Top Skilled Professions for 2021

Faith Ikade

4 years ago

As we look ahead in 2021, we know one thing for certain 2020 came with a lot of drastic changes. Companies across the world have been pushed to accelerate their pace of digital transformation and automation, leading to a shift in the skills in demand.

With a global pandemic in play, various sectors were hit hard and fast, leaving businesses and institutions no choice but to conform to the remote lifestyle. Although some businesses have managed to bounce back and pivot their models, the workforce has undoubtedly changed.

We now live in a highly competitive era where all our career choices and our efforts determine the quality of our life in the future. The competition is increasing every day especially in jobs and courses that were once called non-conventional.

What Does This Mean for The Next Decade?

The Future of Jobs 2020 report, estimates shows that 85 million jobs would be displaced by 2025. Though 97 million new roles are likely to be created during this period, displaced workers will need to be reskilled and upskilled to fix these gaps.

Skills such as critical thinking and analysis, complex problem-solving, and self-management skills which involve active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility are among the top skills and skills groups that global employers view as important in the run-up to 2025.

Importance of learning a new skill.

Expanding your knowledge and skill base is more a requirement than a choice in this new world. If you don’t know what to study or which learning opportunities are at your disposal, try looking into the things you’re curious about.

Ask yourself, “What have I been interested in or passionate about since childhood?” Answer that and you’ll discover the learning journey you should pursue. You’ll also discover immeasurable satisfaction in learning. Be it for hobby or career purposes, learning brings joy and satisfaction, regardless of age or professional standing. Learning a new skill helps:

Advance your career.
Diversifies your job options.
Opens doors of opportunities for you.
Increases your adaptability.
Keeps you relevant.

Knowing the benefits of learning a new skill, you need to identify top skills needed in 2021. With the use of technology, it is now easier than ever to access resources to help you learn and gain new skills. The diversity and quantity of online learning materials are growing rapidly giving you access to these skills at your convenience. For those who like the school environment, there are various options and cities to choose from.

Excited to dive into professional development and learning new skills, but not sure where to start? Here are 15 great areas where you can consider boosting your career or profession in 2021.

Top 15 Skills of 2021

1| Soft Skills

Analytical Thinking & Innovation:
The ability to think critically in today’s world is a necessity. Businesses will continue to face challenges that will require teams to be innovative in solving problems and communicating frequently.
Active Learning & Assimilation Strategies:
Employer’s love to hear that candidates enjoy learning because it’s necessary in a business world where change and growth are happening at a remarkable speed. It is important to keep learning and developing oneself. Check out online classes’ schools and platforms such as ULaw, ETON X to get a new skill and degree.
Time Management:
This has always been important but has become more important due to the acceptance of remote work. Employers need to trust that you can manage your time and get your work done without anyone looking over your shoulder.
Complex problem-solving/ Reasoning:
Having the ability to assess the situation in front of you and come to a conclusive decision regularly, even if you’re wrong once in a while, marks you as a person who gets things done. It also shows that you’re willing to take risks on occasion.
Creativity, originality, and initiative:
Creativity can put you in the driver’s seat for finding solutions and new ideas for your company. Sometimes new ideas don’t work right away or at all and being able to rebound from a setback with improvements and new ideas show employers that you will keep their company moving forward.
Project Management:
Understanding the full scope of your projects and being able to manage them from concept to completion has become a critical skill in 2021. With the emergence of more remote work, it’s harder for management to keep tabs on every project going, so having employees who are skilled at project management makes their lives easier.
Adaptability and Flexibility:
You need to be adaptable to new technology, new collaborations, and new philosophies to succeed in 2021. Being flexible and handling changes on your own or helping to guide whole teams on new directives, is a great way to make yourself an irreplaceable part of nearly any organization.
Emotional Intelligence:
The ability to stay in tune with your own emotions and the emotions of those around you are more valuable than ever in 2021. From acknowledging your own emotions to having empathy for the emotions of your co-workers and client, gaining this skill will help you be a “people person” without having to be an extrovert.
Thriving In A Virtual Environment:
Seeking out talent who can thrive in a virtual environment will be critical in 2021. Contenders for remote roles are expected to demonstrate how they have been able to stay visible in a virtual world. Visibility can include offering up a critical skill set, collaborating across teams, leveraging tech tools, offering impeccable responsiveness, being in alignment with key business priorities, and promoting team success.

2| Hard skills

Video and Audio Production:
The ability to produce compelling video and audio assets is one of the most in-demand skills in the current job market. Honing your video and audio production skills is a great way to distinguish yourself at your place of work.
Data Analytics and Statistics:
Data is the name of the game across many industries in 2021. These days, data is where it all begins, and the ability to collect and interpret data will be a major asset in your career.
Foreign Languages and Translation:
Foreign language skills will make you more competitive in the job market. Study shows that speaking a second language can add 10–15% to your salary. This has created a significant demand for multi-language fluency, as well as the need for in-house staff with translation skills.
IT and Cybersecurity:
2020 saw a mismatch between the IT demands of companies and the skills or personnel they had on hand to handle significant changes in their technology needs. Throughout the pandemic, there was an 83% increase in phishing attacks and 62% more instances of malware. In response to this rise in cyber threats, 35% of companies are now making the hiring of cybersecurity professionals their foremost priority.

However, technologies change all the time, companies come and go, and predictions turn out to be wrong. Still, it is worth thinking about learning a new skill, be it for professional benefits, career benefits, or the sheer joy of learning something new. More so, the importance of proper career guidance and counseling can not be overlooked as we gravitate towards skills and careers that will set us apart from our peers.

Importance of Career Guidance

Career guidance help students and professionals understand their strengths and weaknesses and then match them with their skills and interest so that they get the best suitable career choice. One wrong choice can not only cost a lot of money but also amount to waste of some precious years. Professional guides use modern scientific techniques like Career Assessment Test, etc. to find out your strengths and weaknesses and then use these results to find a college or career for you.

When dealing with a lot of options, the most logical solution is the process of strategic elimination. Professional career and college counseling help in narrowing down the options so that finding the right career or college becomes easy. Professional counselors also empower you with certain information that is not available to general people. They deduce the facts about colleges or courses out of the advertisements so that the students don’t get misled.

College and career counselors also keep track of the form filling process for all the colleges. They guide the students and parents on how to deal with the form filling procedures and remind them of the deadlines from time to time so that the college admission process goes down smoothly.

Most importantly, counselors help you understand the uniqueness of the student and help in devising a unique career path specifically for the client so that he/she gets the most conducive atmosphere for steady growth and success in life. With a defined career path, the student gets the maximum output for his/ her efforts. That is why choosing the right career counselor is important.

Where to Get Started?

It is important to choose an individual or organization that has your best interest at heart. Someone with experience and understand the labor market. You need someone who understands our fast-changing world and is a part of the moving chain. This is why Michelle and Anthony Consulting is the best.

Michelle and Anthony Consulting Ltd is a leading global consulting firm with branches in London, Dubai, India, and the central processing office in Nigeria. We provide financial advisory, training, and management consulting services for businesses in various industries.

Since 2003, Michelle and Anthony Consulting have been pioneers of overseas education in Nigeria. With quality credentials and trustworthy services, students have been guided to reach the best possible academic height based on their academic merits and financial capacity. We are aiming to develop short-term courses for minimum graduates and working professionals to develop as skilled individuals and outperform in their relevant industries. We run job readiness programs for fresh graduates, students pursuing the final year of education, and any grade of employees in an organization.