Post-COVID: 3 key skills employers are looking for in professionals
As we are all sitting at home in the midst of a lockdown, we can not help but wonder what a post-COVID world would look like. It is clear that this pandemic has the power to completely transform the way we look at almost every aspect of our lives, including our professional careers.
It’s a no-brainer that in the changed scenario, the expectations of employers would also change. The pandemic has brought a wide range of possibilities to the surface and employers are now looking for people who can fill in these need-gaps and meet the requirements of a post-COVID professional world.
The good news, however, is that we have enough time to make ourselves suitable for these new roles and responsibilities. Working from home saves our commute time and this time can productively be invested in upskilling ourselves and polishing ourselves to be suitable candidates for post-COVID employment.
But what are these skills and how would they be relevant? Let’s discuss.
Data Science and Machine Learning
If you are in the field of Science, Data Science is an excellent skill to have in the post-COVID world. In fact, anyone with an interest in data science can learn and practice it.
This science has already proved to be extremely useful for tracking and tracing COVID cases all across the globe and forming clusters to provide updated information to healthcare professionals and others working on tackling the outbreak.
With organisations already looking at plans to consider a robust working mechanism, which involves minimal office space and more elaborate and structured online working mechanisms, the focus on Machine Learning is bound to go up.
Management Skills
Considering the remote working culture that is prevalent (and is likely to be for a long time), organisations require managers that can manage remote teams efficiently. This requires excellent communication and management skills.
The post-COVID world would expect managers to be able to communicate with their teams effectively and ensure their productivity even as they work remotely. This is obviously an added responsibility on the shoulders of the managers.
Professionals with strong leadership skills and an ability to bring out the best in their teams by encouraging collaboration will be in demand.
Multitasking
As the competition is getting fiercer and companies are willing to operate on a lighter work-force, it would become a necessity for professionals to multitask. This would mean that no matter what your core field of expertise is, you would be required to take up diverse roles and functions.
Needless to say, those professions that have a diverse skill set will be given preference over those who are able to serve a singular function.
This is the time when you can recognise our shortcomings and upskill ourselves to meet the requirements of the post-COVID world. By adding diverse skills to your arsenal, you can strengthen your competencies in the areas that will be relevant as we get past the turbulence. This includes understanding and identifying the domains in which businesses will heavily invest in the near future.
An effective way to do so is by taking up online courses. Pearson Professional Program offers an extensive range of executive courses that are designed to provide you with the perfect platform to upskill yourself as a professional and be relevant.