The pandemic has mostly subsided and we are slowly slipping back into our old routines of commuting to work every day, barely finding a few spare minutes to focus on ourselves. As a result, you might have found yourself taking a slightly more laid-back approach to those personal improvement projects that we all started during the lockdowns.
For many across the world, the lockdowns we had to endure during the pandemic represented a unique time in our lives where we were suddenly gifted a significant amount of extra time each day. Although many filled up this time with (virtually) socializing with friends, catching up on exercise or indulging in a Netflix marathon or two, others spent it much more productively.
This included picking up new hobbies like painting, arts and crafts, playing musical instruments and even improving our cooking skills. It also included picking up more professionally relevant skills, like starting a degree course online, learning a language or pursuing other professional qualifications related to your field of work.
Learning these kinds of skills isn’t just a productive way to fill up your spare time, however. It also has physiological effects that can help to improve your life.
This is because learning new skills – whether it is a new sport, musical instrument or language – has been shown to encourage what is known as training-induced neuroplasticity. The effect of this is that it, quite literally, changes the architecture of your brain. When neuroplasticity is improved, your brain is able to better form and reorganize synaptic connections.
If learning new skills rewires your brain to make it more powerful, it seems obvious that you would dedicate at least a little bit of your spare time to this endeavor. But with all of this in mind, what are the best skills to consider learning in 2024?
1. Learn to code
Arguably one of the most lucrative skills you can learn as we move into 2024 – both in terms of the money it can potentially make you and the career options it can open up for you – are coding skills. And while you don’t necessarily need to pivot your career completely and start working as a software engineer, in today’s digital world it will certainly be helpful to be at least familiar and comfortable with coding and programming.
Coding and programming skills are among the most highly sought-after skills in the labor market today. Coding literacy will help you to navigate the digital future that awaits us and will give you an immediate edge over those less technically-minded job seekers or co-workers you are competing against.
By acquiring this skillset, you can take advantage of opportunities in a wide range of sectors and industries, which includes everything from software engineering to cryptocurrencies. And if you want to see how far this could potentially take you, just check out okx.com for an example of how vibrant this sector has become! Why not learn to code and get started creating the next Luna today?
2. Digital marketing
In a similar vein, another skillset that can open you up to a wide range of career paths is digital marketing.
Thanks to the rise of e-commerce, digital marketers are highly sought after these days. This is because brands and companies across all sectors and industries will inevitably need an online presence if they hope to succeed in today’s digital world. And the way in which these companies can amplify their online presence is by using digital marketing techniques to boost their profile.
With this in mind, it is clear that digital marketing skills will continue to be in demand as we move into 2024 and beyond. If you do want to acquire these skills, you can start small by completing some formal certifications by Google, which will introduce you to the basics of search engines and digital marketing.
If you want to take things further, there is an almost endless array of more advanced certifications and qualifications you can complete. This includes everything from diplomas and certificates to master’s degrees!
3. Data literacy
Building on the theme of technical skills that are currently in high demand, acquiring data literacy is also something that will serve you well moving into 2024 and beyond.
Data is one of the most important and valuable assets at a company’s disposal. Because of this, individuals who can collect, extract and draw conclusions from this data will be particularly valuable.
Generally speaking, being “data literate” means being able to access appropriate data and to deftly work with it, while also being able to present your findings in a comprehensible manner. The insights produced by this data collection and analysis will be invaluable for a company hoping to improve their products or operations.
4. Collaborative skills
If you are currently working in an organization or intend to work in one in the future, it is inevitable that your job will involve some kind of collaboration. That is, of course, unless you are self-employed or are the sole employee.
Despite this, collaboration skills tend to be overlooked and underutilized.
With that said, if you want to get ahead in the world of remote work where top-notch collaboration skills are all the more important, working on this skill could pay dividends in your career!
5. Project management
Project management is another highly in-demand set of skills.
Project management skills will help you to provide effective leadership and to deliver on any projects you are working on. They will teach you to balance your priorities and working responsibilities, to effectively manage the organizational resources at your disposal and to accurately track your progress in working towards your goals.
Although these skills are usually identified as appropriate for managerial level positions, you will find that having well-developed project management skills can help you in all stages of your career.
