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Top 5 Skills To Acquire In 2021 The epidemic has made many companies realize the need for professionals with well-defined skills. Organizations are selecting and will continue to select, versatile candidates

By Shivang Saxena

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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The year 2020 will be remembered as a different one as it shook the entire world. Every aspect of the ecosystem has undergone fundamental changes, especially business operations. While on the one hand, many industries have seen a decline leading to job losses, many sectors, on the other hand, in key categories of goods and services, such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, e-commerce, edtech, FMCG, etc., continue to grow and create more opportunities in these industries.

While industries are now re-establishing, the skills in employees they are looking for has undergone change. The epidemic has made many companies realize the need for professionals with well-defined skills. Organizations are selecting and will continue to select, versatile candidates. The COVID-19 epidemic has ushered in a new era that has accelerated the adoption of digital integration as organizations around the world have considered business models and performance patterns to keep pace. Future employees will also be expected to work from home; they will need not only to be digitally competent but also will have to work harder.

IT and cyber security

New technological challenges for long-term digital transformation have retained much-needed IT and technology skills as we enter 2021.

Year 2020 saw a gap between the IT needs of companies and the skills of staff as they had to deal with major changes in technology. During the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, companies around the world reported spending $15 billion a week in line with the changing technology needs of new employees.

Another major challenge was the growing need for robust and current cyber security systems. Throughout the epidemic, there has been an 83 per cent increase in attacks of identity theft and other 62 per cent cases of malware. In response to this increase in cyber threats, 35 per cent of companies now make hiring cyber security professionals the most important thing.

Some of the most needed skills in the IT/tech space include cloud computing, AI and machine learning, blockchain, reality and additional reality, user-experience design and mobile application development.

For those with less experience than technology, it will still be important to get an overview and learn the basics of many of these areas. They represent major trends that will have a significant impact on all sectors of the economy in the future.

Video and audio production

Unless you're sitting under a rock, you've probably noticed a rise in Instagram reels and well-produced TikTok videos by 2020. While some of you may think that your unusual TikTok game gets there, I'm sorry to say you have to be better than that.

The demand for video marketing content is high. Research shows that 54 per cent of consumers want to see more video content from companies and products they are interested in. Video plays an important role in marketing and consumer choice, with 87 per cent of advertising groups using video products. Video marketing works mainly within the technical space, where 80 per cent of consumers purchase an app or piece of software after watching a video from this product.

As video is strictly critical, and it becomes the most important thing for companies to manage in-house video production. Respecting your video production skills is a great way to isolate yourself and show action, especially if you work for a small company that does not have a dedicated creative or marketing department.

The demand for audio production skills has also increased, as has the growing number of podcasts. A staggering 36 per cent of people worldwide watched the podcast over the past month, and nearly a quarter of podcast listeners began listening to the past six months.

So if your product or business does not work in a podcast ecosystem, now is the time to go inside. And what better way to incorporate ideas into your band than to your newly acquired sound production skills?

Foreign languages and translations

We operate within a growing global economy. This has created a great need for multilingualism, as well as a need for in-house translators with translation skills.

A survey of US employers found that among companies that rely on foreign language reports, one-third reported that their employees did not meet their foreign language needs. In addition, one quarter admitted that they could not pursue business opportunities because their employees could not meet the required translation requirements.

In US companies, skilled workers in Chinese, Spanish and French are in great demand.

Need more encouragement? Foreign language skills will enable you to become more competitive in the job market. Research has found that speaking a second language can add 10-15 per cent to your income.

But do not worry about calling your mom and asking her to remove the dust from your 11-year-old Spanish book. There are many tools that just click to help you acquire new language skills, or take your second language to the next level.

Data and statistical analysis

The experts are excited: data game name in many industries by 2021.

For an example of how data drives business options, consider Netflix. Netflix has developed sophisticated data creation based on consumer viewing options, and has used the results to drive content purchases to match consumer preferences. With this successful use of data, Netflix was able to increase its value by $50 billion by 2020.

When you think of advertising, you might think of Don Draper in a smoky room thinking about the "feel" of a product. But these days, marketing is all about metrics, and building targeted and focused numbers.

Data analysis has become a major factor in marketing and advertising, with 40 per cent of companies planning to grow data-driven marketing budgets and three-quarters of market leaders making decisions focused on data analysis.

Nowadays, data is where it all starts, and the ability to collect and interpret data will be a major asset in your work. Here are some ways in which you can improve your skills in this sensitive area:

Incorporating Data Analytics in Marketing is a free Coursera course taught by Sung Won Kim at the University of Illinois.

Mathematical Introduction: Evil offers this free eight-week study from Stanford.

Fundamentals of Data Analysis: This University course of Texas-taught EdX course will provide you with a solid foundation for mathematical and data analysis, and teach you how to use R, a common data analysis system.

Composing creativity

With our last ability, we are going to throw the ball around you. You may have expected a tough skill here, but intelligence is one of the most important skills that a candidate or job candidate can demonstrate. It should be an important skill, given that 94 per cent of managers agree that it is important to make a difference when considering a candidate.

And of course, very few of us take the time to build on our intelligence. As evidence of this, 78 per cent of college-educated professionals over the age of 25 said they wished they had the ability to create.

In our opinion, this number just won't work! We are not a believer that you were born with a certain amount of art. We don't think of intelligence as a gift, but as a skill that can be developed if you are willing to apply for a job.

Now how can you increase your intelligence? For many of us who already have hobbies such as writing or drawing, it can be as simple as recording the right time to devote to these things. But maybe you've been in a creative situation, and you can't find the right place to get creative juice flowing.

If that sounds like you, here are some ideas to get started:

  • Renovate the room in your house and in your house. Start from the beginning, choose a new color, look for new decorations to make things look good. This does not have to mean spending a lot of money; a can of paint and other carefully applied materials will go a long way. This type of work will challenge you to identify new opportunities, almost like dealing with an old problem with a brand new solution.

Take the online drawing section. Drawing is a great way to get a new perspective. The drawing practice will help you see things in a new light, realistic! We all need to move our inner crèche at some point to feel alive, right?

Shivang Saxena

Freelance writer

Shivang Saxena is a New Delhi-based writer-entrepreneur. Reading, writing & entrepreneur-ing always. He's the founder of The Words Vibe. A platform for newbie writers to hone their skills. He's also working with his first book called, "Too Many Thoughts, Too Many People" which is due to get published by end of 2021. 

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