Top 10 Important Job Skills For The Year 2020 And Beyond
Having in-demand and important job skills will be the game-changer for employees in the coming year and we all need to be better positioned for this change. Quantum computing, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars are realities that we all are seeing today and no longer in the movies. With such developments all around us, employees must seek for ways to continue to be relevant in the labor market. No employer will settle for any employee that cannot add substantial value to his or her business or company.
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The reality of the future is that technology will take the lead in the workplace and the future is almost here with us. According to the world economic forum, we are already at the tail end of the fourth industrial revolution. Well, you and I don’t have to be an economics professor to that the next phase of the industrial revolution will change everything.
The coming industrial revolution will be marked by lightning speed advancements, and if you are not prepared you will be left behind. The industries that are tipped to revolutionize the future trillions of dollars for the global economy include Blockchain, genomics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality.
So, as we approach the future, the question is- what important job skills will we need to thrive in this coming brave new world? After carrying out a survey of the chief HR officers at some of the leading companies of the world, the World Economic Forum released a report revealing the top 10 important job skills you will need by the year 2020.
So, sit back and relax as we go through the array of job skills the future demands of us.
10 Important Job Skills For 2020
Well, before we go any further, the essence of revealing these most in-demand skills for the future is so you position yourself to be relevant.
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Complex Problem Solving
At the top of the world economic forum future of work, skills are the ability solving complex problems. There is no doubt fact that artificial intelligence will increasingly take over simple problem-solving at the workplace. Examples of such simple problems that this artificial intelligence will solve include checking account information, settings appointments on the calendar, etc. The complex problems will be left for those employees that are equipped with the skills to solve such problems.
You can create time to get training in complex problem-solving in order to boost your chances of thriving at the workplace.
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Critical Thinking
Critical thinking entails your ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. With the fast-moving changes in technological advancements, business processes and strategies are becoming more complex. Employers will need employees who are critical thinkers to find opportunities for improvement in the face of such complexity.
The World Economic Forum has established that critical thinking skill is one of the critical skills for workforce 2020.
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Creativity
Although machines help you get the job done in a very efficient and fast manner, they are not creative. The creativity lies with the person that invented the machine. Businesses and companies hire employees who are creative and innovative. Every employer needs employees that can implement new ideas and think outside the box. It requires creativity to transform data into information. You need to give yourself time to think and observe things for you to improve on them. There is no way we can talk about important job skills for 2020 without mentioning creativity.
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People management
When you talk about the fortune 500 most valued skills, people management is certainly there. There is no business that can succeed without good people management. It is for such reason that it is among the top important job skills for the future. Just like every king need his knights, a business leader needs a great team to achieve his or her goal. Such success can only be achieved if the leader has good people management skills.
Also read: How to build a business system that will improve your productivity
No matter your position or profession, you will always need this important and essential skill for great things that cannot be achieved alone. To achieve great success, you need to manage your team as well as ensure harmony amongst them all.
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Coordinating with others
Yet again we have another social skill on this list. It goes to tell you about the importance of social skills in the coming future. It is evident that companies and businesses are putting more emphasis on strong interpersonal skills. Employees who communicate and relate very well with others stands a better chance.
Positive human interaction and collaboration in the workplace is one thing that still shows humans are better than robots. The importance of collaboration in any work environment cannot be overemphasized. According to the World Economic Forum, “such non-routine interaction is at the heart of the human advantage over the machine.” You cannot coordinate with others if you don’t have strong communication skills as well as an awareness of other people’s strengths and weaknesses. The ability to work with different personalities is also very essential.
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Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is all about your ability to manage and control your emotions as well as respond positively to the emotions of others. In order to achieve success, you will have to be in control of your mind. Your ability to master this skill is integral to your personal growth. Before you can be able to always respond positively to the emotions of others, you must be in total control of your own emotions.
Emotional intelligence is a very important leadership skill, little wonder it is on this list of important job skills for 2020.
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Judgment and decision making
The demand for this job skill will certainly not dwindle in the coming year. At the moment, no robot is capable of making judgments and decisions. To be clear, this skill is just about making judgments and decisions. It is about your ability to make correct and appropriate decisions. In order to master this skill, you will need to also master other skills like critical thinking, good observation ability, and creativity.
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Service orientation
It is all about seeking different ways to be of service to others. How well you are able to provide help to the people in your team will certainly determine the quality of your leadership. You need to master this skill otherwise you risk losing your team’s trust ad loyalty. A true leader helps his team to grow without leaving anyone behind. So, as we go into the year 2020, make up your mind to be service-oriented.
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Negotiation
The key determinant of a good negotiation skill is your ability to reach a desired agreement without any dispute or argument. Oftentimes, people fail to reach an agreement that they want to as a result of poor negotiation skills. Such people find it difficult to engage positively with people, so they always yield to what their opposing team will say.
To master the art of negotiation, you are required to have clarity of goal as well as proper presentation and discussion of ideas. You can also develop your negotiation skills through meetings and having conversations with people that are above your level.
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Cognitive flexibility
It simply means your ability to different people accordingly and without any problem erupting in the process. You might say it is almost like negotiation, yes I agree. Here, you will get o deal with individuals with different thought patterns and ideologies, emotions, opinions, etc. it is your ability to navigate positively and effectively through different systems of thought.
The question is- how can you flex your cognitive muscles in order to remain relevant in the coming year? Well, you need to learn new things as well as learn new ways of thinking. Expand your interest and read outside your comfort zone. You also need to start embracing people that challenge your worldviews.
Conclusion
So, you have seen them all and needless to say you already know what to do. Just like your jewels, your skills increase your value the more you possess it. In order to master these important job skills for 2020, you must work on them regularly. Today is still early to start improving and discovering yourself, especially as an employee.
