The 5 most in-demand workplace skills to learn for 2021
The working world was flipped on its head by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll return to business as usual in 2021 (or ever!).
With swathes of people working from home and a complete change in the way that firms handle workflow and employee management, things are quite different than they were in the past. It will come as little surprise that amidst all of this upheaval, employers are looking for different skillsets than they might have done in the past.
Employees need different skillsets now, and as organisations rethink how we work, all of us need to find a way to fit into the fast-evolving modern workplace. With this in mind, it might be time to acquire some new skills and competencies – so we’ve listed some of the most in-demand for the coming year.
1. Coding
There are plenty of people who’ve thought about learning to code before, but 2021 might actually be the year when you need to get with it.
There are the obvious benefits of being able to programme (such as creating computer functions and being able to handle technical issues at work), but there are many other benefits to acquiring this skill.
HMTL, CSS, JavaScript, Python – the list goes on, but no matter which programming language you choose, you’ll position yourself at the front and centre of your employer’s future plans. Employees that can code are versatile, are more able to communicate effectively with technical colleagues, and have excellent logical thinking skills.
It might sound complex, but learning to code is a bona fide way to future-proof your career.
2. Marketing
Marketing is no longer the exclusive territory of advertising executives that occupy smoke-filled rooms, and it’s a skill that’s in high demand. From running a digital marketing campaign to managing social media accounts, the world is spending more time online and that has left businesses scrambling to improve their marketing capabilities.
If you want to set yourself apart from other job candidates, why not get involved with an online digital marketing certification, or even a crash course in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Remember, marketing skills could help you to sell yourself further up the promotional ladder or even to a new employer – so you could benefit personally too.
3. Languages
2020 might have seen us all confined to our homes, but the march of globalisation has continued on.
With the workplace shifting to an online environment, national borders are less relevant than ever for many businesses. This means that cross-border business is firmly on the agenda – and multi-lingual employees have become ever more essential.
Apps like Duolingo might give you the basics, but there’s no substitute for a properly organised language course that will leave you with a working business knowledge of Chinese, German, French, or any language that you can think of really.
Language barriers can easily be broken down, and in this case, learning a new skill could even see you travelling more and making new friends.
4. Business writing
Another knock-on effect of home working has been a decline in the oversight of senior staff members. Whilst this isn’t necessarily unwelcome, it has left more junior members of staff with a far greater degree of responsibility than might otherwise have been the case.
One important skill for any employee is business writing. At a time when you might find yourself writing to clients or dealing with other third parties in a commercial capacity, it’s arguably more important than ever to express your thoughts and concerns effectively.
Good writing can inspire confidence in a business, establishing credibility and trustworthiness. The same goes for employees who know how to write well, so why not use this coming year to improve your written communication skills.
5. Data literacy
It wasn’t all that long ago that people would include phrases such as ‘proficient with Microsoft Windows and word processing software’ on CVs. Now, those skills are taken as a given – and data literacy is the new computer literacy.
Defined as the ability to read, write and communicate data from a variety of sources, data literacy has become ever more important as 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are now created every day. To put that into context – that’s the equivalent of over 1.5 billion HD movie files.
It’s clear that interpreting data is a business-critical activity, and if you can do it, you could become a very valuable employee indeed.
How to acquire new skills in 2021
Although there are a great deal of free courses available online, the very best educational content sits behind paywalls on sites like Udemy and Skillshare. If you want to take advantage of these, you’ll need to pay up – and that isn’t always easy to do when there’s no immediate financial benefit on completion of a course.
One way to invest in your future is to take out a personal loan to cover the costs of a skills course. If you’re not sure you qualify, online credit broker Little Loans provides a QuickCheck loan eligibility tool to help you find out if you’re eligible for a short-term loan. By choosing an amount and repayment term that suit you, it’s easy to get the money you need in a flexible and convenient way.
All in all, 2021 could be the year that you get that promotion, find a new job, or just learn a new skill for yourself. Either way, the internet and online lenders have made it easier than ever to put yourself ahead of the game – so why not boost your career this coming year?
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