Improving Work Skills: Part One

In today's job market, it’s more important than ever to keep your work skills current in order to stay competitive. 

How do you know if you need to improve your skills?  Be honest with yourself.  How computer-literate are you?  Can you communicate and write effectively?  How do you interact with others?  Are you willing to learn new skills?  Employers look for all these things and more.  If you find yourself lacking in one or more areas, it’s definitely a good idea to seek improvement. 

Do you need help with grammar or spelling?  One way to improve your skills in this area is to write on a regular basis.  Start a journal or take a writing class.  The more you write, the more you’ll develop skills to communicate effectively.

Interacting well with others and wanting to learn new skills are more about attitude than skill level.  Employers want to know that you can work well not only with customers and suppliers but also people within the organization.  Workers also need to be willing to take on additional tasks that may or may not be related to their job.  Since most companies have been affected by the downturn in the economy, most are working with a reduced staff.  This is causing employers to spread more duties among fewer workers.  Show yourself as willing to learn new tasks and they’ll see you as a team player.

Later in the week, we'll be looking at how to improve your skills both inside and outside of the workplace.

How has improving your skills helped you in your career?  Please share your stories with us in the comments below.