21 Job Skills That Will Increase Your Salary

You know you’re a valuable member of the team, the workplace just wouldn’t be the same without you; you’re positive, organised, reliable, a problem solver ... The list goes on; but what happens when it’s salary review time, how do these prized traits come into play? The good news is these skills are valuable!

While technical skills will always be important, soft skills (just think of these as the opposite of technical skills) are becoming increasingly valued in employment today. Guy Berger, an economist at LinkedIn, wrote on the company's blog that "hard skills vary based on the job, but soft skills are required for every job ... That makes soft skills extremely valuable."

Teamwork, problem solving, strategic thinking, leadership; these are part of the important skills that employers and recruiters are seeking. Business Insider Australia shared that 63% of surveyed hiring managers on LinkedIn say they find it harder to recruit professionals with soft skills; 65% stated that not being able to find these skills limits productivity.

The proof is in the pudding and corporate giants KMPG and PricewaterhouseCoopers would agree, telling The Sunday Age “soft skills were now valued more than technical ability.”

Yes, while your job requires a certain set of expertise, below is 21 highly sought-after and valued skills that will really pay off in any workforce.

RELIABLE

Basically, you’re not pulling a sickie every other day. You show up to work and are ready to work – reliability goes hand in hand with a strong work ethic.

STRATEGIC THINKING

Strategic thinking involves high-level thinking. Put your exec hat on and really think how your role can help the business and offer maximum value.

PUNCTUAL

No one wants to be that person strolling through the door 20 minutes late each morning, or the last one to show at every meeting. Being punctual projects professionalism and commitment.

PROBLEM SOLVER

Use logic, reasoning, past experiences and available resources to resolve issues.

AUTONOMOUS

You get the job done without the need for hand-holding!

TAKE CHANCES

Sitting back and staying stagnant will get you nowhere. While taking some chances may lead to failure, many often lead to success, so take a leap of faith and don’t be afraid to be bold.

LEADERSHIP

Demonstrating leadership shows you are ready to step up to the plate - you motivate and inspire without being overly dominating.

ONE TEAM

Employers always want their employees to play well together. It’s important that you can adapt to different personalities and be aware of others’ strengths and weaknesses.

INNOVATE

Be ambitious and spawn creative ideas that generate great things for you, your team and your workplace.

COMMUNICATION

You don’t have to be the best writer or presenter, what’s important is that you express yourself well. Ensure open lines of communication and offer feedback that is honest and helpful.

POSITIVITY

No one likes a Debbie Downer. Maintain that positivity and upbeat energy you had on day one, and create an environment that’s motivating for you and your teammates.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

You can never stop learning, change is continual, and it’s important to grow and build on your abilities. "Learn continually – there’s always “one more thing” to learn!" – Steve Jobs

GOOD DECISION-MAKING

The World Economic Forum recently released a Future of Jobs report, which predicts that by 2020, the ability to make sound judgements and decisions will be one of the most desired skills by employers.

ORGANISED

Plan, implement and execute tasks within your allocated deadline (or even before – bonus!)

DETAIL ORIENTED

You’re a stickler for the finer details, always sure to dot your “i’s” and cross all your “t’s”

CONFIDENCE

A healthy level of confidence will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and allow you to achieve new goals. Need to up your confidence? Check out how here.

HONESTY

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters” - Albert Einstein. Being open and transparent with your employer shows great integrity and allows for better communication. #respect

TENACITY

When the going gets tough ... you stay exactly where you are! Keep calm and remain determined to get the job done.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is a critical part in any workplace! Being able to effectively manage your time and prioritise tasks will have a huge impact on your productivity. See 11 tips how to better your time management here.

DRIVE

Make things happen! You want to push yourself and always looking for better ways to get the task done.

MODEST

Don’t take yourself too seriously and be sure to remain humble. Remember, nobody likes a show off!

Be sure to recall all the details for these in-demand soft skills and seamlessly integrate them into your career story when you have that all important talk with your manager. 

Specialised recruitment agency, Robert Half state that “Soft skills have evolved in recent years from ‘nice-to-have’ to ‘need-to-have’ competencies”, they go on to reiterate that “It is crucial for professionals at all levels to continually develop and refine their soft skills throughout their career, which clearly shows an employer their willingness to go above and beyond the job description and add measurable value to their role and the company.”
So when it comes time to have that often dreaded conversation, ensure you’re well equipped with the soft skills that’ll help up your pay. Remember, your tech skills may have landed you the job but it’s some of these soft skills that have helped you keep it!

Boosting your soft skills not only makes you more valuable in the workplace, it can make you an even better version of you outside of work. #winning

So do you have the skills to pay the bills?

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