Best Professional Skills to Advance Your Career

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Knowing which professional skills are most important for your career takes a bit of research, time, and patience. You may already possess dozens of skills but wonder how valuable they are to employers today. Before you update your resume or make plans to enhance your skillset, learn more in this article about the best professional skills that will advance your career.

What are professional skills?

Professional skills are those that help you achieve success in the workplace. They are a good indication of your overall abilities and determine your way of thinking. Professional skills develop over the years as you go through school and work in other settings. The most beneficial professional skills are often the soft or interpersonal skills that you’ve developed throughout your career.

Best professional skills to advance your career

Before you apply for another job, consider these professional skills employers want to see on a resume.

Communication

Knowing how to communicate well in a variety of situations helps you work more efficiently and confidently. How you speak, act, and write says a lot about your character. There are many forms of communication in the workplace, including face-to-face, phone, and email messages, that necessitate excellent communication skills.

Creativity

Companies value creative employees because they find unique solutions to the problems they face. Creative employees are curious about the way things work and develop new ideas. Creative thinking is an important skill because it provides a fresh perspective to an obstacle that may have seemed challenging at first. Brainstorming is a great way to generate ideas and encourages others to voice their opinions.

Problem-solving

Having great problem-solving skills means you know how to analyze the data surrounding a problem and then find the best solutions. This professional skill is similar to creativity because it taps into your ability to see things in a new way. Being a good problem solver helps you work through challenges, define issues, share thoughts and make important decisions.

Public speaking

Not all careers require professionals to give presentations, but many require you to communicate your thoughts openly to a group of people during a meeting or brainstorming session. Knowing how to speak clearly and confidently to others takes time and focus. The more you do it, the more you become comfortable with it.

Teamwork

Professionals often work together in groups to complete team projects and achieve company goals. Most employers will value your ability to collaborate well with coworkers and clients. When you have strong interpersonal skills, you get along with others well and know how to communicate effectively. When problems arise, your ability to navigate any issues takes the pressure off the managers overseeing the group efforts.

Empathy

Being able to empathize with your coworkers’ thoughts and feelings helps others trust you and value your input. Communicating with others in a genuine, authentic way shows them that you’re not out to discredit someone’s views when you disagree. You’re simply expressing your opinion, and you encourage others to do the same.

Leadership

Leaders make great managers because they know how to delegate tasks and contribute to the workload when needed. Having strong leadership skills shows that you regularly take the initiative on projects and prioritize tasks efficiently to get the work done. Companies that are limited on time and resources value leaders because they set goals, remain calm under pressure, and make important decisions when needed. They generally require minimal supervision and can be trusted to meet deadlines.

Negotiation

Business deals require many things, but the most common of these are negotiation skills. Knowing how to persuade someone to make a purchase is an important skill to refine during your career. There will be times when you need to negotiate your salary, contract, project goals, client deals, and other scenarios to help you achieve success. Your level of expertise will increase with time and experience.

Learning agility

Technological advancements require professionals to learn the latest technique or method of doing business, so having the ability to adapt and grow your skills is important. Many professionals are having to relearn ways of doing things because they’re more effective than the outdated methods they were taught in school. Being willing to learn from experience and apply that learning in new situations provides valuable insight into overcoming business challenges.

Time management

When employers hire personnel who meet company deadlines and manage their time wisely, the employer, in turn, saves money. Knowing how to manage your time while at work produces positive results in the form of project completion, promotions, respect, and praise.

Flexibility

Being willing and able to adapt to your surroundings at work is a valuable professional skill. Whether it’s adjusting your workflow, understanding different perspectives, or reworking project goals, your flexibility helps businesses thrive. When employers see that you’re willing to accommodate change, they may provide you with more opportunities for growth.

How to list professional skills on a resume

Follow these tips for including professional skills on a resume.

1. First, think of your most relevant skills as keywords

These keywords may be listed in your cover, letter, resume’s qualifications summary, and further down in your work history descriptions. Recruiters often use special software that picks up the keywords they’re searching for, so if you’ve included these key skills in several places, your application is more likely to get noticed.

2. Second, include both soft and hard skills

It’s important to include a healthy balance of skills related to the particular job position to show the recruiter that you’re well-rounded and qualified for the job. Besides your professional soft skills, also known as interpersonal skills, add the pertinent technical skills, or hard skills, that you learned in college and on the job to demonstrate your level of experience.

3. Last, consider organizing your skills into categories

You may choose to list your soft skills and technical skills in a specific format that calls attention to them better. Some professionals use templates with catchy designs and bar graphs that show a visual representation of expertise.

How to improve professional skills

Here are some ways to improve your professional skills quickly.

1. First, be assertive

You need to get out of your comfort zone if you intend to learn and develop new skills. It may be uncomfortable at first, but the results will be rewarding. Offer to take on a challenging project at work or help with a new task that may take longer to complete at first. The important thing is to learn so you’re more efficient the next time around.

2. Second, get training

Sign up for professional workshops and courses designed to enhance your skill set. Volunteer for demonstrations that immerse you in situations you’re unfamiliar with. Read books on developing professional skills. The possibilities for growth are endless.

3. Last, consider hiring a mentor or life coach

People who have become successful themselves or have dedicated their careers to helping others are great resources for personal growth. Plus, they can follow your progress and guide you in the right direction.

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