Don't wait until you're at risk of being unemployed before you decide to upskill. Begin by setting SMART professional development goals. While working, you can upskill through various sources, such as requesting your employer to give you access to stretch opportunities on projects at work, staying in-the-know with industry news through reading business publications, listening to podcasts, and even joining industry membership associations. These membership bodies often host seminars, conferences, events, and a plethora of on-demand resources, while exposing you to a valuable network of connections you can avail yourself of in the future for more opportunities to further your career.
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# 15 In-Demand Skills Every Professional Needs In Today’s Job Market

Rachel Wells
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Rachel Wells is a writer who covers freelancing, AI, and remote work.

Oct 27, 2023,08:19am EDT

Updated Oct 27, 2023, 09:18am EDT

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To retain competitive edge in today's job market, you need to upskill and reskill

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To stand out in today's competitive job market requires strategy. You don't fall into being a candidate of choice by chance. Perhaps it might have been possible 10 or 20 years ago to saunter into an office, ask for a job, and get an offer the same day. But times have changed. Industries are evolving. Demands are high, and with that, the calibre of quality candidates must meet market and industry expectations.

But there is a problem.

There is a shortage of skilled workers within the labor market. For example, in the U.S, there are an estimated 9.8 million job openings, but only 5.9 million unemployed workers, according to an October report from the US Chamber of Commerce. Based on this rationale, even if every unemployed person in the country was hired, there would still be approximately 4 million open jobs.

This means that if you as a job-seeker (and even as a working professional) seek to upskill yourself in various ways, through a mix of niche, technical, and non-technical "soft" skills, you stand a better chance at opening numerous doors to career opportunities that are literally waiting for you.

## What Are Some Of These In-Demand Skills?

LinkedIn analyzed job listings on its site and released a report in March 2023 on some of the most in-demand skills and listed management, communication, customer service, leadership, sales, project management, research, analytical skills, marketing, and teamwork.

In addition, some of the most highly-prized (and high-income) technical skills include artificial intelligence, data analysis, UX (user experience), software development, and cloud computing.

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## How Do I Gain These Skills As A Job-Seeker?

To improve your visibility and competitive edge as a candidate, you need to maximize every opportunity available for your skills development. If you're currently unemployed you most likely won't be able to afford costly training, however there is an array of alternative upskilling options at your disposal, especially online. For example, you could use cheap and free sites such as LinkedIn Learning's courses, and gain certificates; you could try Google's certification programs that are both free and low cost; you can also avail yourself of free webinars hosted by universities and education institutions, or enrol on a course via Udemy.

## How Do I Gain These Skills As A Working Professional?

Don't wait until you're at risk of being unemployed before you decide to upskill. Begin by setting SMART professional development goals. While working, you can upskill through various sources, such as requesting your employer to give you access to stretch opportunities on projects at work, staying in-the-know with industry news through reading business publications, listening to podcasts, and even joining industry membership associations. These membership bodies often host seminars, conferences, events, and a plethora of on-demand resources, while exposing you to a valuable network of connections you can avail yourself of in the future for more opportunities to further your career.

## How Employers Can Upskill Their Employees On A Low L&D Budget

Learning and development professionals are facing diminishing resources, with more than half naming budget issues as their top challenge this year.

However, Jeremy Walsh, executive vice president of Employer Solutions at AllCampus, believes that employers can still strategically design effective learning and development programs that maximize resources without sacrificing skill development, even with budgetary constraints. "Employers should prioritize upskilling critical skills that align with organizational developmental objectives and identify the skills that will make the most impact toward those goals. While employers with limited resources may have narrow learning and development options, aligning employee development goals with skills can help achieve an employer’s desired outcome," he says.

"Managers and directors can play a critical role in providing employees opportunities to exercise or learn new skills in their day-to-day roles. By providing cross-functional opportunities, employers can provide workers the chance to apply new skills, offer constructive feedback and encourage continuous practice in real-time. Offer flexible learning options such as online asynchronous learning options, forums, mentor groups or in-person workshops," Walsh recommends. "Employers should also think about learning and development holistically and consider how current benefits, like tuition assistance, can be better leveraged and aligned with company learning and development objectives."

Job seekers, employers, and working professionals can all play a unique role in boosting the economy and future-proofing careers. Take time today to make at least one small step towards developing yourself for your overall career goal. One step in the right direction will lead to another, and will set you on the journey to be an in-demand professional, highly-sought after in your industry.

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