A skillset is your ability to complete a task in a given amount of time. It involves the knowledge you have already gained and can apply to a project.
Employers today are moving away from hiring one person for every specialized position. Instead, they are looking for staff who have a broad skillset and can perform multiple duties within the organization. This saves the company money and time.
And if you aren’t hired with a diverse skillset, you may be asked to obtain additional skills once employed. In fact, many companies are asking their current employees to expand their knowledge and skills based on the needs of the company, rather than hiring someone new.
Employers are looking for people with both soft and hard skillsets.
Soft Vs. Hard Skillsets
Skillsets can include both soft and hard skills. Soft skills refer to interpersonal skills and they often determine how well you can relate to others. Examples include communication, flexibility, time management and problem solving.
Soft skills can be learned but mostly tend to come naturally. They can be compared to personality traits or innate talents. While you can put soft skillsets on your resume, they are more difficult to show to an employer who is interviewing you for a job.
It’s important you be able to share examples from times that you have used soft skills. And you will need to continue to show these abilities while on the job.
Hard skills are those you have been taught and you have proof that you learned them. Proof can come in the form of a diploma, class completion certificate, or achievement letter. Examples include the results of a typing exam, computer programming certificates, licenses, or speaking a second language.
Having a diverse hard skillset has many benefits, especially when working within one industry.
Diverse Skillsets Add Value
Every employee wants to feel valued on the job. Having a diverse skillset gives you this value. The more duties you can perform, the more needed you will be to an organization. For example, if a person has the hard skills of a marketing degree, combined with the soft skills of leadership and teamwork, you will be able to perform many tasks.
You can supervise and lead others, as well as implement marketing plans, analyze data, and help promote and sell products or services.
Having a specialized skill is still important but having a diverse set of specialty skills makes you more valuable.
Diverse Skillsets Motivate and Engage
When you are equipped with multiple skillsets, you can avoid getting bored on the job. Those with one specialized skillset may be excellent workers but get burned out on repetitive tasks. Yet, they do not have any other tasks they are able to complete.
Diverse skillsets allow you the variety within a job that can keep you engaged and excited to complete tasks. This variety keeps you motivated because each day on the job may be different, bringing new challenges.
Diverse Skillsets Make You Adaptable
Being an employee who can adapt to many work situations is desired in today’s market. Executives and leaders are looking for staff who can be assigned to a variety of work projects without the need to provide training or hire additional help.
Having diverse skillsets means you can adapt to the needs of the company. For example, if you have a business degree, you can perform tasks in areas such as marketing, management, accounting, finance, sales and more.
Your employer will feel comfortable moving you among departments because you have the skills to meet the needs of each.
Diverse Skillsets May Lead to More Pay
Having diverse skillsets does not mean you will automatically get more money for a job than your competitor. However, it does give you more ammunition when you go to request more pay for the duties you perform.
Once you have built a strong resume and have proven yourself within the company, you will have numerous examples of how having your diverse skillset has benefited the organization. This is what you can use to ask for an increase in pay.
If your company does not see your value, then you can use this same information to apply for a higher paying job with another organization.
You may also want to start a side job with your diverse skillset. You could provide consultation services to non-competitors within the industry. Or, you could have a home-based business after hours and on the weekends.
There are many entrepreneurial opportunities available when you have a diverse skillset.
Diverse Skillsets Help You Leave a Job
Everyone would like to find their perfect job at the beginning of their career, work there until retirement, and leave with a great pension that will support them until they die. This happens less and less with each year.
People are switching jobs, seeking better opportunities much more frequently. Some reports show the rate of people changing jobs is higher than ever, with some claiming to change jobs every two or three years.
If this is true, having a diverse skillset is only going to help you when changing jobs. It could possibly give you that edge over other candidates fighting for the same job.
When you are interviewing for a new job, make sure you emphasize your diverse skillset and provide examples of how your skillset can benefit their company specifically.
In conclusion, having a diverse skillset has many benefits professionally. It also can benefit you personally. Learning useful skills and knowledge can give you personal confidence that is needed on the job. Knowledge truly can be empowering.
There are many ways to acquire a diverse skillset. Professional training opportunities within your company, attending conferences, and specialized continuing education.
One of the best ways is to attend your local college who offers certification and fast-track training programs in your specialty area, keeping you up-to-date on the latest improvements that can benefit your company and keep you valuable to the organization.
