Assessing Skillset Relevance

Show me the money: Skill synergy is as important as the skill itself. New research from the University of Oxford finds that the economic value of, especially Software and Tech skills, is linked to how well they complement with other competencies. For instance, skills like Data Analytics are highly valuable because they seamlessly integrate with other high-value skills, whereas more specialized skills have limited applicability and consequently lower financial value in the labor market. The research highlights the versatility of certain skills that offer high general-purpose value across various sectors. For example, proficiency in the programming language Python (a versatile coding language) can result in an 8% wage increase, emphasizing its broad applicability. In addition, the research shows that skill synergy creates more value in certain sectors. Software & Tech skills are seven times more valuable for workers in Marketing and ten times as valuable for workers in Finance & Legal than for workers from the tech domain. The study’s findings are particularly relevant in the context of a global workforce preparing for the new economy. Three fundamental principles emerge: 1. Skill Sets Most jobs require a combination of skills. Therefore, the value of a skill can only be assessed in the context of its complementary skills. 2. Reskilling Efficiency As workers adapt to new technologies, they incrementally add new skills to their existing skill sets. Maximising complementarity between old and new skills is crucial for economic efficiency in this process. 3. Strategic Value As a particular skill’s set of complementary skills becomes more diverse, the more strategic options a worker has for reskilling. This increases their resilience against unforeseen technological changes in the future. Source: https://lnkd.in/epqUXdAT Press release: https://lnkd.in/emTeMGjF

I moved to Switzerland when I was 9. I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t fit in. I still remember the first time I got my schoolwork back: completely covered in a sea of red marks. I wasn’t just behind—I was drowning. The entire class was taught in German, and I couldn’t understand a word. Here’s the kicker: I knew this was coming. I had a year to prepare. I even had the chance to take German classes. But I didn’t take them seriously. That decision caught up to me—fast. So I had to learn the hard way. After-school tutoring with Fraulein Bühler, sitting next to my South African expat friend Rui. Day after day, mistake after mistake. By the end of the year, something incredible happened. When we boarded our flight back to the U.S., the Swiss Air flight attendant greeted me in German—assuming I was Swiss. I  spoke fluent German, the national language of Switzerland. And between my freshly cut Euro-style haircut and boxy backpack, I looked the part too. She turned to my parents—sitting right next to me—and spoke to them in English. I didn’t just learn the language. I had adapted and learned the local culture. But it could’ve been easier—if I had acted sooner. We’re in a similar moment now. ➡️ AI is changing how we work ➡️ Roles are evolving overnight ➡️ Skills that mattered last year may be irrelevant next year You can’t prepare for every disruption. But you can avoid getting blindsided by the ones you see coming. One of the most practical tools I use—with myself and with clients—is something I call a Skills Audit. It’s a simple but powerful way to make sure you’re building the skills you’ll need—not just for your current role, but for whatever’s coming next. Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ List Your Core Skills Write down 5–7 skills you rely on most to succeed in your role. Think: facilitating meetings, database design, client prospecting, managing projects. 2️⃣ Rate Future Relevance (1–10) Will each skill become more important—or less—in the next 1–3 years? Be honest about what’s gaining traction and what might be losing value. 3️⃣ Spot the Gaps Where are you falling behind or starting to feel stretched? Think about areas like public speaking, strategic thinking, or leading through change. 4️⃣ Identify What’s Emerging What new skills are becoming must-haves in your field or company? Examples: AI tools, data storytelling, hybrid team leadership, or personal branding. 5️⃣ Take One Step This Week Pick one micro-action to move forward—no perfection needed. Block 30 minutes, talk to someone who is ahead of you in a specific skill, or sign up for a free course. The Bottom Line: 💡 Awareness is step one. ⚡ But action is what keeps you relevant.

The Reality is The Lifecycle of Skills is Shortening 💣 Specifically in regard to relevance. So how do we manage this as Leaders? We need to balance our focus from being skills first organizations to how we are going to re-design our relationship with skills. The World Economic Forum Report May 2023 Putting Skills First, page 4 defines it as follows: “The term “skills-first” is increasingly used by a wide range of organizations across the private and public sector to describe a new approach to talent management that emphasizes a person’s skills and competencies – rather than degrees, job histories or job titles – with regard to attracting, hiring, developing and redeploying talent” The brands that achieve the ultimate return on skills don’t just focus attention on the specific skill sets someone has. From my experience in the field, they now do the following, well aware that the lifecycle of skills, in terms of relevance, is shortening. 🧠 Commitment 1 They create the touchpoints between Leaders and teams to review relevance of skills and skill set ongoing. How? By creating space and time for continual reflection and critical thinking. This can be via remote calls, one on one check ins, team debriefs, department planning days, crafting personalized L & D plans etc. 🧠Commitment 2 Leaders give ownership and choice to their people about how skills are used ongoing. This has required Leaders to have the capability and confidence in asking respectfully curious questions like: - What skills are still valuable to your role and why? - How do you want to leverage these to get even greater outcomes & impacts in your delivery? - What skill/ skill sets have relevance but need to be redesigned so these remain meaningful to you and the organization? - What skills are now obsolete and need to be removed? 🧠Commitment 3 Leaders and individuals ensure that action from above is embedded into the personalized Learning and development plan. This covers: -       Specific action. -       Scope of responsibility including person responsible. -       Timeframes to commence and complete actions. -       Ways to assess progress and measure what great looks like in the role. With the obsession on skill first hiring we run the risk of failing to keep ahead of the game in terms of ensuring that the skill sets we do have are still relevant. And allow us to respond successfully to problems and challenges that look different to before. So, a question for the community. If the lifecycle of skills is now shorter, how can we as Leaders help our teams keep pace❓ Come share your opinion in the comments. PS 📒 I partner with Leaders serious about derisking the risk of brain drain by leveraging the unique IP of their Teams. Follow me Ali Uren and subscribe to my newsletter- The Experiment * Original wisdom + strategies written by humans and proven in the real world. See profile section to subscribe.

