Skills Development Resources

It's time to stop calling these skills soft. They've never been more essential: These skills matter in every role, They're increasingly important in an AI world, And they're what every employer is looking for. If you want to boost your career, master these 15 essential skills: 1) Proactivity ↳ Begin before deadlines, give updates without being prompted, and finish early when possible 2) Work Ethic ↳ Embrace challenging tasks without complaint, especially when others are cutting corners 3) Integrity ↳ Be upfront, even when the truth is uncomfortable or the news isn't good 4) Growth-Focus ↳ Treat setbacks as chances to learn and see peers as valuable sources of insight 5) Dependability ↳ Follow through on your promises and deliver by the time you said you would 6) Professionalism ↳ Show up with the behavior, tone, and presence that earns others' trust 7) Collaboration ↳ Set ego aside and actively engage in sharing, co-creating, and supporting teammates 8) Empathy ↳ Care about others and show compassion in your daily interactions 9) Emotional Intelligence ↳ Be aware of your emotions, understand how others feel, and manage your reactions thoughtfully 10) Resilience ↳ Keep moving forward through difficulties, refusing to give up when things get tough 11) Coachability ↳ Seek feedback regularly, show gratitude for it, and make visible improvements 12) Adaptability ↳ Adjust quickly when things shift and support others in navigating change too 13) Attention to Detail ↳ Keep everything in order so nothing falls through the cracks and deadlines are met 14) Accountability ↳ Step up when something goes wrong and take charge of fixing it 15) Creativity ↳ Challenge assumptions, explore new angles, and develop original solutions Any skills you'd add to this list? --- ♻️ Repost to help someone in your network. And follow me George Stern for more professional growth content.

The Class of 2025 faces unprecedented challenges—but your greatest asset isn't just your degree, it's your capacity for transformation. Research consistently shows that sustainable career success emerges from internal motivation: ↳ 68% higher employment satisfaction when work aligns with personal values, according to Workforce Analytics ↳ 2.9x greater career resilience when skills development is self-directed, according to Harvard Business Review ↳ 81% improved interview performance when candidates articulate authentic purpose, according to PSYCHOMETRIC RECRUITMENT LIMITED To activate your career transformation engine, master these five essential components: 🔹 Design your "Skills Acceleration System": Map your learning against emerging industry needs. Graduates who dedicate 5 hours weekly to strategic upskilling secure roles 40% faster (LinkedIn Workforce Report). 🔹 Craft your "Rejection Resilience Protocol": Convert interview feedback into growth opportunities. Candidates who implement structured feedback review processes receive 3x more follow-up interviews. 🔹 Develop your "Network Cultivation Rhythm": Create systematic touchpoints with industry connections. Professionals with consistent relationship-building practices receive 57% more unsolicited opportunities. 🔹 Create your "Opportunity Visibility Framework": Establish daily practices that position you where serendipity happens. Graduates in 3+ industry communities encounter 4x more "hidden market" roles. 🔹 Formulate your "Professional Identity Narrative": Craft and practice your unique value proposition until it becomes second nature. Candidates with coherent personal narratives advance 2.5x faster in early career stages. That's how you become career-resilient in a competitive landscape—by systematically building the professional identity that creates opportunities where others see only obstacles. What's one step from this framework that sparks your curiosity? Share below. Coaching can help; let’s chat. Joshua Miller #Classof2025 #CareerAdvice #Executivecoaching

Too many people see that "Open to Work" sign as an easy target to make a quick buck. From paid communities, to MLM-style courses, to folks with minimal experience branding themselves career coaches and charging thousands for their generic advice, folks are often exploiting people's desperation. But there ARE free resources out there: Pay Forward Coaching offers a free 1:1 coaching session as well as a free community with experienced coaches (and no upsell) EarnBetter offers a free AI resume tool and job board. Landed! is my newsletter for jobseekers where I share advice for navigating both job searches and the workplace (and I also share jobs on this page!) Lyft offers free rides to interviews and your first few weeks on the job. CareerOneStop is a free resource with tools for job search, and they have a lot of resources in particular for veterans, justice-impacted individuals, etc. Dress for Success Worldwide, Bottomless Closet, and Career Gear are just a handful of the many organizations that will help you get dressed for that interview or new job, and many offer additional supports to job seekers. I'm dropping a list of these resources in comments, and if you know of other totally free resources (with no upsell!), feel free to share them as well!

