The 10 most important competencies and skills

As a freelancer, you offer yourself to the job market with your unique set of competencies and skills. Continuing to develop yourself in this is essential, because the requirements for certain assignments also change. Due to a constantly evolving world, certain skills and competencies have become obsolete over the years and there is now a demand for skillsets that did not even exist before. In this blog, you will read which ones are well appreciated almost everywhere. That way you can make yourself even more valuable on the job market!

The difference between competencies and skills

Although they have much in common, there is a difference between competencies and skills. The difference is that in general skills can be trained, which is a lot more difficult for competencies.

Skills are concrete skills. They are best developed through a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge and expertise. A course or training program can also be useful in honing certain skills and often offer new techniques and practices that can help you further in professional life.

'Competencies' is a somewhat broader term. In fact, in addition to skills, it includes behavioral characteristics such as attitude, knowledge and behavior. Some of these can therefore be learned, but a large part also revolves around personal characteristics.

Focus on the future

There will always be competencies and skills that are virtually future-proof. This means that if you want to develop to better market yourself, it's best to focus on one or more of these. Below is a list of different skills and competencies that will always come in handy.

1. Learning

Learning is the key to personal and professional development. It allows us to improve our abilities and push our limits. In addition, learning can help increase our self-confidence. Without the ability to learn, we are also unable to innovate, change and stay ahead of the competition. In short, the ability to learn is perhaps one of the most underrated and most important competencies you can have.

2. Flexibility

A lot can happen in the workplace, so being flexible becomes more important every day. Flexibility is highly valued because flexible people can easily learn new ways of working and thus develop with the company or organization. In addition, flexible people also tend to be open to new ideas and like to think along with development.

3. Creativity

Creativity comes in many varieties, so there is no one true measure when it comes to this competence. The difference lies mainly in how creativity is expressed. For example, a graphic designer will possess a very different type of creativity than an accountant, or a salesperson versus a programmer. Nevertheless, everyone in turn can find “out of the box” ways to innovate or tackle certain issues.

4. Assessing risks

Decisions often have to be made, both in management positions and on the shop floor itself. Sometimes there are risks involved and it is important to be able to assess whether the desired result is worth the risk. This in turn leads to making better decisions.

5. Persuasion

If you ever have to give a sales pitch or take a decision in consultation with others, it goes a lot better if you can convince your client or other parties of a certain point of view. Being enthusiastic can be incredibly rewarding and will make your professional life a lot easier!

6. Customer Focus

Customer focus is something that will always be a high priority for most clients. Throughout the company, it is important that people keep the focus on how the customer perceives or experiences the company. After all, providing the best customer experience creates the most loyal and lucrative customers.

7. Collaboration

A business does not function by just one person; you do it together as one team. It is definitely important that the people in the organization get along well and in a professional manner. Working well together also means trusting others and their accumulated expertise, knowledge and intuition. Be open to what they say, which is respectful and instructive!

8. Verbal communication

Verbal communication is where things often go wrong in an organization. People regularly have difficulty verbalizing ideas, feelings and problems. This often creates miscommunication, which can lead to unnecessary problems later in the process. A person who can properly articulate what is going on or convey ideas in the right way is worth their weight in gold, as this ultimately saves a lot of time, money and aggravation.

9. Autonomy

Of course cooperation is important, but before the whole machine works, all the individual parts must also work, of course. Therefore, autonomy is also a highly valued competency. As a professional, you must independently tackle and complete your work and responsibilities. An autonomous employee is ultimately more profitable.

10. Ambition

How nice is it when someone tries to get the most out of themselves? Any client will agree that this is a big plus. An ambitious person will always strive for optimal performance and advancement opportunities. This undoubtedly produces better results and motivates others in the organization to perform at their best; a win-win situation.

Expand your skills and competences at Striive

There are obviously many other competencies and skills that are also important and will give you an advantage on the job market, but if you have mastered these ten you are already a long way on your way. Ultimately, it is important that you never stop learning and growing. That's where we at Striive are happy to help you! Click here for more information