Job Skills That Will Keep You Employed: How to Determine What Skill Sets You Need

The more job skills that you have the more likely you are to be able to stay employed, or to find other employment during high unemployment, in a period of global economic recession. You may be wondering what kind of job skills you should seek to attain.

Understanding what a skill is can help you to determine what the job skills that will keep you employed are likely to be.  

The word skill is defined as the “ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carry out complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical), and/or people (interpersonal skills)."

No two people have exactly the same skill sets or need to have identical skills. What you should obtain or update are the kinds of skills that are the most suitable or appropriate for your unique employment.

Changing employment is an option, but you may need to consider whether the skills you have are appropriate for your desired career. You may have to consider your competition, as many seniors or previously retired people are seeking employment and have acquired skill sets through their previous experience or employment. You may have skills that they have not acquired yet, so do not throw your hands up in the air and give up before you talk to an employment counselor or prospective employer.  

If there is one skill that you should seek to attain, that would be computer-related skills. In relation to job seeking all around the world, the necessity of computer skills cannot be underestimated. This requires cognitive skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills. One cannot under-estimate the importance of learning or upgrading your communication skills.

Language skill development is important if you are seeking employment in foreign countries on a global level. Interpersonal relationships are becoming increasingly important everywhere, as employees everywhere must be able to relate to other nationalities on a socially, politically and culturally significant level of understanding.

Health care has basic skill sets that employees should be aware of wherever they seek employment either at home, or in remote areas. That brings basic survival skills to light, as well.

Highly specialized skills for professional level jobs may indicate the need for higher academic education prior to seeking or applying for employment.

Where can one obtain job skills? 

Depending upon the kind of job that you are seeking, research on the Internet can prove beneficial. Many high schools, colleges and universities offer skills training programs on different levels, many at minimal cost. Other skills training programs are available on the Internet. Skills training may include certification and different levels of certification can open opportunities that are not otherwise available to job seekers.

Be open to skills training wherever you seek employment, as your willingness to learn new skill sets may be a factor that helps to guarantee employment. There are many kinds of skills learned on jobs, or even through volunteering. Assume a positive and constructive attitude towards the learning process, as learning is infinite, particularly in a rapidly changing world.