Deanna (Lazzaroni) Pate* says whatever your goals are for 2020, there are certain skills that are worth learning to help you stand out at work.
What skills does the workforce value most?
At LinkedIn Learning, we surfaced timely data from our network of over 660 million professionals and 20 million jobs to reveal the 15 most in-demand soft and hard skills for 2020.
Whatever your goals are for 2020, learning these skills can help you stand out for that next opportunity.
Soft skills are the essential interpersonal skills that make or break our ability to get things done in our current jobs and take on new opportunities ahead.
Topping this year’s list are creativity, collaboration, persuasion, and emotional intelligence – all skills that demonstrate how we work with others and bring new ideas to the table.
Four of the five most in-demand soft skills remain in their top spots year over year, further reinforcing that these skills are evergreen – they’re likely to remain the top skills that employers want in star employees.
The one variation in the most in-demand soft skills list indicates that employers are gravitating toward talent with interpersonal and people-oriented skills.
“Time management”, a more task-oriented skill, fell off the top soft skills list.
“Emotional intelligence” took its place.
While task-oriented skills remain critical to our success at work, the data shows that employers value our ability to work well with colleagues.
The top five most in-demand soft skills are:
#1 Creativity – Same as 2019
Organisations need people who can creatively approach problems and tasks across all roles, from software engineering to HR.
Focus on honing your ability to bring new ideas to the table in 2020.
#2 Persuasion – Same as 2019
Leaders and hiring managers value individuals who can explain the “why”.
To advance your career, brush up on your ability to effectively communicate ideas and persuade your colleagues and stakeholders that it’s in their best interest to follow your lead.
#3 Collaboration – Same as 2019
High-functioning teams can accomplish more than any individual – and organisations know it.
Learn how your strengths can complement those of your colleagues to reach a common goal.
#4 Adaptability – Same as 2019
The only constant in life – and at work – is change.
To stand out in 2020, embrace that reality and make sure to show up with a positive attitude and open-minded professionalism, especially in stressful situations.
#5 Emotional Intelligence – New
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, evaluate, and respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others.
New to the most in-demand skills list this year, the need for emotional intelligence underscores the importance of effectively responding to and interacting with our colleagues.
While the most in-demand soft skills are all about how we work together, the most in-demand hard skills are the ones changing what we’re working on.
Many of these skills will continue to evolve rapidly.
For example, for the first time, blockchain not only made the list of top skills, but topped it – highlighting an increasing awareness and demand for the wider applications of this skill.
The top 10 most in-demand hard skills are:
#1 Blockchain – New
Blockchain was born in 2009 to support the use of cryptocurrency.
But blockchain’s novel way to store, validate, authorise, and move data across the internet has evolved to securely store and send any digital asset.
The small supply of professionals who have this skill are in high demand.
#2 Cloud Computing – Down 1
Today, organisations are built and run on the cloud.
They need talent who have the skills to help them drive technical architecture, design, and delivery of cloud systems like Microsoft Azure.
#3 Analytical Reasoning – Same as 2019
Data has become the foundation of every single organisation.
Employers want talent who can make sense of it and uncover insights that drive the best decisions for the organisation.
#4 Artificial Intelligence – Down 2
Artificial intelligence (AI) augments the capabilities of the human workforce.
The people who can harness the power of AI, machine learning, and natural language processing are the ones who will help organisations deliver more relevant, personalised, and innovative products and services.
#5 UX Design – Same as 2019
It seems like the average attention span of consumers decreases every year and they have little patience for products that aren’t intuitive.
Organisations need more expertise to help them build more human-centric products and experiences.
#6 Business Analysis – Up 10
Business analysis made the most significant jump of any skill on our list.
It’s one of the few hard skills every professional should have, as most roles require some level of business analysis to make decisions.
#7 Affiliate Marketing – New
With the decline of traditional advertising and the rise of social media, affiliate marketing is rapidly rising as a must-have hard skill.
Affiliate marketing leverages organisational partnerships or influencers that are hyper-targeted to a particular audience.
#8 Sales – Same as 2019
You’d be hard pressed to find an organisation that doesn’t need great sales people – those who can effectively manage a sales team, understand the sales funnel, work with cross-functional partners, and sell into the highest levels of the business.
#9 Scientific Computing – Up 3
Scientific computing skills are held by data science professionals, engineers, and software architects, and others.
Organisations need more professionals who can develop machine learning models and apply statistical and analytical approaches to large datasets using programs like Python, MATLAB, and others.
#10 Video Production – Down 3
Consumers have an insatiable appetite for video content, so it makes sense that video production continues to be a priority for organisations.
Cisco estimates that video will account for 82 per cent of global internet traffic in 2022.
We hope that with insight into what employers need today, you feel ready to cultivate the essential soft skills and hard skills and empowered to own your career.
* Deanna (Lazzaroni) Pate is Marketing Leader of Brand & Marketing Communications (B2C) for LinkedIn Learning. She tweets at @DigitalDL.
This article first appeared at learning.linkedin.com/blog
