Cultivating Skills That Will Set You Apart

These days, employers can afford to be choosy when it comes to hiring employees, and it's no longer enough to simply have the job skills they're looking for. To really make an impression, you need to cultivate expertise in areas that will make you stand out from the competition. Here are four skills to develop that may help you land the job.

Project Management: All companies need people who can manage projects from start to finish. While many people are capable of handling their individual projects, most do not know how to scale those job skills and become a person who can lead a team towards achieving company goals. Those who are able to cultivate this skill, though, typically enjoy higher pay and better job security. One way to invest in project management skills development is to take college courses. Another option is to gradually increase the size of your projects until you're overseeing others.

Conflict Management: Conflict is a natural part of human interactions. Even two people who think it's awesome to work together will inevitably butt heads at least once in awhile. Being skilled at managing conflict and diffusing tense situations is one that will serve you well throughout your career and something employers crave, particularly in this era of Twitter and Facebook. You can learn conflict resolution skills by taking college courses. There are also numerous seminars and books dedicated to helping people develop job skills in this area.

Adaptability: Change often happens rapidly. One moment a company is number one in its industry, and in the next moment, it's on the verge of bankruptcy. Although that's an extreme example, it illustrates one of the most important job skills you can have: adaptability. This means being able to adjust quickly to changes that occur. Additionally, being able to spot opportunities in those changes can really make a great impression on employers. Adaptability is a mindset, but it is something that can be learned if you're willing to move out of your comfort zone.

Technology Skills: No matter what your ultimate career goals are, having skills in some area of technology will put you far ahead of your competition without these job skills. The world becomes more and more dependent on technology each day, making it almost a requirement that a person invest in skills development in this area. You don't have go back to school and earn a degree in the field, but taking a few classes in IT or software and web development can be immensely helpful in getting employers to notice you.

These four job skills are only the tip of the iceberg of things you can learn that will help you stand out to potential employers. Talking to a job counselor can help you uncover others that may be equally useful.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)