapt to an ever-evolving work environment. 

Globalization

Globalization has made the world a smaller place and has created a demand for skills that facilitate collaboration across national and international borders. One of the biggest challenges when becoming a global professional is overcoming language barriers; language skills are valuable and enable professionals to communicate effectively in a global context. Globalization has also demonstrated the importance of cultural sensitivity and the ability to communicate across cultures as individuals must be able to effectively navigate diverse cultural nuances when working with international teams or clients.

While technical skills are limited to specific industries and professions, many job skills are ubiquitous and sought after by employers. In this section, we will cover some of the core job skills that are always valuable additions to your resume and CV! 

Communication skills

Communication skills refer to those that facilitate clear and professional exchanges between colleagues and clients within the workplace. The ability to communicate effectively may, at first glance, seem like a trivial and unnecessary addition to a CV; after all, shouldn’t every working professional know how to speak to others politely? Yet, strong interpersonal communication is indeed a skill that is only learned through extensive experience and much practice and is not something that can be learned overnight. 

As with many soft job skills, communication skills are not something that should be explicitly stated but rather something that should be demonstrated through well-thought-out descriptions of past work and leadership experiences. For example, this may be through detailing how you were able to effectively manage and communicate with clients, and the revenue you were able to generate from these verbal or written exchanges. 

If you would like to confidently include communication skills in your resume, we recommend making a conscious and concerted effort into every verbal exchange you have during work hours. Think about the effects that your words have on people, and have the patience to listen to others when they speak so that you can respond in as best a manner as possible. 

Time management skills

Time management skills are those that demonstrate you can meet deadlines, perform under pressure, and make effective decisions in limited timeframes. Time management is another valuable job skill that is best included indirectly in a resume by highlighting its existence through testimonials of your exemplary work performance in the past. 

We recommend that you develop your time management skills by creating a detailed calendar and daily planners listing your tasks and responsibilities alongside the time frame you are giving yourself to complete them. Having the discipline to follow through with this schedule will steadily increase your time management effectiveness, and will lead to noticeable improvements to your career and professional relationships with your colleagues and superiors. 

Leadership skills

Leadership skills are those that aid you in effectively taking lead points on projects and tasks, as well as supervising others in the completion of a team-based assignment. The leadership job skill is highly sought after by many employees, especially those in search of candidates to fill supervisory and/or administrative positions. 

Leadership skills are best represented in the “Leadership” section of a resume or within the discussion points of the “Work Experience” section. You can work on improving this job skill by actively taking on or volunteering for more leadership roles within team-based tasks within your department, and taking the initiative when it comes to representative roles within a project or assignment. Doing this increases your chances of being recognized by the administration and being placed in leadership positions more frequently. 

Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are a culmination and combination of a wide range of soft job skills that, when put together, make you an efficient and effective addition to any team or department. Teamwork skills are best developed in practice and are best displayed in your resume in the details about your prior work experience. In the description of your past positions, show how you applied yourself in team settings to proactively contribute toward the success of the group!

Problem-solving skills

The ability to carefully and logically work through a challenging problem must be cultivated through years of experience and practice. While some challenges can only be solved through applying technical job skills and knowledge, many workplace problems can be solved by applying simple common sense and knowledge. Develop your problem-solving skills today by engaging in thought-provoking exercises and challenging yourself outside of your comfort zone to complete tasks in shorter time frames and increasing complexity!

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills refer to those soft skills that allow you to engage in professional, courteous, and clear communication with your colleagues and clients within the workplace. Interpersonal skills is an umbrella term for all job skills that allow you to accomplish this - some covered job skills include conflict management, teamwork, leadership, negotiation, and listening skills. 

You can train these individual skills if you wish to effectively improve your interpersonal connections with your peers at work. You can include this core skill on your resume by carefully crafting your job experience descriptions to reflect how your success in previous positions is a result of strong interpersonal interaction between yourself and others! 

Computer skills

In an increasingly digital workplace, the value of possessing computer skills cannot be understated. Computer skills refer to the broad range of computer-related skill sets that a professional can acquire to streamline workflows, work asynchronously, and keep abreast with the rising standards of the modern workplace. Computer skills can be displayed as a list of hard (and even soft) job skills on a resume and can even be incorporated into the work experience section of your CV or resume. 

Of all the job skills we have mentioned, computer skills are perhaps the most clear in terms of ways you can improve them. Apart from receiving formal education in the standard education system, there are plenty of online resources, courses, and technical certifications that can be completed online. These certifications are often also verified qualifications that you can add to your resume to boost your skill set and attractiveness to potential employers. 

