What technical skills are recruiters looking for and how can you develop them?

If you are looking for a job, you should know what the most in-demand skills are. It is important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are and try to improve on them.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for this, but there are plenty of resources out there that can help you out.

There is a lot of information about how to get hired and what technical skills employers look for the most. But it can be difficult to find the right balance between soft skills and hard skills. It is important to have both, but it’s also important to know which ones will be more beneficial in your specific case.

What are technical skills?

Technical skills are those abilities that are needed to fulfill job-specific tasks. These are practical skills that generally involve tools or technology, unlike soft skills which are more personal skills like time management, flexibility, leadership, teamwork skills, and so on.

These skills are learned overtime from experience and performing certain tasks or using certain tools. These skills are needed in almost every industry. They can include things like knowing how to use Google Drive or social media, but also include programming, video creation or troubleshooting, Cloud/SaaS services, and much more. 

Technical skills tend to need training or specific education to develop these abilities. 

What technical skills are most recruiters looking for?

1. Coding & programming

While they may seem like the same thing, coding and programming are two different processes. 

Coding, also known as computer programming, is how you can communicate with computers. In simple terms, the coder is a translator. They translate instructions from human language to a language that the computer can comprehend.

The code tells a computer what to do or how to behave. This specific language used to communicate with the device is called a programming language, such as Java or Python, for example.

Programming, on the other hand, is creating the instructions that will be given to the machine that coders will then translate. This is one of the most in-demand skills in general.

Any piece of software, whether it’s an app, website, video game, and so on, is written by a programmer. 

These two skills aren’t going anywhere. As new technologies arise, having these skills will make you stand out as a candidate. Luckily, coding and the basics of programming are fairly easy to learn. They can also be quite engaging and allow you to be creative.

2. Data analysis

Data analysis is working with data to extract any kind of information that can be useful to make future decisions. It can help companies predict trends and figure out what products or services would be hits on the market. This gives them an edge over their competitors. 

Companies won’t make decisions without knowing about the pros and cons and possible outcomes, making this skill crucial to the success of a business. 

Data analysts have to come up with a question that will then need to be measured and solved. They then collect the raw data from client relationship management (CRMs) softwares or other sources. 

They then clean the data, in order to fully analyze the information. The data is analyzed by looking for patterns, trends and correlations to then interpret the results.

Finally, they see if the data answered their original question and figure out what steps they need to take based on the information.

3. Project management

Project management skills are a mix of mastering soft skills such as leadership and being able to use complex programs. It is quite technical. It requires one to use different systems, do quality control, delegate tasks and make sure the project is achieved. 

People with these skills can lead a team to success. They must make sure they are getting high-quality results, meeting the budget, and complying with the customer’s needs.

4. Technical writing

Technical writing is the practice of creating manuals, reports, scientific papers, or instructional materials. This involves simplifying complex information so that it can be easily understood and used to complete a task.

This helps spread useful and accurate information for users. It is an important skill for any technical field like engineering, IT, or science. 

For recruiters, this skill is important because if you can communicate complicated ideas in a clear and understandable way to clients, for example, then that makes you a key asset.

5. Software skills

Having computer skills or softwares skills is a necessary skill in today’s job market. This can mean knowing how to use Microsoft Office, G Suite, Trello, Zoom, Adobe programs, HTML, Google Analytics, Javascript and so on. 

Some are more simple and common, while others can require more training. For most jobs, you will need some degree of software skills. Knowing the basics of multiple software can make you a stronger candidate during your job search.

6. Digital marketing

Almost everything is online and social media these days. If you can manage social media platforms and have gained good results, employers will want your talent.

It also means that you most likely have some sort of knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which most companies have to use in order to reach more people. 

For jobs in marketing, public relations, these skills are crucial. These skills are quite wide as it can include copywriting, video creation, photography, and data analysis.

How to develop technical skills

1. Training at work

Many employers can provide you with training programs to update your skills, learn to use new programs or technologies. If not, you can encourage your company to take a step to do so, as it would help all employees improve and work faster using new tools.

Another option could be to talk to a coworker who you can learn from who has the skills you’d like to learn. They might give you tips or even some training.

2. Self study

You can keep up with the news about your sector. This way you will know about the latest tools and tech. Reading articles, books, or listening to podcasts can also be another way to stay informed.

3. Online courses

There are many courses online (and plenty of free ones) that can help you learn new skills without having too much of your day-to-day schedule. You can do them whenever you feel like. This allows you to feel less pressured to learn something new as soon as possible. 

Doing short courses or training in short bursts can make it easier to retain more information and can be less overwhelming.

4. YouTube and TikTok

YouTube and TikTok are great spaces to find quick tidbits of information. This can be more engaging and entertaining than regular courses. 

These platforms never run out of content, so you can always be learning about new tools or software.

 

💡You may have heard of soft skills, but do you know what they actually are? Discover why they’re important and which ones companies are looking for. Read more here →