Fewer than 10% of people go into college sure of what they want to do with their career. Nevertheless, the moment you graduate from high school, it’s your responsibility to start looking for a career. You need a career that you can use to support yourself. In addition, you need the skills that will make that career possible.
This is easier said than done for many people, particularly given that the cost of college credits is so high.
The notion of investing heavily in an education that doesn’t even have a predefined destination can feel stressful.
Fortunately, there are many skills that have a distinct and transferable value regardless of where you actually wind up. In this article, we focus on those abilities.
Overview
It’s always a good idea to look for specific career applications anytime you’re considering investing in a new skill.
There are so many options out there that few people have the time or the money to directionlessly acquire new degrees, certifications, and abilities. That said, you can also learn a lot about yourself by dabbling.
The key is to make high-leverage choices when it comes to upskilling. Below we look at abilities and methods that can open a wide range of doors.
Communication
Communication is an invaluable skill because it is used in nearly every career path. Surgeons are communicative, business executives are communicative, clerks at Target are communicative.
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or where you’re going. The ability to clearly express your thoughts in a way that is simultaneously respectful and efficient is a genuinely valuable and differentiating skill that will look good on a resume, particularly when you are able to back it up with measurable evidence.
For example, it’s useful to be able to point to things that are specific. For example, consider previous workflows where communication was important.
How did you handle that aspect of the work? If you can describe it succinctly and clearly, it will look much better on your resume than simply saying strong communication skills.
Time Management
Time management means being able to get to work on time and complete a predefined list of tasks within the appropriate time frame.
However, there are sublayers to this skill that have additional value. Being able to triage tasks based on importance is something that any hiring party will take interest in.
Look for situations where you can demonstrate not just an ability to do things in a timely manner, but where you stick to deadlines despite complications and unexpected variables. This flexibility is the challenging component of time management. Also, it’s the one that will distinguish you the most as an applicant.
Leadership
At face value, leadership is a skill that many people find both elusive and difficult to define. This is particularly true for those who have yet to have been in an official leadership role. That said, there are absolutely things you can do, even within basic school projects. These actions will help you develop and hone your abilities as a leader.
One of those ways is simply to take a proactive attitude toward work, recognise your own abilities within group projects, volunteer for work you are good at, and look for ways to bring out the best in other people’s efforts as well. Ultimately, this is all that leadership is anyway.
From a resume perspective, it’s again important to be as specific as possible. Don’t just say you’re a strong leader; describe in no more than a sentence or two what specific things you do to help other people achieve their best results.
Developing Credentials Alongside Skills
Remember that it’s not just about what you can do, but what you can prove. A strong resume is less about buzzwords and more about verifiable information. It can be hard to even know how to develop a resume when you aren’t sure what type of work you want to be doing in the first place. However, once you determine that your goal is to prioritise high-leverage skills that stay evergreen on a resume, the next steps tend to become simpler. The goal becomes finding verifiable ways to showcase your abilities.
That could mean volunteering. It could mean signing up for extracurriculars, participating in clubs, making an impression in class. Yes, that means it does matter what your professors think of you. This is true at least if you’re hoping to back your resume up with the right set of recommendation letters.
If you want to prove that you’re a leader, join a club where you can occupy a leadership role. If you want to demonstrate your communication abilities and your time management skills, volunteer for projects. These projects will allow you to showcase them.
And as you select classes, look for ones that can be applicable to a wide variety of different jobs and careers. A basic business understanding is always going to be useful for people interested in white-collar work. Also, sub-skills involving data or technology will always be helpful as well.
At the end of the day, you don’t need to know exactly what you’re trying to do with the rest of your life when you’re 18. You just need to have a willingness to work hard at the right things. Remember that where you start is not where you’ll end up. It’s extremely common for people to change careers and change jobs many times throughout the course of their career. Focus on getting your foot in the door. Often, the rest will take care of itself.
What You Can Do Today
Obviously, the notion of upskilling is easier said than done. There is no expectation for you to immediately start pursuing clubs and charitable organisations that are willing to let you start racking up demonstrable skills today. An easier first step is to start thinking about what you like to do with your time.
You don’t have to have a specific job in mind if no ideas are coming naturally to you. However, even simple things like whether you would prefer to stand or sit at work can start to lead you in the right direction. Office or blue-collar, customer-facing or internal, lots of work with others, or self-guided tasks. Do you prefer to get your hands dirty, or help bring out the best in other people? Do you want to work on-site or from home?
Even these basic questions can help narrow your field of interest and potentially help you decide what you want to learn and how you want to learn it. Again, you don’t have to have it all figured out today, but each step you do take is progress.
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