Essential skills for students entering the workforce

It is the financial statement of an organisation that projects its advancements, and therefore, accountancy and finance are crucial drivers of any business. However, in order to create and maintain the growth trajectory, it is the organisation’s workforce and their vision that play a vital role in driving it.

Young individuals are the future leaders who have just turned professionals. Hence, recruiters or HR managers look for certain qualities while they hire individuals even at the junior-most levels, as organisations look to nurture young professionals into the leaders of tomorrow. Organisations invest in young professionals and groom those who exhibit certain qualities associated with leadership. Therefore, in order to create a great career path for themselves, young professionals need to incorporate a few skills, which they require in order to outshine others. There are certain skills you can imbibe in them as they grow in their careers so as to be able to take charge in the future.

First and foremost, you need to understand that a leader is not someone who has extraordinary skills but one who is eager to strike an optimal balance of professionalism and willingness. They are the ones who go the extra mile to achieve great heights with a progressive mindset.

1. Ethics

Ethical behaviour practices begin at the topmost level of the organisation, which creates a cultural difference with high values. Individuals must always focus on being ethical and put the same on top of their priority list. Just as an institution, that incorporates good corporate governance practices, attains steady growth over the years and builds a lasting legacy, a person for whom ethics is the top priority has the ability to bring in better business opportunities as well as better investor relations.

2. Accountability

Accountability is all about taking ownership for one’s actions and decisions, without putting the blame onto the team members. Individuals who are accountable are regarded as the most trusted and are almost always the most popular with their employers. This helps them gain trust with their peers, juniors and seniors in the organisation

3. Communication

The ability to communicate the most crucial information in the most straightforward and simple way possible is essential. Focus on being able to put forward your views is essential. Since communication is a two-way process, you should be a good listener too. Respecting the ideas and taking into consideration the views of others is a hallmark of a professional.

4. Empathy

Being empathetic is an important trait of a leader because it enables you to understand and analyse the impact that your decisions will have on the lives of people around them. People with empathetic traits make you more approachable to others. Empathy is crucial in finance-related decision making.

5. Emotional intelligence

An emotionally intelligent person has a balanced control over his own emotions along with those of the people around him during the time of crisis or in case of an adverse situation. Being empathetic is also an important trait because it enables you to understand and analyse the impact your decisions may have on the lives of people around them. Individuals who are calm and courageous, while confronting the real-time queries head-on, clearly stating the issues faced by the organisation, will be highly looked upon by their teams and peers rather than people who put the blame on the team. Winning the confidence of their employees and peers is crucial for a leader, and enables the team to cohesively work towards solving the issue at hand.

In short, young professionals looking for a long career path must try and incorporate these leadership skills in their day-to-day professional lives. This will help their growth not, only within the organisation but even across industries.