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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

A Guide to Refining Basic Skills for Improved Career Opportunities

We live in a world where everything is developing at an extremely fast rate, with an increasingly competitive job market focused on technical skills.

However, regardless of how far we go, foundational skills haven’t gone out of fashion quite yet and are still highly necessary even in 2024. So, if you’re trying to ensure that you become as enticing as possible to prospective employers, make sure to keep reading.

Specialized Skills vs. Basic Skills in the Workplace

A lot of the time, we put more of a focus on specialized skills pertinent to the job we’re looking for. For instance, if someone’s planning to become a croupier, they’ll focus on understanding the roulette table along with the rules of the game. Here, they’ll study various aspects such as the anatomy and layout of the table through online guides, like the difference between inside and outside bets, and which offer higher payouts or provide better odds of winning. However, knowing all of this won't be quite as effective without basic skills such as communication, which is essential in a job where you have to work with people. 

Even if they’ll go further by gaining knowledge of other casino games such as researching the best online slots UK like Wanted Dead or Alive to further elevate their resume, it won't be quite enough. After all, a croupier is expected to also have a certain stage presence to keep players engaged. So even though one may have a well-rounded understanding of a specific sector, which will certainly make someone more attractive to potential employers, this isn't a guarantee of success.

As such, seeming more employable isn’t just about having niche knowledge, regardless of the industry you’re planning to enter. After all, these are skills you can easily improve by going through the mandated training most companies provide to new starters. But there are things employers expect you to already have and those are basic skills.

These foundational abilities, like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, are all things you should already be equipped with. Not only should this be highlighted on your resume, but it will most certainly come up during your interview. This showcases how vital having these skills is, so refining them can increase your odds of getting the job you want.

Tips for Improving Various Basic Skills

While there are several basic skills, we’ll cover the most necessary ones for the vast majority of jobs, starting with communication. We’d suggest working on speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact, and learning how to actively listen and engage openly in conversations. This can be incredibly difficult for more introverted people, so we’d start it slow by first practicing with friends you're comfortable with before branching out to strangers and public speaking occasions.

Next, we’ll talk about teamwork and collaboration. Here, you should first assess your strengths and weaknesses, which will allow you to actively realize what you can bring to your future team. Then, make sure to get comfortable with being able to collaborate with others and acknowledging their hard work accordingly. This can be practiced through engaging and fun activities, such as escape rooms with friends.

Lastly, we’d like to cover a more analytical ability, that of problem-solving. By refining it, you’ll have the capacity to handle more complex or even unexpected situations. Thanks to this, your employer may feel like you’re more capable at your job. For this one, we’d recommend engaging in puzzles such as Sudoku or Wordle, both of which require critical thinking.

Becoming a well-rounded potential employee is incredibly important, and to ensure this, having a strong foundation built on basic skills is crucial. So, regardless of what you’re aiming to improve upon, be it one or several aspects, we’re sure that the aforementioned will set you on the right path to success.