Whether we’re students or experienced business managers, everyone involved or interested in business must have a core set of skills. Businesses are of course different, operating in multiple industries, delivering a range of services or products. However, uniting almost all of these are core categories – customer care, quality service and others – which means there are qualities every business-minded person should focus on.
This matters in terms of personal education as well as how we hire.
Learning
Unfortunately, no one will look at us twice if we have nothing to show. While having an extensive list of jobs on our CV’s might be somewhat impressive, it’s nothing alongside actual qualifications. Showing we’ve studied fields important to our industries goes a long way to being taken seriously. When trying to form relationships with new people, they can already trust us to be competent about subjects we’ve studied. They know independent evaluations – degrees or diplomas, for example – certify our experience. Whether we’re studying management or doing marketing courses, certifications go a long way to enhancing our standing with others.
While this is certainly not the only way to show our expertise, it’s universally regarded as a safe way to do so. As the BBC noted:
“Research found, for instance, that in Brazil, having a tertiary education offered workers a 200% premium in lifetime earnings compared to those who hadn’t finished high school. In Greece, Korea, and Turkey, the premium gap was 70%.”
Tech skills
Understanding the tools we work with goes a long way toward enhancing productivity. Businesses should look out for tech-minded people and managers should continue learning about the latest tools and trends within their industries. This keeps us ahead of curve in a rapidly advancing world.
Marketing
There’s no point providing excellent, knowledgeable service when no one knows about the business. Marketing can make or break any business, regardless of size. However, standing out above the crowd is hard work – especially when new technology presents unique ways to be creative. With online tools, social media, 24-hour news cycles, the eyes of the world are always watching – this means, though it might be easier to get our name out there, it doesn’t always lead to the attention we want. We must be able to present our business and services in desirable ways, leading to more customers.
We must develop effective marketing skills, regardless of what industry we work in.