Popular Hard Skills This Year
In today’s world, most people are not staying at their first place of employment long. In fact, according to Go Remotely, people are changing careers 5-7 times. There are two big reasons why people pursue a career or job change.
- Salary – Almost all job changes are because of a want for increased salary.
- Flexibility – More and more employees want flexibility so that they can be in control of their time.
If you’re thinking about switching careers, LinkedIn has discovered what are the top 10 most in-demand hard skills right now. You can see our detailed explanation of the 1st five here. Below are the remaining five that round out the top 10.
1. Business Analysis
Business analysis or an analyst is someone who looks at how a company operates. This person then comes up with solutions or ideas on how to improve practices and processes. A business analyst is someone who understands business and technology. This person is a go-between for many companies.
Technology is never going away. In fact, understanding how technology can improve a business’s bottom line is a highly desired skill. This is why learning how to become a business analyst is a top skill employers are looking for.
What are traits that come naturally to a business analyst?
- Interpersonal communications
- Leadership and management
- Problem-solving
- Analytical reasoning
- Project Management
If these traits come naturally to you, you may want to consider a career change as a business analyst.
💡We recommend the e-course “Business Analysis Foundations” to help you learn more about what it takes to become a business analyst.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing has seen a huge boom lately. If you’ve ever seen someone offer a personalized code for a discount – that is affiliate marketing. In fact, most links that you click on are some form of affiliate marketing.
Part of the reason that affiliate marketing has become so important is that it is low-risk for advertisers. Instead of paying for advertising, the advertiser only pays if someone actually clicks or clicks and purchases their product or service. Understanding how affiliate marketing works as well as what makes a great affiliate partner will help you become a more valuable marketer.
There are companies devoted to creating affiliate links for bloggers and influencers. Almost every single large retailer now has an affiliate program. Amazon and Etsy have dominated the affiliate marketing landscape.
Of course, affiliate marketing can have a negative connotation. It is important to understand that while the concept of affiliate marketing is easy to understand, implementing and gaining from this type of marketing still takes strategy.
💡We recommend the e-course “Affiliate Marketing Foundations” to help you learn the basics of affiliate marketing.
3. Sales
Sales has been around for centuries and is a skill that will never go away. The reason is that without sales, most companies aren’t able to cover their overhead as they are critical for lead generation.
Though the way sales is approached may change, at the core – communication is how sales professionals succeed.
Interpersonal communication is the absolute key to sales.
There are a few ways that you can use interpersonal communications to help you achieve sales success.
- Networking – authentic networking will help you close a sales deal. People want to feel like you actually care about them.
- Listening – when you really listen to what someone else is saying, you are showing that you care and are invested in them.
- Connection – having a connection that is not self-serving will help you reach your sales goals.
💡We recommend the e-course “Sales Fundamentals” to help you learn the processes of sales.
4. Scientific Computing
If math and problem solving come naturally to you, then scientific computing may be an excellent new career choice. Similar to business analysis, scientific computing examines processes and numerical algorithms. According to the Bureau of Labor, scientific computing is expected to grow in demand by 15% over the next 10 years. Every single app uses an algorithm. Everything from what you see in your Instagram feed to what ads pop up when you are surfing the web.
Scientific computing is a field that will continually be in demand as more and more of our lives become digitally driven.
💡We recommend the e-course “Programming Foundations: Algorithms” to help you learn the basics of algorithms.
5. Video Production
Videos are an integral part of almost every company. Even social media apps prefer that users and businesses use video and give preferential treatment to videos.
There are several careers within video production:
- Video Editor
- Video Producer
- Post Production Supervisor
- Videographer
- Script Supervisor
Depending on the scale of the production, there are niche careers in lighting, makeup, hair, and more!
And Los Angeles isn’t the only place where these careers are taking off. Many companies across the country are creating their own in-house production teams. There are also advertising agencies that are offering video production as part of their marketing packages.
Video is everywhere. More and more companies are recognizing how valuable a video can be as well as how important having a strong video production is.
💡We recommend the e-course “Learning Video Production and Editing” to help you learn more about this fascinating career.
In the end, if you are looking to change your career, it is important that you look for careers that are growing in demand. Lean into the strengths you already have. And remember that strong communication skills are valuable for any career you choose.
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