It is no secret that those who are willing to learn new things and develop their skills in the workplace are the ones who tend to progress more than those who don’t. With there being over a whopping 50,000 professional skills out there for anyone to learn, it seems silly to stop in your tracks and refuse to get a taste of something new, doesn’t it? No matter what your age or occupation is, there is always room for more knowledge! We understand that with over 50,000 skills available to learn (according to LinkedIn data), the whole attitude surrounding it can be pretty overwhelming. Due to this, we’ve created a simple guide full of skills that most digital companies are going to need. All skills mentioned will bring their own unique benefits, and whether one employee acquires them or the whole team does, the results will be sure to pay off. We promise.
Soft skills
Soft skills are the ones which cant typically be automated by a computer at some point in the future. This is excellent, as it means that they’ll always be in demand and there is no risk of wasting your time learning something that a robot will soon be able to do better. Some may say that learning soft skills is a tedious task, but as you can see, they’ll benefit you for years to come. 57% of business leaders say that soft skills are important, and the following are the most favoured among digital companies:
Time management
Time management is a skill which every employee should acquire. Pretty much every job under the sun will involve hitting deadlines, and if an employee fails to meet these, they’ll risk damaging their companies reputation and their own job stability. As time management is so important, there are plenty of time management courses available for you to get your hands on. Ironically, find some time to master these courses and you’ll never work an unproductive hour again.
Creativity
The digital world evolves on a daily basis, meaning companies need to think in the future. What trends will take leads? What content will your audience consume in a months time? The only way to solve these questions is with a creative mind. Robots won’t be able to predict future trends; they’re only programmed to do things we already know. All digital companies need creative minds who will keep things moving one step ahead. Stefan Mumaw’s Creativity Bootcamp is the perfect course for those looking to expand their creative side. This hands-on course is a mix of both fun and innovative, perfect for anyone who is interested. It’s recommended to take a course on creativity in order to give your company a unique flare, and it really can’t be ignored in the digital industry.
Collaboration
As cliche as it may sound, teamwork really does make the dream work. While some tasks only require an individual, many in the digital industry need multiple brains to get the ball rolling. Collaborating on ideas helps to create a bigger, brighter, and more effective strategy. In order to keep up with technological advancements, collaboration is the secret weapon which every company needs. From utilising collaboration tools such as Slack to heading off on team building days, there are many ways to stay collaborated.
Persuasion
You only have to sit in on one prospect meeting to understand that the sales team have the master of persuasion down to a tee. However, if there has recently been a new joiner or you feel that your team could be selling your amazing products/services better, why not head off on a persuasion course? Companies won’t progress very far without persuading others to invest, so courses like Advanced Consumer Behaviour will be sure to give a nudge in the right direction.
Hard skills
Hard skills take far more time and passion to learn, but all digital companies will need employees with these specific talents to succeed. Not only are the following hard skills beneficial in the present, but it’s likely that they’ll help with job searches in the future, too. More and more companies are looking for individuals with a specific set of skills, and the following will be sure to get called out:
Digital marketing
As a digital marketing agency, you may think we’re biased for including this, but digital marketing is actually an extremely important skill to have in this day and age. If you want your online business found, then a PPC or Ecommerce SEO strategy is needed in order to achieve desired results. If you don’t have digital marketing skills in-house, outsourcing to an agency isn’t a problem (wink wink). However, it’s always good to know the basics, and using courses like Google Digital Garage and SEMrush Academy will help you learn just that.
Graphic design
Content marketing is made up of many different factors. However, it’s always worth having a team of skilled designers onboard, especially as the need for high-quality, interactive content is more imperative than ever. With a bit of experience needed for tools like illustrator and photoshop, it’s worth taking a course to understand all the hidden secrets and techniques out there for designers. There are plenty of graphic design courses available online, so find one suited to the skill you’d like to learn and get designing!
Video production
Video has become one of the world’s most dominant communication channels, and its popularity continues to rise each year. Due to this, businesses need to jump on board the video wagon to engage their target audience. Video trends are always evolving, and it’s better to learn video production now rather than try to pick up the pieces later. Web series are a popular, effective, and fun option if you are looking to start creating videos. The incredible course ‘boost your brand with a video web series’ will provide you with tips and tricks to help start and keep your series going.
Final notes
The skills mentioned in this guide are some of the most in-demand at this moment in time. Having a strong skill set will make your company distinguishable, and provide you with a competitive edge worth bragging about.