We know that the pandemic has turned the world upside down. What we don’t know is the social and economic impact it will have on the future. However, one thing is for certain: as organisations make their way out of this crisis, they will need employees who are agile, resilient, and prepared for the post-pandemic job market. What are the skills that employers are currently looking for and how can you develop them?

Digital Skills

Exponential growth in technology has enabled organisations to achieve fast, efficient, and reliable results, thereby boosting profits. As companies increasingly take advantage of tech-driven solutions, a certain degree of technical skill will be desirable for all roles across industries.

Jeni Brown, Training Manager at LSE’s Digital Skills Lab advises:

“There are basic skills that sometimes get overlooked by students, which fall under the ‘productivity’ heading. These are things like using Excel accurately to do calculations, collaboration tools like Teams/Slack and SharePoint, or working with Outlook to do diary management. These are the foundation of most jobs, and students often assume they know how to do it all without really exploring how those tools work in a business context”.

As more and more data is generated every day, data management and analysis are becoming essential skills for all roles. Jeni adds:

“Students need to know how to work with datasets and tell accurate and compelling stories through visualisation. Tools like PowerBI and Tableau do this, or for more advanced analysis, coding languages like Python and R have powerful visualisation and analysis tools.”

Another essential skill is the broad understanding of how technologies work. Students and professionals don’t need to understand how to do everything, but they should understand the core and emerging technologies in their fields and basic concepts around security, workflow, usability, and governance. Taking time to explore and engage with these technologies in university can lay a strong foundation for continuous learning and adapting as tech develops in the future.

To keep up with the latest technologies in the field, you can sign up to blogs and newsletters, follow Twitter Groups such as R Ladies and take part in online challenges to brush up a skill that you want to master. “I’m personally a huge fan of the MIT Technology Review – you can sign up to their daily newsletter and get a lot of free content that way to keep abreast of what’s new in tech”, says Jeni.

The LSE Digital Skills Lab runs various courses and workshops that can help you learn new technologies as well as techniques to use these technologies most efficiently. You can get hands-on experience on a large variety of tools such as R, Python, Excel, VBA, SPSS, Stata, NVivo for both professional as well as research work. The Library offers access to masses of data, as well as tools and advice on using that data effectively. They also offer great support for information literacy – how to find and evaluate information online. Academic departments also offer discipline-specific support and training on how to creatively and effectively use specific tools within your area of study.

Social and Emotional Skills

Maintaining strong professional ties, despite distances, would be one of the most crucial skills that employers will look for. The ability to work in teams, communicate ideas effectively, resolve conflicts, and influence decision making will become even more desirable for all roles and industries. University is a great time to develop these skills by participating in competitions, group activities, societies, and projects. Being an active participant in LSE’s activities will not just help you build effective communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills but will also help you build a strong network of bright, like-minded students who can have a lasting impact on your future. Take advantage of LSE’s diverse and vibrant student community by participating in LSESU societies and activities, volunteering, taking part in LSE Generate’s programme for entrepreneurs and innovators, student research conferences, LSE Change Makers and academic department-specific activities.

Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive skills include the ability to learn, process and apply knowledge, analyse and reason, and evaluate and decide. Problem-solving and critical thinking are two of the most under-rated skills, and crucial to excelling in any role. You can build these skills by participating in research conferences, showcasing and publishing your work, or taking part in department-specific activities like the Statistics Practitioner’s Challenge.

Adaptability

The pandemic has required us to constantly adapt to new situations, challenges, and experiences. Therefore, anyone who can display adaptability, resilience, and flexibility would be extremely desirable for any role and industry in the post-pandemic world. As the world continues to evolve in terms of techniques, technology, and the social and physical environment, you too can learn to keep pace by developing a growth mindset. Be open to new challenges, embrace change and grab every opportunity that can help you learn and grow. Keep an eye out for LSE Careers workshops, events, and presentations via the LSE Career Hub to keep up with the latest developments in a career of your interest, to upskill yourself, and network with employers and LSE alumni.