In today's competitive work environment, every organization wants to hire people based on five attributes - education qualifications, work experience, personal and professional skills, attitude
and adaptability. While education qualifications and work experience may help you get through the door, the other three criteria stand as deciding factors during your probation period.
One hiring criterion that's gaining more and more importance with every passing day is the presence
of personal and professional skills. Together, they can also be termed as life skills, for they are not only good for an individual's personal growth but also professional. It includes certain general skills that a person possesses which can benefit the organization in the long run.
These skills are based on your cognitive abilities, communication and even professional management. Having these skills could get you noticed by the higher-ups and help you become
a great asset to your company. Read on to know about some important life skills that would help
you become the ideal candidate for every corporate firm. The Ability to Think Critically
In every organization, you'll find two kinds of employees, the hardworking ones and the smart
working ones. The hardworking employees often follow the instructions provided to them and choose the same old-time consuming ways to finish their work, while the latter will take up some time to think critically and map out the best possible ways to complete their task. The ability to think critically and plan every task is extremely important in every professional environment as it helps deliver good quality in a short period of time.
Collaboration and Team Building Skills
Being independent at work is great, but remember that every task requires a certain level of expertise. Just like you can't run your home all by yourself, you can't deliver the best quality work for every task all by yourself. That's why it's important to know how to work in collaboration with a partner or a team. When working in a team, you should be aware of everyone's strengths and weaknesses and allocate work accordingly. Team building and collaboration ensures a balanced working environment and maximum efficiency.
Source: Career Addict
Leadership Qualities
Some say that leadership skills come naturally to a person, while some believe that they can be
developed over a period of time. Well, every person has the ability to become a leader if he or she wishes to. All you need to do is have faith in yourself, understand the project assigned to
you perfectly, create the best team for the same and guide them through. Having good leadership skills will not help you climb up your career ladder at a fast pace but also enable you to inspire and motivate the ones learning from you.
Managing Your Time Effectively
Time management is an important skill in every aspect of life. Allotting the right deadlines to
every task and planning your day right helps you be productive throughout the day and avoid any
delays. In order to manage your time in the most effective manner, maintain a planner and set
time limits against every task based on their nature. Ensure that you don't commit to tasks that you wouldn't be able to finish in a given time period. This will not only affect your current tasks but also hamper the quality of work.
Source: Harvard Business School Online Creative Innovations
Employers today are looking for people who can add value to their job profiles. They don't just want people to blindly follow what's been told to them, but rather those who suggest innovations in the operational, management, or the creative domain that can ensure a seamless working structure. Creativity and innovation are primary skills required in fashion design and marketing. Top-Notch Communication Skills
The right communication is key in getting every task done efficiently. And when it comes to communication, your verbal and written skills, both of them matter. In a presentation or a meeting, when you voice your opinions fearlessly and in a confident manner, it immediately adds more weightage to your ideas. Similarly, when you write a winning pitch for your firm or send well-worded emails to your clients, you represent your company in an honorable way. Being Presentable, Always
Dressing up sharply for your office enables you to create a good impression on everyone around you. Having a sense of fashion and styling can definitely be a bonus point as you'd always be prepared for unexpected meetings or client visits. In recent times, the need to dress fashionably at work is on the rise. Most employers highly encourage this skill and even offer self-grooming courses to their employees. This is because as an employee, you don't just represent yourself in a public or office space, you represent your company. This skill is very valuable especially in the fashion design and marketing industry.
Problem Solving Abilities
Everyone has their own ways of solving day to day problems at work. While some solutions could help optimize your work efficiently, others could even backfire and cause heavy losses to your firm. It is important to be a good decision maker and an innovative problem solver in order to succeed as a professional. To make the right decision, ensure to conduct thorough research on the situation you are facing, list down the pros and cons of your decision, weigh all your options and then finally go for the most appropriate one.
Source: The Uncommon League Ability to Accept Constructive Criticism
Most employees often tend to take feedback or criticism in a negative way. This leads to unhealthy work relationships and hampers the growth of the employee as he or she is not willing to reflect and improve. To prevent this from happening, it is essential to keep an open mind and take feedback in a positive way. Try to learn from the criticism you receive rather than feeling demotivated. This will help you get better at work and keep the work environment positive and friendly. As an employee, you'll have a long journey of learning and unlearning certain skills and techniques. There will be many challenges in your way that would require your detailed expertise. However, with these life skills by your side, you'll always remain on the bright side of your career. While they won't guarantee you immediate success, they will serve as your guiding lights towards a successful career.