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What job skills are employers looking for in 2024?
While we're asking questions, what job skills can earn the most money, open up new career opportunities, or open the door to your next big career move?
In this article, we'll cover a mixture of soft skills (aka people skills) and hard skills (aka technical skills), but that's not all! We'll also discuss some lucrative transferable skills that are in demand by hiring managers and employers in 2024.
Top Job Skills for 2024
- Communication Skills
- Self-Direction Skills
- Sustainability Skills
- Artificial Intelligence + Machine Learning Skills
- Cybersecurity Skills
- Data Analysis Skills
- Project Management Skills
- Cloud Computing Skills
- User Experience Design Skills
Some skill trends come as no surprise. For example, as long as companies need a secure digital presence, software development will be a sought-after skill. As long as organizations have products and services to sell, sales skills will always be in high demand.
2024 Job Skills Key Takeaways
But, what were some interesting takeaways for 2024 skills and what it means for job seekers and hiring managers? Here are a few we found!
Continuous learning is a skill on its own. With technology moving at a staggering velocity, attention to learning and growing is huge. In fact, we could argue that "Eager Student" or "Enthusiastic Learner" are lucrative skills on their own!
Soft skills reign supreme. That's right. We can't stress this enough. In a rapidly changing landscape—both with emerging technologies and an inter-generational workforce—soft skills like communication, empathy, and problem-solving are of utmost importance.
There is a huge need for regulation. As concerns for our environment and our jobs are huge, so is regulation. Whether it's understanding and regulating emerging AI technologies or regulating the environmental impacts of huge companies, this is a huge theme.
Data is gold. Our reliance on screens and devices means that organizations collect more data than ever. How companies can use, interpret, and ethically capitalize on this data might be the key to their organization's success.
1. Communication Skills
If you're familiar with Career Contessa, then you already knew we had to include communication skills. This suite of skills is more important than ever, especially in a world that is increasingly working within hybrid or remote models. Translation: communication needs to be clearer and more efficient than ever.
Whether you're interacting with colleagues, superiors, or your own employees, mastering communication can significantly impact your success—and the success of your organization.
Communication is the cornerstone of a successful organization, period.
Examples of Communication Skills
- Active Listening
- Feedback and Constructive Criticism
- Adaptability
- Non-Verbal Communication
- Empathy
- Team Collaboration
- Leadership Communication
- Written Communication
Communication, like problem-solving and teamwork skills, is often called soft skills or people skills. While some are inherent to your personality and character, these skills can be learned and developed over time.
For example, nobody is "born" with customer service skills, per se. However, savvy job seekers can use their outgoing personality, empathy, patience, and problem-solving skills to showcase when applying for a role in customer relationship management or a customer success role.
For more examples of soft skills and how to highlight them in your job search and your resume, check out our articles of these lucrative skills.
2. Self-Direction Skills
While almost every job requires collaboration, independence and self-direction are crucial.
Self-direction describes the ability to take initiative, make confident decisions, and manage workload with superior time management.
Self-direction encompasses a range of qualities and behaviors that contribute to an individual's autonomy. This includes things like taking initiative. This is the difference between an employee who is active rather than reactive. Those with self-direction skills are pros at identifying new tasks, finding new solutions to old problems, and actively seeking new opportunities as they encounter them.
Examples of Self-Direction Skills
- Decision-making
- Time management
- Goal-setting and proactive planning
- Accountability
- Adaptability
- Innovation
- Continued learning
3. Sustainability Skills
According to Forbes, sustainability skills are one of the fastest-growing skill sets in 2024.
Many businesses recognize that it's important to operate sustainably—with business priorities rooted in sustainable practices to cause minimum environmental harm.
While, ahem, many businesses claim to be a touch more eco-friendly and sustainable than they actually are (we're looking at you, fast fashion businesses), having knowledge and expertise in proving green solutions and net zero goals is huge.
Many large organizations are hiring for roles like Director of Sustainability and Sustainability Strategist.
If you're passionate about your Planet Earth and her future (and we all should be!) sustainability and environmentally innovative knowledge are key to landing an impactful, important role—one that might actually save the planet?
4. Artificial Intelligence + Machine Learning Skills
Look at the top articles on LinkedIn or any business website any day this week, and you're guaranteed to find news and views on AI and ML.