Elevate Your Career: Make a Bigger Impact with GCC Opportunities A good friend with a long, successful career in IT services recently shared this with me: “Nilesh, many professionals in IT services are exploring career changes to GCC roles. Does Zinnov keep a roster of such individuals to propose to your GCC clients?” This resonated deeply. GCCs are creating exciting opportunities for everyone—from individual contributors to senior leaders—offering ownership, innovation, and global impact. Whether you’re an individual contributor looking to make bigger impact or a leader aiming to drive strategy, here’s how to transition: 1. Adopt a Problem-Solving Mindset: Move from executing orders to owning solutions. Focus on outcomes, not just tasks. 2. Build Global Awareness: Understand how your work contributes to global business success. Think of your customers’ customers. 3. Invest in Skills That Matter: Upskill in product development, emerging technologies like AI and GenA, automation or digital transformation. 4. Collaborate Across Borders: Show adaptability in working with cross-functional, global teams. 5. Take Initiative: Volunteer for strategic projects to demonstrate your ability to contribute beyond your current role. 6. Measure Your Impact: Develop a results-driven mindset by focusing on measurable business value, not just deliverables. OKRs to guide your transition: 1. Objective: Develop expertise in global business impact. • Key Result 1: Deliver a project with measurable outcomes for a global client. • Key Result 2: Participate in at least one cross-border collaboration. 2. Objective: Upskill in high-demand areas. • Key Result 1: Earn a certification in product development, automation, GenAI, or digital transformation. • Key Result 2: Apply your skills to automate a key process or improve efficiency. Or develop a technology or product. 3. Objective: Cultivate ownership and initiative. • Key Result 1: Lead a project or propose an innovative solution within the next 3 months. • Key Result 2: Align your work with strategic business outcomes. The shift isn’t just about moving jobs—it’s about transitioning from a task executor to a value creator. GCCs are hiring—are you ready? #CareerGrowth #Leadership #GCC #MindsetShift #Upskilling Zinnov Amita Goyal Karthik Padmanabhan Mohammed Faraz Khan Namita Adavi Sagar Kulkarni Hani Mukhey Veerendra Baligeri Komal Shah ieswariya k Amaresh N. Rakshith Shetty Meenakshi Sachdev Dipanwita Ghosh Rohit Nair

Most career transition advice is garbage if you're mid-career and don't want to start over as a junior. I'm tired of seeing experienced professionals told to "take a step back" or "pay their dues again." That's not how smart transitions work when you've already built serious expertise. Here's what actually works: 1. Reverse mentoring - Find senior leaders in your target industry who need what you know. Tech adoption, generational insights, emerging markets - you're the expert they need. 2. Build thought leadership first - Start speaking at industry events, writing for trade publications, getting on conference panels. Establish credibility before you make the move. 3. Join advisory boards - Startup or growth company boards give you industry experience and senior-level connections without leaving your current role. 4. Skill arbitrage - What's common knowledge in your industry but rare gold in another? That's your unique value proposition right there. 5. Interim executive roles - Get intensive industry exposure and network building at the C-suite level, not the intern level. 6. Partnership development - Use your expertise to help companies expand into your sector. These often become bridge opportunities. 7. Innovation projects - Cross-functional initiatives expose you to new business models and industry applications. The goal isn't to abandon what you've built, it's to leverage it strategically. You're not starting over; you're expanding your empire. What unconventional transition strategies have you observed or implemented in your career development? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3y8qb #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careertransition #midcareer #executivetransition #careerstrategist

