Moving roles to take on a more fulfilling job or changing your career completely often tops the New Year’s resolutions checklist, and becomes a real focus at the beginning of the year. Your resolutions by now may have taken a bit of a back seat, but that shouldn't stop you from making that all important move in your career if that's one of the goals you set yourself this year. The good news is that it’s a candidate’s market at the moment. This means that there are more jobs available than there are candidates to fill them, so chances are you’ll find plenty of opportunity in your area. In areas where there are skills shortages, you’ll find even more opportunity and more competitive packages.
Why does the skills shortage affect me?
When you’re looking for a new job, it’s a good idea to draw up a list of all your skills, and check them off against your ideal career. Do you have all the skills that you need? Can you learn more? The skills shortage means that if you have a skill that’s considered in short supply, you’ll be a much more competitive candidate, and find yourself in high demand.
Learning that extra skill that employers are looking for could be the thing that tips you up into the next salary bracket, or what helps you jump into the job that you want.
So what skills do I need?
The skills that you’ll need in 2019 will change depending on the career that you want; but the common theme is digital skills. There’s a lack of digital know-how in the market at the moment, so if you can demonstrate relevant skills on your CV then you’ll be one big step ahead of your competition. According to a recent survery from LinkedIn tech skills dominate the skills list for 2019, with skills such as Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence being top of the list. However, skills like Social Media Marketing, and Animation are also making the list; companies are looking for all sorts of skills to stand out from their competitors.
Cover the basics
Most jobs in today’s market will require a good understanding of the Microsoft Office package. Whether you’re a whizz at pivot tables in Excel or a master of forms in Word, nailing these programmes will put your career in the right direction.
There’s loads of free help out there as well, from the Office training videos to LinkedIn training and webinars. You can be a Microsoft Office master in no time, and the skills that you build will leave you in a great position for landing your new job in 2018.
Think about the future
Robots in the workplace. We’ve heard about it, they make the news at least once a week, but material change in our day-to-day lives is still some way off. Nonetheless, building up your skills to prepare for the change is a good idea. There are lots of areas you can look into and it will depend a lot on the type of job you’d like; but automation and data are the two fields that are expanding rapidly.
It’s worth thinking about how these changes might affect your industry, and getting one step ahead of them now. If data is going to be King where you work, then focus on a basic data analysis course and start to build your arsenal of skills from there.
Don’t forget the offline elements
Creativity and persuasion are two of the top skills employers are looking for in 2019, according to LinkedIn's latest research. Whilst the future may well be digital, expert communication skills and the ability to think outside the box are still key elements for a successful candidate. Also top of the list are collaboration, adaptability and time management. So, when you’re preparing your CV, make sure to include any examples to showcase your soft skills too.
The jobs market in 2019 will offer a lot to highly skilled and motivated candidates, so if a new job is on your resolutions list, it’s time to dust off your CV and upskill!
To help you on your way, why not download our CV templates? They’ll show off your skills in the best possible format, and help you think about what skills you’ll need to make your CV even better.
