It may come as a surprise to you as a job seeker, but employers are ready to fight for the industries top talent to make sure they have the professionals they need to grow and succeed as a company. That means they are eager to hire employees just like you. But oftentimes they are having a hard time finding the right person for the job.

Part of the reason behind that is simply the range of technical experience and skills which they are currently looking for. Many jobs require very specific technical experience, and employers tend to default to candidates who have that experience in just the way they expect it to be presented.

Probably the most important thing you can do to address the skills gap is to confront it head-on. That means acknowledging the existence of a possible gap, and planning and communicating how you expect to address the issues within the new position. Employers know that candidates are unlikely to know all the ins and outs of a new job right off the bat. Candidates who refuse to acknowledge the issue of a skills gap are unable to provide the assurances that businesses need when it comes to transitioning new employees into a critical position. Show prospective employers that you understand their position and provide a game plan for reducing that transition time for increased confidence in your abilities.

Beyond that, there are several key job skills that employers are actively looking for that you may already have.

HERE’S A LOOK AT THOSE TOUGH TO FIND SKILLS THAT MAY JUST WIN YOU THE JOB

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The most in-demand skill for almost any industry is project management. These skills are considered essential to the success of a company. Project management skills include organizational skills, communication skills, and delegation skills to make sure the project gets done on time and on budget. Being able to effectively delegate to make sure the right people are working on the right amounts of a project is a big part of managing your people and your resources. This means being able to trust in other people and their abilities, otherwise, you will only end up micromanaging or simply doing all the work yourself. These skills are naturally earned through working closely with project leads, and even pursuing your own passion projects.

TEAM-BUILDING AND SOFT SKILLS

Teams are how companies accomplish their goals effectively. Without the support of a team, no company would not be able to do what they need to do. And team building is a big need from an employer’s perspective. Making sure a team is functional and effective takes work, as is keeping the lines of communication wide open.

SOCIAL MEDIA SKILLS

Social media has become more and more of a professional tool. It’s particularly relevant from a marketing perspective. Having a solid understanding of the popular social media platforms and how they impact day to day business is a definite bonus for your administrative resume. Corporate social media outreach is often a task assigned to clerical staff when there is a lack of otherwise skilled staff. It is important for admins to understand how best to interact on social media from a corporate perspective. This can include translating long-form content into short-form content for social media, managing editorial calendars, and creating a consistency of message across multiple platforms.

COLLABORATION SOFTWARE

Collaboration software is becoming more and more critical to successful project management today. Programs like Google Drive and Microsoft SharePoint allow people to access and modify content without loss of document control and encouraging remote access to critical information and tools. Admins should understand how these programs are used, and should be able to access information within these databases to provide support for other staff members as needed.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER?

For more tips on what your next career step may be, connect with the US PRO team today.