- A 2018 report says 90% of African job seekers lack the right skills for the jobs they are applying for
- LinkedIn's new list of "skills companies need most" in 2019 is about to fix this
- It features 30 important skills.
These 30 important skills are exactly what you need to excel in 2019
LinkedIn has released a list of "skills companies need most" this year.
In 2018, a research conducted by ROAM (Ringier One Africa Media) discovered that the majority of applicants in Africa are applying for jobs they are ill-prepared for.
After going through data from over 12 million users in Nigeria and Kenya, Africa's marketplaces group concluded that about 90% lack the right skills for the job positions they want.
This is about to change with the release of a list of "skills companies need most" in 2019 by LinkedIn.
According to the social media platform for professionals and job seekers, there are at least 25 skills that would be seriously needed by employers in the new year.
Explaining how LinkedIn arrived at these exact skills, a post on the platform said "we used exclusive LinkedIn data to determine the skills companies need most in 2019. These are the skills your boss and your boss's boss find most valuable, but have a hard time finding - and the skills that'll most help you better serve your clients and customers''.
Further explaining, the post continued, "The skills companies need most" was determined by looking at skills that are in high demand relative to their supply. Demand is measured by identifying the skills listed on the LinkedIn profiles of people who are getting hired at the highest rates. Only cities with 100,000 LinkedIn members were included."
It goes without saying that learning these skills will have a positive effect on your career.
Here is the full list of the skills companies need the most in 2019:
- Creativity
"Organizations most need creative employees who can conceive the solutions of tomorrow," the site explained.
- Persuasion
LinkedIn notes, "Having a great product, a great platform or a great concept is one thing, but the key is persuading people to buy into it." This is great for people in the marketing and sales industries.
- Collaboration
Being a good team player will go a long way.
- Adaptability
The ability to adapt and grow is one that will never stop being valuable.
- Time Management
"A timeless skill, mastering time management today will serve you the rest of your career," the post reads.
These first five are referred to as soft skills. People who have these kinds of skills can never be replaced by robots as they are unable to copy these valuable skills.
ALSO READ: These are the new skills you need to excel in the future, according to the World Economic Forum
The next 25 skills are hard skills. They have become increasingly important as the world gets more digital. They are:
- Cloud Computing
This is a great one for engineers to have.
- Artificial Intelligence
"Its official - the Age of AI is here," LinkedIn simply states.
- Analytical Reasoning
With the growing amount of data, companies need professionals who have what it takes to make the best decisions based on it.
- People Management
The social networking site for professionals explains, "The world has changed from a "command-and-control" model toward leaders who can coach and empower, a difficult skill set few professionals possess."
- UX Design
- Mobile Application Development
- Video Production
The demand for this particular skill has gone up as videos currently make up 70 percent of all content consumed on the Internet.
- Sales Leadership
- Translation
The fact that the language barrier can be broken with this skill makes it really valuable.
- Audio Production
Like videos, more people are consuming podcasts and other audio digital formats. This has led to an increase in the demand for this skill.
- Natural Language Processing
- Scientific Computing
- Game Development
This skill will only become more valuable as long as there are online games.
- Social Media Marketing
- Animation
- Business Analysis
- Journalism
Having the ability to tell great stories is becoming more valuable to sales, marketing and content teams.
- Digital Marketing
- Industrial Design
- Competitive Strategies
- Customer Service Systems
"In a world where one bad experience can lead to a tweet the whole world sees, consistent customer service is increasingly paramount," the platform explains.
- Software Testing
- Data Science
- Computer Graphics
- Corporate Communications
As the world becomes more interconnected, it is important to have this skill in order to avert global outrages.
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