The World is a dramatically changing place to what it was 10 or even 5 years ago. And while your learning will almost certainly stand you in good stead for career growth and success, there are a few key additional skills for which employers of successful companies are looking. These skills are highly sought after by CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and has even been backed up by research conducted by the world economic forum. These are key skills you will need for career success NOW, whatever area of knowledge you are seeking to acquire..

A design mindset
The ability to visually represent your ideas and other  concepts is becoming increasingly important as the new digital tools makes visualising ideas the norm,. You don’t need to be an artistic genius, but the more you view ideas and concepts visually, the more it will become second nature to you.

Critical thinking
The ability to use clear, rational thinking to form judgement and turn ideas into meaningful reality will be vital for success in virtually and every discipline.

Creativity
Whatever area or industry you invest your career into, be it science, engineering, law, business or the arts, creativity is vital for encouraging new  ways of looking at things, solving “ new world”  problems and much more.

Service Orientation
Organisations around the world are becoming more and more service oriented. Indeed the services sector is the fastest growing sector globally. Having a service orientation is a skill that employers are increasingly on the lookout for prospective candidates, as business adapt to the new global service economy.

Collaboration
Collaboration is becoming an integral part of the way organisations work both internally and externally. You will almost certainly be required to collaborate both virtually, and face to face with a all sorts of people in all sorts of ways. Increasingly organisations are realising that the path to success in business is to collaborate – with employees, with customers and even with competitors. If collaboration doesn’t come naturally to you, practice. Start by collaborating on assignments, or build something with a friend.

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is a skill increasingly revered by employers, especially as workplaces become more diverse and dynamic. Emotional intelligence also know as (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. It can affect your performance at work or university, your physical and mental wellbeing and your relationships. Emotional intelligence is a learned skill. You can build it through self management, emotional awareness and managing your relationships.

 Problem Solving
The world is a dynamic and endlessly evolving place. More and more, organisations are required to solve problems that wouldn’t have existed 5 or even 3 years ago. The ability to problem solve effectively is a skill more and more employers are actively looking for to enable them to keep up with the ever present challenges of a rapidly changing world.

At the end of the day, different employees require different skill set for different role. But if you can work an acquiring and developing these skills, you will be certainly be ahead of the field. And, not only will they stand you in good stead not only for your professional life, but your personal life as well. It’s all the same life after all.