The world of work continually goes into a state of flux. There’s been a tremendous shift in the world of the international job market, and to thrive in this space, one is required to develop some set of varied soft skills graduate employers place so much priority on. Although this set of employability skills employers look for will vary across different career sectors, there are particular transferrable skills, knowledge and abilities employers generally look for in graduates to do the job.
Soft skills are in high demand as most hiring managers have them on the top list of the things they look out for in potential employees. According to a study from the assessment company of Wonderlic in 2016, over 90% of job employers insist that soft skills are critical and essential factors that they look out for in potential employees.
Some job employers insist that although tech skills are necessary, soft skills are as critical too, if not more. In the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey in 2015, employers ranked teamwork and leadership skills as the most valuable employability traits they look out for in new graduates before other skills like analytical and problem-solving skills.
Generally, these employability skills usually are valuable abilities and behaviours vital for working effectively in the international job market no matter what career sector you are in. Do you think you have these skills enough to impress recruiters during job applications and interviews to get hired? Do you even know these core employability skills? Not to worry, they are skills anyone can develop with the right amount of determination. Here are the top 7 (or more) skills you need for the international job market.
Top 12 Skills You Need for the International Job Market
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Cross-cultural communication skills
Every role in the international job market requires the ability to thrive in diversity because the job market comprises people from different backgrounds and countries. This skill deals with effective verbal and written communication at work and understanding the diversity in the interpretations of workplace confrontations to avoid misunderstandings. It also deals with the ability to communicate clearly and concisely and to be able to modify your message for the target audience as well as listening to the opinion of others.
Also, effective listening as part of communication skills is imperative to the international job market. It would help if you learned to listen to understand than listening to respond.
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Collaboration
This is the ability to build a network, take on responsibilities, delegate to others and develop a strong working relationship to accelerate the company success. It is the ability to work in a team, be open to learning and criticisms as well as giving without being aggressive. Leadership skill is required here, too, as you can be prompted to lead a team, delegate tasks among your team members and take on the responsibility to help everyone attain their business goals and objectives.
Also read: 10 Affordable Countries to Study in Europe
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Negotiation and Persuasiveness
This skill deals with understanding the needs of the audience and creating the means to provide them in a way that you can both gain what you want. It is the ability to influence others – to key into your values, by developing professional relationships and trust to eliminate hard sales.
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Technology
The world of technology also keeps going into a constant flux, and you need the ability to keep up with updates to enable you to manage your career effectively, brand yourself, build meaningful relationships essential for your career and set yourself apart in the job market.
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Emotional intelligence
With emotional intelligence, you are self-aware of your emotions, and you can work, collaborate and communicate better with colleagues and clients without having your emotions get in the way.
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Adaptive thinking
The ability to adapt quickly to changes and be spontaneous in your thinking to solve problems as well as take decisive actions, especially in times of uncertainty, is essential for the international job market. As with the other skills, you can develop adaptive thinking skills. You may wonder how. According to a Forbes article in 2015, the ability to control one’s impulse, curiosity and humility help to develop adaptive thinking skills.
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Resilience
To thrive in the international job market requires the ability to handle and cope with stress, changes and problems. You have to have the ability to develop mental toughness, overcome risks, maintain motivation and regain rapidly from difficulties.
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Time management
This skill deals with having the ability to maximise your time at work and deliver tasks and projects ahead of deadlines. This usually helps you gain your employer’s trust and portrays you as one who is reliable.
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Creativity and Innovation
Creativity is an essential skill for the international job market. It deals with the ability to turn your ideas into marketing tools to meet the needs of a variety of clients.
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Learnability
Learnability is a very critical skill for the job market. To thrive in a world where new skills originate rapidly, you would need to have the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn. The job market requires you to grow and expand one’s knowledge base so you can apply new skills and information to new situations.
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Empathy
This is the ability to see and understand things from another’s perspective. It allows you to establish to coworkers or clients that they are seen and heard even when there’s a disagreement. Having this skill also helps you to make the people that you work with feel like they matter. Also, it helps you to correct than criticise when the need calls for it.
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Analytical skills
This skill is usually evaluated using psychometric or aptitude tests. It deals with the ability to work with various kinds of information and draw critical conclusions from patterns and trends.
*Images by Free-Photos from Pixabay
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