The year 2023 is an interesting year for the job market, considering the evolving work environment and the growing demand for hybrid work setups. As hirers and employees transition to their most optimal work arrangement, this likewise requires candidates to upgrade their skills to stay competitive in the coming year.
With this, the leading online job platform JobStreet by SEEK shares skills that will enable candidates to become future-ready, seek better opportunities, and put themselves at an advantage over other talents.
Digital literacy is critical
Hirers are more likely to look for jobseekers who are able to use and work with digital tools and devices. Therefore, candidates are encouraged to upgrade their digital skills since they are an integral part of business operations. Gaining essential digital skills opens a lot of opportunities. You can improve this by taking free digital courses, increasing your online presence, learning emerging digital platforms, and staying updated on tech trends, among others.
Adaptability is key
As businesses adjust to the changes brought by the pandemic, employees are also expected to become more adaptable, which allows them to efficiently embrace and deal with different situations at work.
According to JobStreet, hirers value candidates who are able to adapt to changes in processes and operations, modify plans when necessary, learn new tools and technologies, and welcome new roles and responsibilities.
“The world is so unpredictable, we learned that very well with the recent global pandemic that took us all by surprise. As industries evolve, it matters not who is the most skilled in the field, but more so, who can adapt quickly,” said JobStreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca, “since trends and demands from different careers change over time, candidates who are in for the challenge and can pivot immediately have a great advantage.”
Refresh your interpersonal skills
The pandemic has impacted our social life, keeping us away from our friends and colleagues. With hybrid work becoming a trend among industries, jobseekers are encouraged to strengthen their interpersonal skills. This helps create meaningful and strong working relationships among colleagues as well as improves the productivity and morale of the entire team.
JobStreet advises candidates to start by embracing team assignments or projects, being active listeners with seniors and colleagues, and having empathy and support in every way possible to help them grow.
Multi-task efficiently
More often than not, performing several tasks simultaneously and successfully is a valuable skill sought by hirers. However, mastering how to multitask can be tricky when done the wrong way, especially for people who find it difficult to work in between tasks.
The coming year is an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and enhance skills like multitasking. To practice this effectively, JobStreet suggests jobseekers to list down the tasks, identify the most urgent items, and focus on what’s most important at a time while keeping track of other tasks. Remember to not do multiple challenging tasks at once as it may lead to not accomplishing anything at all.
Master time management
Time management is also a major skill that contributes to productivity and is desired by many employers. Especially for a hybrid work setup, companies are looking for candidates who can efficiently manage their tasks and deliver quality work according to timelines. It helps to create your plan and organize your tasks for the day, and do not forget to give yourself scheduled breaks to minimize stress and fatigue.
“With hybrid working becoming normalized, we are expecting more hirers to look for talents who already have and are open to learning both hard and soft skills that are relevant to their industry. We hope to inspire more candidates to seek better opportunities by also acquiring new knowledge and improving their skill set,” shared JobStreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca.