The Job-Specific Skills Employers Want in 2022 

The terms “job-specific skills” and “essential skills” come up a lot in the professional landscape, especially when people are looking for a job or want a promotion. Regardless of the stage of career development one is in they want to be working on developing both sets of skills. Essential skills include many different interpersonal skills, such as leadership, that can be used across a variety of industries, whereas job-specific skills relate more to profession-related duties and abilities. Developed through education, training, on the job and with practice, job-specific skills are pivotal to success in the workplace.  

According to Indeed.com and Forbes, communication and technological skills top the list when it comes to must-have job-specific proficiencies.  

Communication – Professional writing, research, and using different platforms of digital communication — these are all parts of communication that fall under job-specific skills employers are looking for. With platforms like Slack, Trello, Monday, and other digital project management and team communication tools, it is vital to understand how to effectively communicate.  

Computer and Technology Skills – We live in a technologically advancing world, and understanding how to use technology is a skill that is necessary to succeed in just about any workplace. Regardless of business or industry, understanding basics like writing emails, navigating the internet, social media, using different software, are must-have skills. This can mean learning new things on a regular basis and being able to navigate through new platforms, devices, and software quickly.  

Data – Understanding data, how it works, and the pivotal role it plays for many organizations is another must-have in today’s professional market. Data analysis, data management, data mining, database management, research, understanding web analytics is an area of huge demand that spans across a wide variety of industry, from business to healthcare.

Project Management – Project management means more than simply hitting deadlines. Organization, writing, planning, negotiation, leadership. delegation, time management, follow through, these all fall under project management.  

Web Development and Coding – Learning how to harness the web includes knowing how to code. Understanding how things like building websites, developing blockchain, CCS and HTML, graphic user interfaces, JavaScript, application programming interface, IOS and android development, web architecture and more. There is a lot to learn, and it is all relevant when it comes to hard skills that will be of benefit to one’s professional journey. Artificial Intelligence is also an area that is growing rapidly and is predicted to grow leaps and bounds over the next few years. Machine learning, computer vision, programming languages, and understanding frameworks all fall under hard skills that are growing in demand.    

Marketing – Businesses large and small need to tackle marketing and are looking for individuals who are skilled in the areas of copywriting, email marking, search engine marketing, Google analytics, content management systems, A/B testing, research, and the list goes on.  

Design – Design is a huge area of hard skills that are highly relevant to today’s professional landscape. Design is an immense part of technology marketing, advertising etc., and there is a lot to learn, from using platforms like Adobe Creative Suite, to understanding graphic design, user experience (UX) design, photo editing, video editing, and more.  

Job skills take time to develop. They often require training and practice, however, are well worth the time and effort. The University of Denver offers specific degrees and programs of study, as well as continuing education courses through University College, providing opportunities for professionals in any stage of career development to learn and perfect top in-demand job-specific skills. Learn more here!  

Article by Danielle DeGroot, University College Writer