5 New Jobs Skills Employers Are Looking for in 2016

Adapted from Sam Becker Article, April 2016

Discussing skills during a job interview | Chris Hondros

In a rapidly changing world economy, it’s a question that’s consistently at the top of everyone’s mind: what job

skills do I need, and which will get me a job? Hunting for a job requires not only a specific set of strategies and

techniques, but also a strong sense of confidence in your abilities. But it’s those abilities – which abilities,

specifically – that hang up a lot of jobseekers.

We’ve dug into this very topic before, and provided some insight into which skills will get you hired. As the

economy is constantly shifting and evolving, and churning undercurrents of consumer behavior call for different

types of workers creating and supplying different products and services, it can be really difficult to know what

employers want. We’re here to be a compass of sorts, and outline a handful of skills that employers are really

scouring the labor market for in 2016, which should give you a leg-up in your job search.

While there will always be a need (until the robot takeover for menial, low-wage work, if you’re truly looking to

give your career a shot in the arm, you’re going to need to put in some time on the side. Investing in yourself by

learning new skills can lead you to new, unanticipated opportunities, and ultimately put a lot more money in your

pocket. If you want to get serious about improving your earnings potential, this is the place to start.

So, what are employers looking for, and what skills do you need to make yourself an attractive candidate?

Social skills

Social skills at work with co-workers

As we covered a little while back, social skills are becoming increasingly important in more and more

organizations. At one time, this set of skills was overlooked – even seen as a hindrance to productivity. But as

time marches on, managers and team leaders are recognizing the importance of social skills, and how they can

shape a workplace.

The main reason? Human interaction is hard to automate, and almost impossible for a computer to mimic.

As automation kicks in, and social connections become more scarce, they’ll naturally increase in value. Being

able to show what you stand for and articulating your personal story in a way that connects with others and the

organisations you may want to work for is going to be critical.

This starts with being clear about your long-term ambitions and the sort of work you are passionate about. This

passion may grow out of curiosity or a genuine desire to learn or apply skills and below is some thinking that

may help you navigate future choices.

Industry-related programs

If you know what specific job or industry you’re gunning for, then you’re going to want to have a tool chest full of

skills tailored for it. And in a world in which knowledge and software skills are as important as ever, figuring out

which programs and skills you’ll need is paramount to getting hired. Knowing these programs intimately will give

you a big leg-up during the hiring process.

Development

Google software developers | Stephen Brashear

These days, the word “developer” means so much more than someone who builds condos. And developers of

all stripes are in high demand. In our case, we’re referring specifically to software and web developers, both of

which possess skill sets that are highly sought-after by many big, flourishing companies. If this is a career track

you’re interested in pursuing, go back to the previous item on our list, and figure out which software programs

you need to be well-versed in to start getting successful interviews behind you.

Design

Software designer | Farooq Naeem/AFP

In the same way that developers are a hot commodity, so are designers. Designers possibly come in more

stripes than developers, as there are graphic designers, software designers, game designers – hell, even

fashion companies and automotive manufacturers need designers. Needless to say, the world needs designers.

If you want to get specific, the world needs web designers, and algorithm designers. These are skills that will

not only land you a job, but likely a pretty high salary.

Information security

Information security sign | Ethan Miller

We don’t often go a week or so without hearing about some giant data breach, which typically puts the personal

information for millions of people at risk. It’s happened to big corporations like Target, and it’s even happened to

government agencies. Because data is so valuable – and because so many people are out there trying to steal

it – information security is something that every organization is quickly trying to beef up. That means there’s a

need for information security professionals, leaving an opportunity to learn the skills and get hired.