The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curveball that has brought all the countries to their knees. With lockdowns and forced social distancing, we’ve seen industry stall as people are forced to stay indoors. Because society at large is trying to grapple with the extent of the impact, technology has emerged as a saviour in many ways. Among other things, it encouraged people to work from home, people to shop from the comfort of their homes. It has helped governments to track and take targeted action to reduce the spread of the virus.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) may have caused uncertainty in the country’s job market, but the demand for niche job skills has not dried up. Corporates hire talent to select roles that require specialised niche skills certification across business segments.
7 Career Skills that will be in Demand Post COVID Pandemic!
1. Emotional Intelligence
For leaders, possessing emotional intelligence is the key to success. After all, who is more likely to succeed, a leader who cries out to his team when he’s under stress, or a leader who stays in control and calmly assesses the situation?
A skill that is more important in times of uncertainty and challenges: emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ). EQ is the ability to be aware of, express, and control our emotions and to be aware of the emotions of others. At a time when people may feel unsure about their job and the future of their company, it is important to interact with people on an emotional level. Individuals with a good EQ would be sought by companies of all sizes and in all industries.
2. Risk Management
In the financial world, risk management refers to the process of identifying possible risks in advance, assessing them, and taking measures to reduce risk.
Leaders need to understand and mitigate how to assess risks. They should also be sensible, along with that, when it comes to cost prudence. More and more decision-making should be focused on sound market principles and conventional risk management. In such difficult times, those businesses that will survive are likely to have cash on their balance sheets.
3. Adaptability
Adaptability skills are skill sets that encompass the ability of a person to adjust to changes in their environment. Being adaptable in your career can mean that you can respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes at work. Adaptable also means having soft skills such as interpersonal skills, communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Also, at this stage, with many organisations dismissing employees, the roles will be merged. Employees who can easily adapt, wear many hats and be open to change would also be more effective.
4. Digital and Coding Skills
The digital transformation of organisations has boosted. Therefore, digital professionals, including coding, web development, SEO and digital marketing, will become even more important than they are now. People who can keep the digital business running and thriving during economic downturns or pandemics that make in-person business impossible or less efficient will be on the must-have list. And, essentially, all businesses are now digitally focused in some way, and there are endless opportunities to put digital skills to work.
5. Advanced Data Analytics
To provide accurate personalized messaging and a level of user experience (UX) that resonates with consumers during the recovery phase, people will need the skills of advanced data analysts.
By acquiring the ability to drill deep into valuable information pockets and to work with the right key performance indicators (KPIs), businesses across sectors will be able to understand both new user behaviour and shifts in the landscape around their businesses.
These are advanced analytical skills that are likely to be in demand during the recovery phase:
- SQL data analytics
- Python data analytics
- Business intelligence strategy
- Statistical data analytics
- Metric-driven critical-thinking and problem-solving
6. Cybersecurity
The tech profession has also relied on cybersecurity, and there is a vital need for tight security controls to be put in place to protect remote-operating models.
As a good proportion of workers are now using personal devices for work purposes, along with new accounts and increased access to remote systems, the company’s infrastructure is at increased risk for hackers. Action must be taken to ensure that VPNs and network devices used remotely are updated with the latest security configurations.
As a result, top cybersecurity talent – already in high demand – will remain indispensable for employers as agile working practices continue in the foreseeable future.
7. Data Science
With the rising demand for digital adoption, job listings for AI, ML, and data science professionals will increase. Post-COVID, the world would experience a massive demand for the healthcare technology, and therefore there would be a huge search for data science professionals with expertise in the healthcare field.
Data science proved to be immensely beneficial for the treatment of COVID patients by leveraging patient data, but without basic domain knowledge, these predictions could be incorrect and could also hurt the development of drugs and medicines. Even after the pandemic, health care would continue to be a primary concern for governments, businesses, and individuals. There would, therefore, be a huge increase in demand for data professionals who can use real-time medical data to generate insights and help physicians make informed decisions.
Advanced Data Science skills that are likely to be in demand post COVID:
· Natural Language Processing
· Computer Vision
· Geospatial Tech
· Data Visualisation
· Data Storytelling
COVID-19 is changing the working environment across the globe, but not all of it is negative. The crisis has exposed emerging areas of technology, opportunity, and executives from leading tech vendors and solution providers are weighing on the roles and skills that will be needed in the post-pandemic world.
See lockdown as an opportunity to develop your skills so that you’re ready for the post-COVID19 job market.
