It is a cliché to say that the world of business changes quickly. But it is impossible to underestimate the radical movements that have occurred in the last three years or so. The world has changed in so many ways, both in the business world and beyond, and most companies are still struggling to get their heads around what has happened and how they are going to catch up. So many of the old traditions and ways of working have fallen by the wayside.

However, this is not necessarily all bad news for anyone who is looking for ways they can stand out in a crowded job market. Nor is it all bad news for anyone who is looking for new skills to help them be even more indispensable in these turbulent times. There are so many exciting new avenues to explore with rapidly evolving technology and developing your talents in this area could put you at the front of many hiring lists.

But don’t forget about the classic personal and interpersonal skills which will never lose their appeal to anyone who knows a good hire when they see one. As we start 2023, here are some of the main skills that are going to be in high demand.

Flexibility

Every business owner has had to learn how to roll with the punches over the last several years. There have been so many different and unexpected challenges that being able to bend rather than break has been the difference between companies that are still operating and companies that are not. How does that translate into a skill that you can demonstrate?

Business owners are going to want to know how you react to unexpected challenges. Are you going to be the kind of person who can jump from one task to another if something urgent arises? Flexibility can even be as simple as agreeing to relocate if the job is appealing to you. One of the best ways you can show flexibility is a willingness to learn, which brings us to our next point.

Digital Skills And An Awareness Of New Tech

Now, “digital skills” is a phrase that covers a huge amount of ground. A few years ago, you could probably have got away with having those two words on your CV with a basic knowledge of how to put a website together on a free host site and how to keep a social media channel active. These days, it’s a lot more complicated.

Not every job will expect you to know how to code, but the hard pivot to digital has meant that every company is looking for as much expertise as they can get their hands on. And it is not just about your IT skills. It is also about understanding the way that new technology is changing the way people do business.

Fintech has been one of the real game-changers of the last decade and it continues to be so. Advances in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are opening up whole new areas of innovation and there are a lot of sectors that are going to be very interested in its continued evolution and application. Having a firm understanding of fintech and the possibilities it presents will be a highly sought-after skill, so why not think about signing up for a fintech course? You can find fintech online courses at the University of Cape Town that will help you to prepare for what the next several years of digital finance will throw at us.

Marketing

Things are incredibly competitive for businesses around the world at the moment, and marketing campaigns are somewhat make-or-break for many companies. Digital marketing can end up costing a lot of money and becoming a huge time sink if the people putting them together have not created the right strategy. This is why good marketing skills are going to be in very high demand. Business owners want to know how they can do a lot more with a lot less, and that means understanding the target audience as well as understanding the product.

Think about what you could do to add some more marketing skills to your resume. Could you learn about how to create customer profiles? Continuing from the point above, could you learn about how data analysis can illuminate how those customers behave when they reach the site, and what kind of messaging appeals to them? Marketing is about so much more than coming up with a banner ad promising a large percentage off. This is only going to become more important in 2023.

Customer Relations And Experience

Speaking of customers, this is one of the areas where no business can afford to fall behind, especially right now. The rising cost of living around the globe means that everyone is being a lot thriftier, and a lot choosier about where they are spending their money. If they are given any excuse to shop elsewhere, they may well take it. Managing customer relations and improving customer experience are not skills that everyone has.

Many business owners make the mistake of leaving queries and complaints until there is no choice but to deal with them. Many businesses do not take user experience seriously enough when they are putting their platform together. If you can demonstrate that you can put yourself in the shoes of a customer and that you are proactive about improving their experience, you will be an obvious asset.

Being Able To Work And Communicate Remotely

Now, you may think that being able to work remotely is not exactly a skill. All you need is a computer and a wi-fi connection, right? But being able to perform at a high level wherever you are needed to, and to be a good communicator while doing so, is not something that everyone can do.

A lot of companies found it a real struggle when everyone started working from home back in 2020. Now, many businesses are taking the hybrid working route to take advantage of the flexibility that working at home provides while hanging onto the security and prestige of an office space. Can you demonstrate that you are able to manage your workflow without having someone hover over your shoulder? Can you provide status updates as and when needed? Can you be confident raising a question when you need to ask it?

Cybersecurity

While it seems unlikely that any business will expect you to have a perfect knowledge of cybersecurity technology if you are not applying for specific jobs in that sector, every company has been forced to get serious about cybercrime in the last few years. There has been a massive increase in the number of ransomware attacks and other forms of cybercrime since 2020, and this worrying trend has not shown much sign of slowing down.

If you are going to be working remotely and if you are going to be dealing with any kind of sensitive information or finances, you will need to demonstrate that you can be trustworthy. It is not just about making sure that you do not open any suspicious links in emails. You should highlight the fact that you use two-factor authentication and random password generators.