In the competitive world of corporate and sports life, we often focus on the tangibles – stats, wins, and achievements. If I was hiring you to work in an organization or recruiting you to play a sport in college, here is what I would rather see on your resume, LinkedIn profile, Hudle, or highlight reel… 1️⃣ Ability to GOOGLE that shit AND read directions. Highlight your ability to dive deep into the game, opponents, or industry trends. Show that you're not just a professional/player but a strategist. You are someone that reads what you get and finds the rest. You utilize the tools you have! 2️⃣ Your daily professional development plan/routine. What are you reading, watching, and studying to improve everyday? Study skills demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement and learning…a game-changer for those who do not want to stagnate. Share courses, books, or mentors that have shaped you. 3️⃣ What your desk, locker, outlook inbox, Teams chat inbox, etc. look like. Organizational skills are so underrated. Organized professionals/athletes often lead on and off the field. Showcase how you manage your time, tasks, and team responsibilities effectively. Anyone that has ever told me “I know where everything is…this works for me” has proven that it doesn’t work for them. 4️⃣ The way you react and respond to your feelings and emotions. Emotional Intelligence is a skill. Success is not just about physical prowess or ability to format an excel sheet but understanding and managing emotions. I’d love to see how you act when it doesn’t go your way, you don’t agree with the boss/coach, and when you aren’t hitting the mark. 5️⃣ Can you have the hard conversation? The ability to address conflicts or tough conversations with grace and empathy is a valuable asset in any arena. Do you give feedback or spread toxic positivity? 6️⃣ The way you navigate chaos. The corporate world/Sports teach us to thrive in unpredictable situations. It never slows down. There is always something. How have you shown adaptability and quick thinking when chaos strikes? 7️⃣ Your conflict resolution skills. There is conflict everywhere. Highlight instances where you resolved disputes within your team or managed to get shit done despite of them. 8️⃣ The way you act on the sideline. How are you acting while waiting for that promotion or to get in the game? Share how you support your teammates and inspire from the bench. Everyone needs to master how to play from the bench. 9️⃣ Are you consistent under pressure? Consistency isn't just about performance but also maintaining composure when the stakes are high or frustration sets in. It’s simple to be all good when everything is all good. 🔟 Your ability to perform even if. Every professional/athlete faces setbacks, unrealistic demands, etc. Showcase your strategies to bounce back, dig deep, and do it even when you don’t feel like it. Thoughts?

Want to Future-Proof Your Career in Just 30 Minutes a Day? Here’s How I Did It—And How You Can Too. Let me tell you a quick story. Few years ago, I realized I was coasting. I had decades of experience—but the world was shifting fast. AI, automation, remote leadership… and I was behind. So I made a decision: 30 minutes a day. Every day. I would build one on-demand skill at a time. Digital tools. Strategic analysis. Data literacy. Personal branding. Each one stacked on the next. Why? Because I didn’t want to just stay relevant—I wanted to stay valuable. I didn’t want to hope I was making an impact. I wanted proof. And you can do the same. Here’s what worked (and why it will work for you): 📚 Best Resources to Develop On-Demand Skills • LinkedIn Learning – Courses on leadership, project management, and data tools. (Search: “How to develop business analysis skills for operations”) • Coursera/edX – Certifications from Google, Wharton, and IBM. (Use long-tail keywords like “free project management courses with certificate”) • YouTube Channels like Ali Abdaal, Crash Course, and BetterExplained – Bite-sized, well-researched tutorials. • Skillshare – Perfect for creative professionals and side hustlers. • BONUS: Join free communities on Reddit and Discord for live feedback and peer review. How to Track Your Progress and Prove Your Value • Use a Skills Tracker spreadsheet. List every course, project, and reflection. • Log what you’ve applied—not just what you’ve watched. • Create a “Value Portfolio” – Highlight projects that show measurable outcomes. Ex: “Reduced processing time by 40% using Airtable automation after completing a Zapier workshop.” • Build public proof: Post on LinkedIn weekly. (It builds trust and a trail of credibility.) Turn New Skills Into Real Career Opportunities • Reverse-engineer job postings with long-tail keyword searches like “remote data analyst jobs requiring no degree.” • Match your newly gained skills with specific employer pain points. (Tip: Use tools like Jobscan to optimize your resume for ATS.) • Use your “value portfolio” in interviews. Show, don’t tell. • Get into informational interviews—ask: “What skills made you stand out in your role?” Then align. Because companies aren’t just hiring resumes anymore. They’re hiring results. If you can show: • “Here’s the skill I built,” • “Here’s how I applied it,” and • “Here’s the measurable outcome”… You stand out instantly. Set a Goal: 5 New Skills. 90 Days. Track them. Share them. Apply them. Whether you’re in leadership, operations, marketing, or starting fresh—this strategy qualifies you as someone serious about leveling up, not coasting. If you’re a mid-career professional wondering if it’s too late? It’s not. I’m living proof. Let’s grow on purpose. #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #CoachingForSuccess

