Universal ‘Must Have’ Skill Sets

There are skill sets that carry through to virtually all professions. These skills are important to continue to hone throughout your career life. They will make you more marketable and help you stand out among the rest. Here are “must have” skill sets that you should make sure are on your resume:

• Technology – obviously high level skills in word processing (e.g., Word), quantitative (e.g., Excel) and presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint) as well as image editing (e.g., Photoshop); you should also have skills in areas relevant to your career field (e.g, Reuters & Bloomberg for Finance; QuickBooks for Accounting; Social Media platforms for Communications and Journalism, etc.)
• Supervision – you should have some experience in supervising others — if not on your internship or job, consider your experiences in clubs or other leadership activities.
• Change Management – the ability to handle change in the workplace whether it be a merger or a change in systems–technical or organizational since every work situation requires adaptability.
• Assessment and Research – nowadays in order to prove that what you are doing is effective, you need to be able to assess it. These skills are critical to demonstrate your ability to meet the needs of your clients/customers and your concern about cost/benefit analysis for your employer.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills – soft-skills are important in the workplace and your ability to demonstrate them is critical both in your resume and interview. Consider the places where you could improve these skills workshops, trainings, clubs.
• Career Management Skills – your ongoing connection and involvement in professional organizations and commitment to your profession is essential to exhibit especially for early career professionals.