Being a valuable asset to the business which employs you is something which a lot of people struggle with. With so much competition in the job market, a lot of people are looking for ways to boost their CVs, leaving some perfectly good employees left without the jobs they want. It’s not easy to improve the benefits you bring to the people you work for, though this can be well worth the effort. To help you out with it, this post will be exploring some of the extra skills you can bring to the business you work for. Not everyone wants to put this kind of effort into their career, though it is often well worth it.
Before You Start
Before you begin down this path, it’s worth thinking about some different aspects of the business you work for. It’s size will influence the path you want to take, as this will change what the business might need from you, with larger businesses having dedicated employees to handle just about everything. Along with this, it’s also worth thinking about the field you work in, as this can also impact the skills which will be useful. Time is also important, though if you already have a job, it’s well worth putting more time into this to get more out of it.
Computing
Larger companies will almost certainly already have people on hand to solve issues with the computers in your workplace, and this will mean that the skills you learn should be related to your personal use of the machine. Keeping on top of tech news can be a great way to help your employer. Knowing the common Catalina problems people are finding, for example, could save your bosses a lot of headaches when they are looking to upgrade. Along with this, you could also think about learning to use common tools like Excel.
Smaller businesses won’t have the benefit of massive teams, and will rely on their core workforce to get much of their work done. Of course, while this saves money, it also means that the skills within the business are the only ones available. Having a deeper understanding of technology will be essential when you work in a place like this. Being able to remove viruses, replace components, and choose good software will all play a role in this, but you should also be able to use the machines for your regular work.
Teaching
Being a teacher is never easy. Countless people have tried this sort of job throughout history and found that they simply can’t do it, and this can often get harder when you’re trying to pass knowledge in a professional environment. This skill is important as a lot of companies rely on peer-training to get their new recruits up to speed within a business. While this saves money, it also provides the benefit of throwing them into the job very quickly, and this can make it easier for them to start being productive without having to get used to their environment slowly.
Good teachers tend to share a few different traits, with patience being the most crucial among them. Without this, it will be hard to spend hours working on the same employees to make sure that they are in the right position. Along with patience, you will also need to be a good communicator, have a strong understanding of the role you’re performing, and enjoy passing on information, though these are all things which you can develop over time. You don’t need to go to school to learn how to teach like this; most people can teach themselves on the job.
Legal
The law has become increasingly important for businesses of all sizes, with the digital world making it easier for companies to be scrutinised. With even the smallest rules broken, word can get out very quickly, and this is something which most employers will want to avoid. When you first start working for a large company, they will usually cover their backs by giving you some basic compliance training. This will teach you what you need to know to avoid getting into trouble. Smaller companies may rely on their knowledge of their employees, though, and this will mean that you have to build your own understanding of privacy laws and corporate compliance.
Diplomacy
Over time, modern workplaces have become more and more dense with employees. As companies are having to make cuts, the space which each person has is reducing, and this can cause a lot of trouble for some workers. Of course, no boss will be happy to see their team arguing with one another, and this makes it crucial that people are on hand to resolve issues like this before they cause problems for the business. Having diplomacy skills can help with this. Not only will this make it easier for you to avoid conflict yourself, but it will mean that you are able to resolve the problems other people have with one another.
Communication
There isn’t much time for waiting around in the fast-paced jobs a lot of people find themselves working in. This makes clear communication crucial, and you need to be able to handle this over a variety of different platforms. It can be quite obvious when poor communication is bottlenecking a business, with people noticing quickly when it takes a long time for you to reply to emails or give information which people need to hear. The sort of areas you should focus on can be found below.
Talking: Telephone calls aren’t as common as they used to be, but you will still end up talking to a lot of people during an average day at work. As a big part of this, you will need to make sure that you are able to be understood clearly while you talk, along with avoiding using too many words. There’s nothing wrong with talking a lot, but this should never be allowed to get in the way of your work.
Writing: While it is a lot more common than it used to be, a lot of people still struggle to handle written communication professionally. Is you find this hard, the best way to approach it can be to keep your mind on simplicity, giving the answers people want and not much more. Of course, though, it’s worth considering the rapport you have with team members while doing this. Most companies use emails, and some will also use SMS and instant messenger to keep their employees in touch.
Working in a modern business is very different to what people had to do in the past. Technology has merged a lot of roles, giving people more tasks, while also making each of them a lot easier. Of course, though, this means that you have to make yourself stand out when you’re looking for a new role, and this will mean learning as many skills as you possibly can to benefit those who might employee you.
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