I’m thrilled to see so many green circles disappear as exceptional recruiting talent is snapped up. But many people are still looking for their next opportunity. Here are my favorite free resources in an 8 steps process 👇 Step 1. Understand your own strengths and the environment in which you’ll thrive. Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker: https://buff.ly/3V71Ejo. Step 2. Look for common requirements and responsibilities for different roles at different seniority levels in your chosen field to narrow down your ‘job title’ options. The new Google for Jobs platform aggregates all the major job boards and makes it easy to filter: https://buff.ly/451lRfZ. Step 3. Highlight multiple examples from your previous roles for each responsibility identified in Step 2 using the STAR Method: https://buff.ly/2B4ehW9. Step 4. Rebrand your LinkedIn profile to highlight these experiences. Recruiters actively search for candidates daily but will only glance over your profile to see if you have the right skills. Improve your chance of being found by learning how recruiters source in this great deep dive with Glen Cathay: https://buff.ly/3tPYpRO Step 5. Build a target company list based on who is actively hiring in your space (ideally, 1+ role open for one of your chosen job titles in Step 2). Google for jobs is probably the best general source, again, but there are a ton of curated niche job boards (I add the latest postings from a shortlist of startups to our weekly tracker here: https://buff.ly/3GAzoRZ) Step 6: Look for first- or second-degree connections at your target companies and contact them for informational interviews to better understand the company culture. LinkedIn is the best professional social network for this stage. Step 7: Become familiar with common interview questions and good ways to respond. Bain has some of the best general interview prep material available: https://buff.ly/3V71EzU. Step 8: Don’t forget to thank your recruiters and interviewers, even if you don’t get the job you want. There’s always another role, and you want to be top of mind when the next position is posted! I’m not a career expert, but I learned a ton moving from the kitchen of a fast food restaurant to an executive role at a Fortune 250 company over 20 years. I’d be happy to share my experience if helpful? Please drop any questions in the comments below if someone else has the same question! #layoffs #hiring #planning