Basically, the entire human civilization is learning what artificial intelligence is, how it works, how it can be used, and how it might be used in the future. Simply put, a lot is changing—and it's changing fast. That's precisely why AI and ML skills are so in demand—across virtually every industry (no pun intended).
It's likely that we've barely scratched the surface of what artificial intelligence can do and how it can change our jobs in the future.
Examples of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Skills
- Programming Languages (e.g. Python, R)
- Mathematics and Statistics (e.g. Linear Algebra, Calculus Probability, and Statistics)
- Machine Learning Frameworks (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn)
- Natural Language Processing
- Computer Vision
- Data Cleaning
5. Cybersecurity Skills
Cybersecurity is extremely important as the world is increasingly interconnected via the internet.
Take a moment to consider how much information lives on your smartphone. Unless you're very protective of your data (I am so jealous of you), your phone likely knows how much you move, your favorite foods, bizarre ailments you've Googled, and, oh yeah, your banking information. Whoa.
For an organization that deals with any kind of personal data, cybersecurity is a paramount concern.
Cybersecurity skills are essential for safeguarding digital systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, attacks, and potential threats. As the field of cybersecurity is dynamic and constantly evolving, professionals in this domain need a diverse set of skills to protect information assets effectively.
At the same time, there’s an estimated shortfall of nearly 3.5 million cybersecurity workers. Those with cybersecurity skills are invaluable to institutions and organizations that must keep their data—and their customers' data—secure.
Examples of Cybersecurity Skills
- Network Security
- Information Security
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Encryption
- Security Auditing + Compliance
- Web Application Security
- Security Awareness + Training
Finally, when a cyber attack is thwarted, many more are born. Given the constantly evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, professionals in this field need to learn continuously. The best cybersecurity professionals are always up-to-date on the latest trends, tools, and techniques to effectively protect against new and emerging security challenges.
6. Data Analysis Skills
This one may not come as a surprise. As we have addressed in the cybersecurity and artificial intelligence sections, data is everywhere. How it's organized and digested is up to professional data analysts. Data analysis skills are the ability to collect, clean, process, and interpret data to extract meaningful insights and make informed decisions.
In the 21st century, data is money minted every second. In fact, The International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that the volume of data will experience a fivefold increase to 179 zettabytes by 2025.
NewVantage Partners also reports that 97 percent of firms use data analysis to translate data into actionable insights. These insights inform important everything from strategic decision-making to future market-based decisions.
Because data analysis is necessary in basically every industry, this set of skills can translate to a job in almost any field.
7. Project Management Skills
Project management skills really straddle the line between soft skills and hard skills. The best project managers possess equal parts people prowess and technical ability.
Project management is a discipline that involves planning, organizing, and overseeing the execution of a project from its initiation to completion. A project is a temporary endeavor with a specific goal, defined scope, and set timeline. Project management is employed across various industries and sectors to ensure that projects are completed efficiently, on time, and within budget.
Not all project management jobs are created equally—especially from industry to industry. While all project managers must possess organization and time management skills, other technical skills will depend on the industry in which the PM is employed. This can include anything from scripting languages like Javascript to marketing skills like search engine optimization.
8. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing skills refer to the abilities and knowledge required to work with cloud-based technologies and services. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud computing for its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, individuals with relevant cloud computing skills are in high demand.
As we mentioned in the introduction, some of the most lucrative job skills of 2024 come as no surprise. Cloud computing and digital skills are still the fastest-growing tech skills. In fact, the Coursera Blog reports that the global cloud computing market is projected to skyrocket from $490.3 billion to $591.8 billion over the next year.
But that's not all. There is still a gap in skills needed for cloud computing positions. Investing in learning these skills can help employees fill these gaps with the most current and emerging technologies!
9. User Experience (UX) Design
Any emerging technology is only as strong as it is easily accessible. User experience (UX) designers optimize the interaction between products and humans. Any time you use an app, navigate a website, or try a physical product, you are experiencing user design. User experience includes everything from ease of use to aesthetics and visual design.
User Experience skills encompass a range of abilities and knowledge areas that professionals use to design and create positive and customized user interactions. These skills are crucial for ensuring that users have a seamless and satisfying experience when interacting with digital or physical products.
User Experience Skills Examples
- User Research
- Interaction Design
- Visual Design
- Usability Testing
- Prototyping
- Wireframing
