The Number One Job Skill All Job Seekers Need

The Number One Job Skill All Job Seekers NeedThe Number One Job Skill All Job Seekers Need2At first, it sounded a bit like a cop-out. The number one job skill job seekers need is the ability to learn new skills? After all, arent all of us able to learn new skills? It turns out, not necessarily. And to be sure, employers are a bit to blame here as well. Companies used to train new recruits to do particular jobs, but thats no longer the case. Intensive employer-sponsored training programs have gone by the wayside, and its up to the professionals themselves to learn new skills.The good news is that the ability to learn new skills is something that we can all teach ourselves. Because technology advances at such a rapid pace, and more and more jobs are dependent on technology, it is inherent in all of us to be able to learn new skills quickly.Here are four tips for honing the ability to learn new skills.Know the basic parts of learning new skills. Today, employers expect that theyll be ab le to say, I need X done and that youll be able to get X done for them. But what if you dont know how to do X? The key is knowing how to figure out how to do X- how to learn a new skill- on your own. The best skills to develop for learning new skills areInquisitiveness Inquisitiveness isnt just the ability to take an interest in something new. Its also the ability to realize that you need to learn something new in the first place.Research This means knowing where to go (or who to go to) to find the information you need. Whether its doing a Google search, or asking your cubicle mate, what are your best sources of info?Practice The best learners know that they arent going to get it right the first time. Thats why they try something over and over again before submitting what theyd consider a final product to their manager.Networking Who can help you learn something new? Better yet, whod be willing to SHOW you the skill you need to learn? Professional networks arent just for job hunting .Commit yourself to being a constant learner. I dont mean you have to continuously be enrolled in college-level classes (though thats a point for another tip). Being a constant learner is a way of approaching life and the world around you. Be curious about how things- all things- work. If you ever find yourself wondering about something, look up the answer. The more you practice the skill of constant learning, the easier youll apply it to your professional life.Ask questions. Asking questions is how we learn new things, and refine the things we already know. When you talk to people in your same profession, ask them about the work they do, the skills they have, and how they learn new things. What do they read? Who do they network with? Where do they take classes? And most importantly, what skills would they recommend you learn?Sign up to learn new skills. Sometimes doing research and talking with your network is just the tip of the iceberg to learning something new. Luckily, your abi lity to learn new skills is aided by a barrage of online-based learning platforms that make it possible to learn something new without leaving your home. If you prefer to learn in-person, community colleges and community learning programs both offer traditional classroom environments to expand your knowledge base. And a huge variety of top-level universities offer free online courses to the public to take, no credit rewarded, to advance their own knowledge.Readers, what do you think is the number one job skill all job seekers need and why? When was the last time you learned a new skill? Sound off in the comments