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Top 4 must-have job skills for 2013

Amit Bansal, CEO, PurpleLeap, an organisation that makes graduates ready for employment advices young professionals to focus on developing these key skills to succeed in their careers this year.

At the start of the year, young professionals are already scouting for information on what job skills organisations will be looking for in them.

I was pondering over the last few years and the changes that have taken place in various industries as far as employment is concerned.

During the process, I realised that the employment scenario hasn't changed much during the last five years, however the good news is that it has remained consistent, if not boomed in many aspects.

The caution is good not just for employers but also for employees who are now more careful about the vocation they are choosing and keeping their long term objectives in picture before taking up a job. I see it as a blessing in disguise.

For many years in my career, clear communication, personal branding, flexibility and productivity have been the top traits employers looked for in their future employees and I believe that these traits still hold importance in the hiring process not just in 2013 but for many more years to come.

Read on to know why

Illustration: Dominic Xavier

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1. Communication skills

Recently, a friend went for recruitment in tier 2 b-schools for sales and marketing profiles, only to return with two recruits out of the 200 candidates he interviewed.

The reason for rejection this friend cited was inadequate communication skills in candidates.

In a profile like sales and marketing, communication can be a critical success factor.

Communication doesn't mean mastering the language, but the ability to articulate one's thoughts clearly.

The idea is that with people around you who always have the shortage of time and concentration span of not more than a few seconds, the candidate should be able to make an impact in a few minutes of time available for interaction.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

2. Social media skills

It's amazing how each one of us is spending a substantial amount of time these days on social media sites.

Not just for business networking but also a lot of personal networking. And if we look closely, each account is like a personal advertisement posted on the World Wide Web to connect with people -- and there wouldn't be harm in saying -- to be liked by people.

These days, we don't just brand ourselves but also the organisation we are working for.

In a way, personal branding is no more personal but associated with the industry and people we work with and on most occasions, seen, read and spread by everyone who can view it.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

3. Flexibility

One of the organisations I worked for was attempting a prestigious security certification for its processes.

There were new employees who were 'cool' about it, but there were old and senior employees who had done things without security procedures looking them into their faces and intimidating every step they were about to take into the office premises.

The entire seven floor building was turned into a fortress from entry point to exit point. It was a big test for the employees who had worked in freedom for most of their tenure with the organisation.

In such situations, flexibility is another important factor that makes an employee desirable.

With the changing business environment and the dynamic market situations, decisions to change strategies are taken overnight.

To be able to suit ourselves in that kind of situation requires a lot of tact on the employees' part to remain comfortable and welcome a sudden change in the workplace.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

4. Pro-activitism

Globally, HR personnel from various organisations focus on employee utilisation at work.

With a large employee base, a realistic environment cannot be created where employees are optimally utilised or use their full potential.

Many organisations require and even encourage their employees to identify opportunities or take up initiatives on their own.

The idea is to improve productivity by initiating new ideas, utilising time more effectively to impact business results -- a job skill that may play a big role in making any employee indispensible.

These four skills are definitely a game changer for any individual who is striving for success in their careers during 2013 or any year for that matter.

However, the effectivenes lies in how much effort we show in improving these traits in us.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh