We all need some skills if we want to grow in our personal and professional lives. Sometimes, having some of these personal skills helps our professional life and vice versa. Let’s look at the six skills you should have before you begin your job hunt.
6 Skills for Personal and Professional Growth
1. Time management
You could be the best at your job, and it would amount to nothing if you don’t do it on time. It’s critical to improve your time management skill. In the same way, you shouldn’t make someone wait after agreeing to meet at a particular time, you also need to finish your projects at the given date. Your productivity level also improves significantly once you learn to use your time well.
You can take productivity classes for this. Productivity apps, or asking a trusted friend to hold you accountable also helps. Planners are another way people improve this skill by time blocking.
2. Improve your communication skills
The crux of anything in a professional environment comes down to your communication skills. These skills can get you a job, save you from terrible misunderstandings with a client over email and help you with time management as you communicate effectively.
There are all kinds of communication workshops you can join. Online classes are also just as good of an option. You can read books and articles for that matter. Find out your weakest communication type and go from there. Make a conscious decision to note down how you communicate.
3. The energy to learn
A willingness to learn, in itself, is a key skill. Besides communication and time management, think about areas in your job you can improve upon. Would your job benefit if you took this one online course? Do it. Get in this mindset that you need to keep learning. Listen to podcasts, read books related to your industry, and learn about new tools and technology. You need to stay on top of the current trends.
Not only would your company benefit from it, but your career will also.
4. Amplify your emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the skill pertaining to perception and a deep understanding of feelings. Not only are you acutely aware of your own emotions, but you are also good at guessing others’ feelings and how they are likely to react to certain things.
In a way, it is a part of communication skills. You quickly build a rapport with your employer and colleagues when you better understand the reason behind their actions. Emotional intelligence also saves you from falling into the trap of going with the flow. Because you know your emotions, you are unlikely to do things bad for yourself.
5. Improve your writing skills
Again, this might be a part of communication skills in some way. However, in the present-day social media environment, it’s essential to know what to post online. It’s even better if you know what not to post online.
A clear but humorous writing style can quickly make you liked in your professional network. If your in-person communication skills aren’t the best, your writing skills can save you a lot. You have already formed a good impression on others through it.
6. Better your networking skills
Your networking skills can open the opportunity for new jobs, higher positions, or new businesses. When you connect with people in your industry, making them aware of your existence can help you in the long run. To network, you can workshops, online forums, and attend conferences. These days, platforms like LinkedIn also allow you to connect with people in different industries you wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to know otherwise.
Final Thoughts
These are skills you want to keep improving no matter what phase of life you are in. Even if you aren’t actively pursuing a professional career anymore, these skills can help you in your personal life. So, keep on reading those books and taking those fun courses.
About the Author
Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development, marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to joining BCJobs.ca, Simon was an advisor for several global blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. In the past, he also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space through SM Digital—a global marketing agency.
