By Morgan Smith, CNBC
The Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout has made questions about our
lives and work feel even more pressing: Is this my dream job? What kind of
career do I want? Do I even have the right skills to succeed in this
constantly changing environment?
Earlier this summer the economy showed promising signs of growth,
however, the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant
threatens to slow the fragile
recovery. As a result, workers continue to be anxious about losing their job
and finding new opportunities. A new report from Edelman found that 78% of
workers worry about losing their job due to a lack of training or job
skills.
In August, Monster polled workers throughout the United States to
determine which skills workers felt they needed the most to bolster their
resume. About 86% of respondents said their professional growth has stalled
due to the pandemic.
Training in technology skills such as coding,
AI and machine learning topped the list, with computer skills such as
Microsoft Excel, Word and Google Analytics coming in a close second.
Occupation specific-training such as credentialing and licenses ranked third
for the most-needed hard skills training among workers.
"People
are gravitating to these skills because these fields carry less risk, and are
generally very popular and stable to build a long-term career off of, which
people want after all the risk and ambiguity that's happened in this pandemic
job market," Joshua Daniel, a career coach and senior consultant at Korn
Ferry, tells CNBC Make It. "Tech and
computer skills are also a very easy differentiator on a resume."
Workers also have a strong, shared desire to improve their "soft
skills," interpersonal skills that focus on communication, leadership and
teamwork. Managerial leadership, communication and problem solving/critical
thinking ranked as the most in-demand soft skills among workers, according to
Monster's poll.
"These skills are timeless and always in demand
among hiring managers," Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, says. "If
anything, it's a skill that's going to be more in demand, because during this
pandemic, people have become more empathetic toward each other, we're
experiencing this collective trauma and, in turn, our work and personal lives
blend … companies are looking for someone who understands that, who possesses
the empathy, communication and leadership skills to navigate that challenge."
Daniel adds that it's important to master both these hard and soft
skills as they tend to overlap in a remote work environment. "We're all
communicating through technology, so the question becomes, 'How can I be a
leader in this virtual work environment, using my computer skills?' Daniel
says. "Working from home requires leaders to stay agile and incorporate new
technology into their practices to maintain performance."
Workers
eager to update their resumes should
first approach their boss or a mentor about internal training opportunities,
Salemi suggests. "Tell them: 'I'm looking to improve on these specific skills,
what would be the most beneficial program to tap into? What resources do you
recommend?'" she says. "Other helpful questions include 'Where do you think
our industry is heading in three, or five years from now?' and 'What's the one
skill you would identify for me to really further my career?'"
Other resources Salemi and Daniel recommend include free courses
on YouTube, TED Talks or industry-specific organizations that offer free
virtual lectures and workshops. Workers can also identify which skills to
focus on by reviewing a company's core values on their website and checking
out the LinkedIn profiles of colleagues in similar or interesting jobs.
Even spending 20 minutes once a week can help workers narrow their
skills gap, Salemi says. "Sometimes it helps to create your syllabus, or block
out time in your calendar, to identify your skills gap and sharpen your
expertise," she adds. "Learning can inspire us at work when we're in a rut and
can really help us advance in our careers."
Mastering technical
skills may help job seekers secure an interview, but Daniel says one special
skill will really help a candidate stand out from the rest. "In this remote
environment, hiring managers really want to see your learning agility and
adaptability," he explains. "Managers want to know, 'How do you stay engaged
with your team remotely?' and 'How quickly can you get up to speed [on our
work]?' … the people who are most adaptable are going to be the most
successful in today's job market."
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