Even in Emerging Job Fields, Networking Still Reigns Supreme

According to LinkedIn, the demand for soft skills is extremely important when it comes to landing roles in emerging job fields.

The full emerging job report from earlier this year lists Artificial Intelligence Specialist, Robotics Engineer, Data Scientist, Full Stack Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, and Customer Success Specialist as the top prominent occupations moving forward.

An accompanying blog post from LinkedIn lists other trends as well, including a requirement from employers for soft skills, which even in our current environment is still trending.

From the blog:

“Demand for soft skills is likely to increase as automation becomes more widespread. Skills like communication, creativity, and collaboration are all virtually impossible to automate, which means if you have these skills you’ll be even more valuable to organizations in the future. If you have these skills, make sure they’re on your LinkedIn profile so hiring professionals can find you for relevant opportunities.”

These “soft skills” are the “durability skills” that continue to be needed for success in the 21^st century.

It might sound ironic that in job fields focusing highly on artificial intelligence (AI), and in a world where we are increasingly utilizing AI, knowing how to effectively communicate with other humans would be extremely important.

But whether you work in AI or any other industry, it’s likely you’ll need to network and collaborate with co-workers, or even the general public to sell a product or service. And when it comes to developing AI, communication is key; for the technology to properly interact with humans, the developer needs to understand how to communicate properly to make it work.

According to this recent post from the World Economic Forum “…what used to be considered the ‘future of work’ has already arrived.” And you need to be ready.

What if you struggle with communication and other durability skills? Here are a few things you can do to improve them.

• Start with small gestures. Sometimes it’s hard communicating with people you don’t know! Try performing the five-minute favor which allows you to reach out to your networks and help in some way. It can be a really small gesture like offering feedback on an idea of theirs. Make this a part of your networking routine and habits. It allows you to get the “communication ball” rolling while also demonstrating to others the kind of value you can bring to a relationship.

• Be prepared! And ask the right questions. When it comes to interacting in general, whether it be with people you know or don’t know, it helps to be prepared and be ready to ask good open-ended questions. Avoid anything that only elicits a yes or no response to keep the dialogue moving. Here are a few examples of how you can get the discussion going, or better yet download our Guide to Starting & Ending a Conversation.

• Grow your networks. Find ways to bond and create rapport with individuals who share similar interests and goals, especially those who are following along in your own career path. Increasing your spheres of influence will add a great deal of value to your life! And help you build positive relationships as you refine your soft skills.

• Increase your knowledge. LinkedIn recently reported on the current demand and high focus on Learning & Development. There are many online training programs to choose from! Including our Careers Through Connections course or Conference/Event Playbook course, both of which give you a quick way to improve your interpersonal skills—and teach you how to do it right.

• Gain certifications. Go one step further with your training and enroll in those offering certifications. You can successfully develop and hone your communication abilities by signing up for our NetWorkWise Certified Professional course. It will guide you step-by-step on how to improve your durability skills and enhance your relationships as you build robust networks. Whether you’re an introvert just getting started or a high-level executive this program puts your relationship-building journey on the right track while you earn a certification in professional networking.

People forget that communication and networking is something that can be learned and improved. It requires work though. Just like going to the gym, you have to do the exercises correctly and continue to go to get results—and keep the results.

Communication works the same way. You need to keep on doing it to get better at it and do it right to achieve positive outcomes and increase your chances of landing your next opportunity in an emerging job field.