UPSKILLING TALENT As employers and employees optimize work arrangements, Jobstreet says hiring candidates, need to upgrade skills to stay competitive this 2023. —Contributed photo
Maica Aquinde, 23, graduated with a marketing degree from a well-known university in Metro Manila in September of 2022, with her eyes set this year to get her first job and her first taste of the corporate world.
She says she feels anxious but excited at the same time, a potent mix of emotions resulting from a major life transition from four years of being a university student to finally becoming a career woman in a big city.
“We were taught what to prepare back in college, like how to write your resume or what it’s like to be in an interview. But since it’s my first time to get a job, it would be helpful to know what employers are looking for these days,” she says, when asked what aspects of real-life work she would like to know more about before diving into the country’s labor pool.
Aquinde is but one among the many Filipinos who will likely join tens of millions in the country’s work force this year, competing for a job in a world that has seen wage and income erosion, job losses and a fall in employment quality, making the competition for quality jobs more apparent than ever.
Despite these setbacks, online job platform JobStreet believes that 2023 will be an interesting year for the job market, amid the evolving work environment and the growing demand for hybrid work setups.
As employers and employees optimize work arrangements, Jobstreet says hiring candidates, likewise, need to upgrade their skills to stay competitive this year.
Jobstreet listed five soft skills that it believes will enable people who are looking to jumpstart their career or land that new job and get a competitive advantage this 2023.
1. Digital literacy
In today’s modern world, JobStreet says that digital literacy is critical and that employers prefer jobseekers who are able to use and work with digital tools and devices.
Because of this, jobseekers are encouraged to upgrade their digital skills, as gaining such essential skills opens a lot of opportunities.
Free digital courses, increasing one’s online presence, learning emerging digital platforms, and staying updated on tech trends, among others, are some of the things that jobseekers can consider to achieve this.
2. Adaptability
“The world is so unpredictable. We learned that very well with the recent global pandemic that took us all by surprise. As industries evolve, it matters not who is the most skilled in the field, but more so, who can adapt quickly,” says JobStreet Philippines country manager Philip Gioca.
“Since trends and demands from different careers change over time, candidates who are in for the challenge and can pivot immediately have a great advantage,” he adds.
According to JobStreet, hiring managers value candidates who are able to adapt to changes in processes and operations, modify plans when necessary, learn new tools and technologies, and welcome new roles and responsibilities.
3. Interpersonal skills
After the widespread quarantine and social distancing protocols brought about the pandemic, JobStreet says that jobseekers should refresh their interpersonal skills.
Interpersonal skills help create meaningful and strong working relationships among colleagues, as well as improve the productivity and morale of the entire team.
For starters, JobStreet advises jobseekers to embrace team assignments or projects, become active listeners to seniors and colleagues and have empathy and support in every way possible to help them grow.
4. Ability to multi-task
“More often than not, performing several tasks simultaneously and successfully is a valuable skill sought by hirers. However, mastering how to multitask can be tricky when done the wrong way, especially for people who find it difficult to work in-between tasks,” JobStreet says.
To practice this effectively, JobStreet suggests that jobseekers must list down the tasks, identify the most urgent items and focus on what’s most important at a time while keeping track of other tasks.
“Remember to not do multiple challenging tasks at once as it may lead to not accomplishing anything at all,” JobStreet adds.
5. Time management skill
JobStreet says that time management is also a major skill that contributes to productivity and is desired by many employers, hence, one of the things that jobseekers should master.
Citing in particular companies with hybrid work setups, JobStreet says that hiring managers are looking for candidates who can efficiently manage their tasks and deliver quality work according to timelines.
“It helps to create your plan and organize your tasks for the day,” JobStreet says. But it points out that people should not forget to give themselves scheduled breaks to minimize stress and fatigue.