5 Practical and SMART Career Skills That Will Make Your Work and Home Life Easier

When you’re preparing yourself for a job it can be hard to know whether you’re on the right track and whether what you’re learning will prepare you for your future career.

If you’re looking to develop skills that will help you down the line, whatever career path you choose, then educating yourself in these 5 areas is the SMART way to go! 


Communication Skills

Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is one of the most important skills anyone can have in this life. Being able to express yourself clearly, and communicate with clarity will save you precious time by getting everyone on the same page.

Written communication skills are especially important. In today’s digital age, we often find ourselves communicating through emails or over social media. This can frequently lead to messages being easily misinterpreted.

The meaning of our messages can get lost in sloppy grammar and syntax. At the risk of sounding cliche, studying the art of communication teaches you how to effectively “communicate.” This skill that will make you invaluable in any workplace and to any employer. 

In fact, the quality of communication is proven to significantly affect the result of work and employees’ productivity levels. It is no surprise that a lot of well-known organizations among various industries invest in communication training for employees to promote optimal performance and eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings.

Such courses help staff heighten their awareness of workplace communication, gain stronger interpersonal skills, with the end result of becoming a more competent communicator overall.


Financial Knowledge

While you don’t have to understand the intricacies of the stock market or the details of a balance sheet and profit loss statement, being able to understand financial decisions and its impact is a crucial skill.

Understanding the economy’s effect on a business or a client will help you be able to draw logical conclusions and suggest an informed course of action. 

Luckily, you can attain financial literacy with online classes offered by courses.com.au or other MOOCs. There are plenty of free and paid courses you can take in finance such as accounting, financial planning, investing, and more.

These courses will not only help you gain a deeper understanding of the financial world and can give you a leg up with a certificate or accreditation that will allow you to pursue a meaningful career. 


Business Strategy

Whether you are managing a start-up or working at a large firm, it is important to be able to see the big picture and make decisions that will help you get closer to your goal.

That is where business strategy comes in. Research, critical thinking, and decision-making skills are essential in any industry. Having a proven track record of being a problem solver will help you be more competitive. This also involves gaining project and time management skills, two essential tenants of business strategy.


Marketing 

Sales can help solve many business problems. In order to increase your sales, you need to be able to market your product or service effectively. To be an effective marketer you need to understand people and to understand how to give them what they want before they even know they want it. 

These skills will help you immeasurably in both the job hunt and in being an indispensable employee. As a marketer, you’ll know how to create an eye-catching CV, an engaging cover letter and how to showcase all the skills you’ve got that would make you perfect for any given job.

Robert Pirosh, a former copywriter, has written what is widely considered one of the best cover letter written called I like words’. Studying the principles of advertising will help you learn how to market yourself as well as the product or service for your firm.


Technological Know-How

These days our ability to work more effectively and efficiently is more dependent on technology. Make sure you are technologically literate and can seamlessly use a range of basic IT programs.

As technology changes and develops you must make sure you’re keeping up to date with new programs that are becoming commonplace. With COVID, those who can use technology platforms such as Zoom, Google Teams, or other teleconferencing technology can give you an advantage, both personally and for business. Technology is constantly evolving and you have to be constantly on the ball in order to keep up!

There’s nothing wrong with learning for learning’s sake but if you’re looking to skill up – these important workplace skills are a great place to start! 

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