While the job skills that we have mentioned are all distinct in their respects, it should be noted that many of them bear striking similarities with each other and overlap in terms of the secondary job skills that they incorporate. Training the skills mentioned in this section is a great way to boost the appeal of your resume as employers will see that you possess the skill set that all promising professionals in the modern workplace should have. 

Now that we have gone over general job skills that all professionals should possess, we will now detail some key job skills that various popular occupations should aim to include within their CV or resume!

1. Job skills needed for C-levels/Managerial positions

• Leadership
• Strategic thinking
• Communication
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Financial acumen
• Negotiation skills
• Conflict resolution
• Team-building skills

2. Job skills needed for designers (graphic and UI/UX designers)

• Adobe Creative Suite
• User-centric design skills
• Typography
• Color theory
• Self-management
• Team-based digital collaboration skills
• Collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Problem-solving
• Time management

3. Job skills for business development

• Sales skills
• Relationship building
• Market research
• Interpersonal communication
• Negotiation skills
• Networking
• Strategic planning skills
• Data analysis
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Adaptability

4. Job skills for web developers

• Knowledge of multiple programming languages
• Responsive design
• Team Working skills
• Server management skills
• Version Control/Git
• Troubleshooting skills
• Database security skills
• Knowledge of UI/UX principles
• Cross-browser compatibility skills
• Testing and debugging skills

5. Job skills for engineers

• Problem-solving
• Deep understanding of Mathematics and Physics
• Project management
• Communication
• Proficiency in CAD software
• Analytical thinking
• Team collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Innovative and creative thinking
• Technical knowledge

6. Job skills for developers

• Knowledge of multiple programming languages
• Problem-solving
• Version Control/Git
• Database management skills
• API integration skills
• Adaptable and independent mindset
• Testing and debugging skills
• Collaboration
• Willingness to learn
• Knowledge of web service features

7. Job skills for admin

• Organizational skills
• Time management
• Communication
• Record keeping
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Leadership
• Customer service
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize and multitask

8. Job skills for lawyers

• Legal research skills
• Analytical thinking
• Interpersonal communication
• Negotiation skills
• Legal writing
• Problem-solving
• Client counseling
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Ethical judgment
• Time management

9. Job skills for chef

• Culinary skills
• Good memory
• Customer service
• Clear communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Multitasking
• Teamwork
• Time management
• Stress management
• Knowledge of food safety

10. Job skills for tour guide

• Knowledge of local history and culture
• Friendly interpersonal communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Public speaking
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Navigation skills
• Customer service skills
• Language skills

11. Job skills for travel agents

• Knowledge of travel destinations
• Customer service
• Communication skills
• Sales skills
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Negotiation skills
• Proficiency in required applications and technologies
• Geographical knowledge
• Crisis management

For more information on how to include job skills in your resume or CV in a manner that will impress and attract employers to your application portfolio, check out this article!

Developing job skills is an integral part of setting clear career goals for your professional future. Career goals help to guide you through short-term challenges by allowing you to focus on a longer-term goal. Understanding the position you are currently in and job skills you need to learn to go where you want to be is only possible by establishing career goals for yourself early on in your career. 

A good place to start when determining the job skills to focus on as part of your career development is by actively identifying skills that are important for your specific industry of work. For example, professionals in the medical industry may need widely different job skills than those working in the engineering industry! Having the foresight to identify these differences early on will save you time, money, and everything in the long run. 

Everyone should be in a constant state of education and learning - this should apply to both your personal and professional lives. Continuous learning and improvement are important parts of your professional life, and having a forward-thinking growth mindset can help you get there! Some many online resources and books can help you position yourself to be the best you can be, in both your personal and professional lives. Check them out today!

Job skills are invaluable weapons in a working professional’s arsenal, and allow one to stand out against competition in the job application and interview processes. Job skills can be soft, hard, hybrid, and transferrable, and elevate your resume from a simple statement of achievements to a dynamic and appealing advertisement of your strengths. 

Are you a new graduate seeking to start your professional career on the right foot? Or, perhaps, are you a seasoned professional looking to keep up with the ever-changing modern work environment? Whichever the case, CakeResume can help you! Check out our blog - we have hundreds of carefully tailored articles discussing everything you need to know about resume building, navigating the workplace, and adapting to modern office standards!

--- Originally Written by Alexander Coye ---