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 Kenneth Mikkelsen's four shifts—Mind Shift, Skill Shift, Behavior Shift, and System Shift—highlight the essential transformations leaders must make to navigate downturns effectively. Here's a breakdown of each shift with examples: 1. Mind Shift Leaders must change their mindset from fixed and traditional ways of thinking to embracing new perspectives and possibilities. SKILLS TO DEVELOP: 📌 become open, 📌 be willing to adapt, 📌 learn to live with uncertainty. 🔸 Example: A CEO shifts from focusing solely on short-term profits to prioritizing long-term sustainability and stakeholder value. 🔸 Example: A CHRO works with the executive team to move the culture from a risk-averse culture to one that encourages innovation and experimentation. 2. Skill Shift Leaders need to acquire new skills and develop capabilities that are relevant to an evolving and uncertain business landscape. SKILLS TO DEVELOP: 📌 become a critical thinker, 📌 learn to adapt skills needed for the situation, 📌 learn complex problem solving. 🔸 Example: Leaders take courses on digital transformation to better understand the impact of technology on their industry. 🔸 Example: A company invests in upskilling its workforce to adapt to new tools, such as AI and data analytics. 3. Behavior Shift Leaders must change their behaviors to be more agile, collaborative, and responsive to dynamic conditions. SKILLS TO DEVELOP: 📌 cultivate the necessary actions, 📌 learn to adapt your behaviors to build the team 🔸 Example: Managers move from overmanaging to empowering their teams to make independent decisions. 🔸 Example: An executive adopts open communication practices and listens more, encouraging transparency and frequent feedback within the organization. 4. System Shift Leaders should rethink and redesign organizational structures and systems to support flexibility, innovation, and resilience. SKILLS TO DEVELOP: 📌 rethink how the organization functions, 📌 learn to flow with the needs of the project 📌 be fluid with fluid conditions 🔸 Example: A company decentralizes decision-making, giving local teams the authority to respond swiftly to market changes. 🔸 Example: An organization adopts a flat hierarchy to improve agility and cross-functional collaboration across departments. These shifts help organizations and leaders thrive by adapting to changing environments and fostering growth during downturns. Your partner in success, Joe Murphy 📣Cool to repost 📽️Leadership Insights video series on leadership, management, and success. I post these daily at the same time, ⏰ 5 PM ET, Monday through Friday. #CHROs #LeadersatAllLevels #TheLeadershipAcademy Infographic: Tanmay Vora

We all hear: "Soft skills drive career growth" But it's not clear where to actually learn them. I've curated a list of resources to help you take action towards learning these essential soft skills Here are 12 soft skills for career growth (and a book and TED talk to master each): 1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) ↳ Book: "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman ↳ TED talk: "The Power of Vulnerability" by Brené Brown 2. Communication Skills ↳ Book: "Crucial Conversations" by Kerry Patterson ↳ TED talk: "How to Speak So That People Want to Listen" by Julian Treasure 3. Adaptability ↳ Book: "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck ↳ TED talk: "The Power of Believing That You Can Improve" by Carol Dweck 4. Problem-Solving ↳ Book: "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman ↳ TED talk: "The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers" by Adam Grant 5. Time Management ↳ Book: "Getting Things Done" by David Allen ↳ TED talk: "Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator" by Tim Urban 6. Leadership and Influence ↳ Book: "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek ↳ TED talk: "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" by Simon Sinek 7. Decision-Making ↳ Book: "Thinking in Bets" by Annie Duke ↳ TED talk: "How to Make Hard Choices" by Ruth Chang 8. Self-Motivation and Initiative ↳ Book: "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth ↳ TED talk: "The Puzzle of Motivation" by Daniel Pink 9. Consistency / Work Ethic ↳ Book: "Deep Work" by Cal Newport ↳ TED talk: "Why Some People Find Exercise Harder Than Others" by Emily Balcetis 10. Networking ↳ Book: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie ↳ TED talk: "The Secret to Great Opportunities? The Person You Haven't Met Yet" by Tanya Menon 11. Creativity and Innovation ↳ Book: "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon ↳ TED talk: "Your Elusive Creative Genius" by Elizabeth Gilbert 12. Discipline and Habits ↳ Book: "Atomic Habits" by James Clear ↳ TED talk: "Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit" by BJ Fogg Remember, just one short TED Talk can be the start you need. Comment below with your favorite recommendations or let me know if I missed any (so others can benefit too!) _______ ♻️ Repost to help others get resources to master soft skills. 📌 For more actionable insights, follow Jorge Luis Pando