What Skills Will You Gain?
Both technical and soft skills are crucial to your career success. Here are 5 workplace skills gained through work experience! Many skills are job-specific, however your role in any workplace will benefit with an understanding of these five universal truths. Consider the list that follows and make notes of the similarities and the differences of similar situtations from your military career that line up with each!
1. Commercial awareness
Commercial awareness is industry-specific, and gaining a general understanding of how sectors run and operate will ease your transition into the workplace. If cybersecurity is your career of choice, and you have no prior experience working in that sector, how do you become commercially aware? First, stay up to date with latest trends through reading, research, podcasts, and YouTube videos. Knowledge of how your chosen industry works gives you a clear indication of your suitability for that environment and a working knowledge that you can exhibit in your interviews. Also, hands-on experience through a capstone project or internship assignment provides insight on the decision-making processes within the business and how a company’s culture may influence your choice to accept an offer of employment.
2. Practical skills
The software systems and tools to which you will be exposed will depend upon your chosen profession. However, some required skills will remain the same regardless of the industry. For example, basic IT skills such as the Microsoft Office Suite is essential. For those entering software development and cybersecurity, becoming familiar with technology terms and more advanced formulas and capabilities is essential. As with commercial awareness, research, podcasts, and YouTube will help you gain those practical skills.
3. Negotiation skills
Agreements with employers, coworkers, or outside parties over minor and even major issues are at times necessary. Learning the art of negotiation in the workplace is key. Preparation for negotiation involves researching both sides of the issue and is followed by building the skills that will support your arguments while maintaining a positive tone. Being able to successfully negotiate, create a mutual understanding, and solve a problem can ultimately be highly beneficial for workplace success.
4. Business etiquette
Professional and business etiquette is not readily taught in a classroom — it is the behavioural guidelines that are learned through onsite training, observation, and imitation. Office dress code, office politics, and communication protocols (both online and in person) are skills that are acquired by being attentive and engaged in the workplace. Be aware of how your potential employer’s office operates, and how people communicate, from the first interaction to the interview. This could set you apart from your peers when it comes to making a positive first impression.
5. Networking
Regardless of your position in the organization, you have an opportunity to make an impression on others. This is the time to think about how to create and develop professional relationships with coworkers, managers, and clients — a skill that you will use for the duration of your career. Done well, it can lead to a multitude of opportunities. As you progress in your career, you will be amazed at how important these connections can be; hands-on experience supports cultivation of valuable networking skills.
Finding a mentor early in your new career should be at the top of your to do list!