Elevating Your Skillset
Many of us seek out a profession, sometimes referred to as a craft or trade, that in most cases has a technical aspect that drew us to that trade. Then we spend much of our careers perfecting the technical skills of that trade, including substantiating proof of those skills with degrees, certifications, and experience. However, acquiring all the credentials that demonstrate those technical achievements is only a portion of what our customers need. I tend to think that there are two thirds more to the portfolio of skills that you need beyond the technical depth.
For starters, communication skills can be paramount. Being able to articulately communicate (orally and in writing) at multiple levels and with varying technical depths while successfully achieving a common understanding can be just as important as your technical skillset. Secondly, cognitive skills, like those that are necessary to anticipate and solve complex problems in an efficient and productive manner can demonstrate to customers that you bring great value to their mission.
Building your skills portfolio with a full complement of these non-technical type skills can ensure that your technical skillset is substantiated through demonstrating its value in a practical environment. That said, each of us should continue building on our non-technical skills portfolio, and I am very thankful that SeKON has given us access to the LinkedIn training service where many classes on the two thirds skills that we tend to overlook.
Here are some LinkedIn Learning courses that can be beneficial to building your complete portfolio:
Communication Skills: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/communicating-with-confidence/speaking-with-confidence?u=98549218
Problem Solving Skills: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/problem-solving-techniques/introduction?u=98549218