One of the ways to gauge your #skill_set and determine if it's still #relevant in your field is by matching them with recent #job #requirements. In my recent #applications, I began to discover some "new" requirements. I repeatedly see some as being compulsory. Some were not compulsory, but they'd clearly state it's a plus for you - that means you're increasing your chances of being hired. The goal is simple. It is to ensure you regularly keep abreast of the latest in your field. The world is evolving, so you should too if you don't want to be left behind. The process of getting this done is simple as well: 📍Identify and follow social media pages that are directly related to your field or interest. 📍Follow thought leaders that give authentic updates in your field as well You can develop yourself to be one as well. 📍 Subscribe to relevant newsletters, websites, or (YouTube) channels. They're not hard to find. Search for them, and you'll get them. 📍 Build solid connections with people in your field - like-minded individuals. You can't navigate your career or professional path alone. Have solid relationships and access. All these will keep you updated on relevant information and opportunities. You'll know the skills you should add, the certifications, seminars, professional courses, or exams that will give you an edge. Get the information and act accordingly. No field is left out, be it accounting, tech, health and so on- you'd always have your people and your platforms. I have a task for you. Let's do a quick skill set test. It's just one of the fastest ways to know - it won't take up to 20 minutes of your time🚨 1. Go to LinkedIn job search or any other authentic job board. 2. Pick 3-5 random job postings in your field. 3. Compare the required skills with your current skill set. 4. Genuinely answer: Are they outdated or updated? - If outdated, based on the industry demand, create an action plan to update your skills. - If updated, you may want to expand your skill set as well. P.S. The picture is a throwback. Resist the urge to type "congratulations". This is how we know those who didn't read till the end😅 #LinkedIn

SEARCH gets you discovered. RELEVANCE gets you considered. This is a  follow-up to my previous LinkedIn infographic… The earlier post focused on what recruiters look for. This carousel goes deeper into the following: ✔ how LinkedIn Recruiter actually works ✔ how profiles are found ✔ and how recruiters assess relevance once they find you Because LinkedIn optimization is not just about visibility. It’s also about positioning. Here’s the part many professionals miss: Recruiters typically use LinkedIn for two primary functions: 1️⃣ FIND YOU 2️⃣ ASSESS YOUR RELEVANCE Those are two completely different stages. 🔹 STAGE 1: FIND YOU These factors are important: ✔ Keywords ✔ Skills ✔ Certifications ✔ Job titles ✔ Industry terminology If the right terms are missing from your profile, you may not appear in recruiter searches at all. That’s why optimization matters. Here’s the nuance… LinkedIn allows 220 headline characters, but that does not automatically mean you should use all 220. The goal is not to maximize word count, but rather to show the following:  ✔ clarity ✔ relevance ✔ strategic keyword placement In all this, a recruiter (and I did this job for 15 years) still has to quickly understand the following: 👉🏽 what you do 👉🏽 your specialization 👉🏽 your value Searchability matters and so does readability. 🔹 STAGE 2: ASSESS RELEVANCE Once recruiters open your profile, they begin evaluating: - Industry alignment - Scope of experience - Leadership - Business impact - Career progression - Specialized expertise - Communication clarity This is where positioning matters because the recruiters are not just asking “Can this person do the job?” but rather, “Is this person relevant to THIS role?” That distinction is critical and the reason why generic LinkedIn profiles struggle. Many professionals do this: ❌ list responsibilities ❌ overload keywords without context ❌ write vague summaries ❌ fail to communicate impact clearly Visibility without relevance is not enough. Note that I am not anti-keywords because strategic keyword optimization matters. Eventually a human being is reading your profile so optimization should still feel ✔ intentional ✔ readable ✔ credible ✔ aligned to your actual positioning 📌 Save this carousel before updating your LinkedIn profile. And ask yourself this question: “If a recruiter found my profile today, would my value be immediately clear?” This aligns closely with one of the core ideas from my bestseller THE EDGE: Outperform, Outshine, and Outlast in Your Career. ©   Grab a copy on AMAZON: 👇🏽 https://lnkd.in/ecx478ft ______________ I am Yvonne E. Robinson. “𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.” 🔔Follow for more career advice. #GoalInspiredCareerCoaching