Managing documents in the cloud. Organizing and analyzing mass amounts of online data. Writing code. If you think job listings look a little different today than they did just a few years ago, you’re not alone. That’s in large part thanks to rapid developments in software and online technology.
While some hard skills are still highly valued across all fields, including proficiency in Microsoft Office software, such as word processing in Microsoft Word, or database entry in Microsoft Excel, you might notice a lot more tech jargon on the job listings you’re pulling up, even for roles you wouldn’t consider to have anything to do with tech. This includes statistical analysis and data mining, fluency in storage systems and management, and SEO/SEM marketing.
So what software skills can you make sure you’re familiar with or brush up on before putting that resume back out into the world? It depends on what industry you’re in. We had experts at LinkedIn research what skills were listed as most sought after by companies on their site, and Burning Glass Technologies, a job market analytics firm, analyze job postings to determine the skills that appeared the most in various industries, to find out what types of software know-how employers prize most today.
If You’re in Media
Social Media: Companies want to see well-honed social media skills; this means knowing your way around Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and the software that helps you analyze the posts you make in each, including TweetDeck, Hootsuite, Buffer, and Digg.
Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, and InDesign: Media firms are also looking for familiarity with Adobe’s software, specifically Photoshop (for photo editing), Acrobat (for document editing), and InDesign (for layout design).
JavaScript: If you’re looking for a backend role at an online media company, JavaScript, the most common programming language for the web, will be highly sought after since it add automation, animations, and interactivity to Web pages.
If You’re in Law
LexisNexis: Headed back into law? You probably already know about database platform LexisNexis, which has been used for legal research for decades. But that doesn’t mean it looks exactly like it used to. To make sure you’re up to speed, be sure to get acquainted with the most recent version. That’s because it’s still one of the most sought-after skills in the legal field thanks to the mass amount of legal documents, briefings, patents, and articles it has in its system.
SharePoint: One of Microsoft Office’s lesser-known applications, SharePoint is used by some organizations to create internal websites for sharing information such as documents and managing web content and workflows. Never used it? Get acquainted with how to set up a blog on the platform, and how to share and follow documents.
Adobe Acrobat: Acrobat allows you to edit and format PDF documents.
If You’re in Finance
SQL: Companies hiring finance professionals over the last year listed SQL, or Structured Query Language, a programming language used in database management, among their most sought-after skills, according to LinkedIn. Since SQL helps analyze big amounts of data it’s especially helpful for traders, investment bankers, or financial developers who want to track stocks, investments, or accounts.
SAP: This cloud-based financial accounting, planning, and business management software is one of the skills most employers in finance are looking for in new hires. In finance you’ll likely use SAP to track financial operations, assess investment decisions and risk management, and analyze costs and margins of budgets.
Oracle: Forget Excel, Oracle is the leading database management software that many businesses use today to organize large quantities of data. Its financial applications, including Hyperion and PeopleSoft, allow financial managers to consolidate and report financial results while meeting regulatory requirements, and allow for planning, budgeting, and forecasting financials.
If You’re in Sales
Salesforce: The most widely used CRM (customer relationship management) tool, Salesforce uses cloud-based technology to manage data, marketing, and analytics for a company’s customer base.
Oracle: The leading database management software, Oracle, offers the Oracle Sales Cloud, a CRM tool which can help manage everything from meetings taken to analyzing sales numbers, forecast periods and up-sell opportunities.
SAP: This financial accounting, planning and business management software is one of the skills many employers looking to hire in sales are seeking. For sales, specifically, SAP can identify sales leads, manage accounts, and gather and analyze customer activity.
If You’re in Hospitality
Microsoft PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel: The hospitality industry still highly values proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, particularly PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel. Excel can be used to track and analyze customer data, Outlook’s email and calendar functions aid in scheduling and communication, and PowerPoint is used to create deks for event planning or to describe logistics for vendors. Many businesses have updated to Microsoft Office 365, which might look a little different than the last time you used Office—applications can be accessed online, through the cloud.
Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat: If you’re in the more specialized field of event or convention planning within hospitality, be sure those document and photo editing skills are up to snuff, since employers are looking for resumes that include Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat.
If You’re in Non-Profit
Social Media: Like the media industry, the non-profit field values social media skills including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and the software that helps you handle and analyze those programs, like TweetDeck, Hootsuite, Buffer, and Digg.
Raiser’s Edge: If you’re on the fundraising side in the non-profit world, be sure you’re familiar with this donor management and fundraising software.
Microsoft Publisher, Outlook, PowerPoint: Familiarity with the Microsoft suite, including some of the more specialized software applications like PowerPoint and Publisher will do you well in the non-profit world for communicating the work of various teams and sharing results with donors.
If You’re in Government
Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint: For many types of government work, you’ll want to brush up on those Microsoft Office skills with a particular focus on Excel, for managing data, and PowerPoint, for sharing information between departments and teams.
Oracle: Government job listings in education and urban and regional planning list Oracle, a database management software, among the skills desired by employers. In education, Oracle can be used to track student outcomes or applications, and in regional planning to track large data sets and visualize models and graphs.
Blackboard: If you’re looking for a job in education today, be sure you’re familiar with Blackboard, an online system used by thousands of educational institutions to manage learning material, quizzes, and grades online.
AutoCAD (including Civil 3D) and MicroStation: Civil engineering, traffic technician, and urban and regional planning jobs today are looking for job-seekers who have skills using these design and drafting software.
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