Future Of Work: Top Skills To Succeed In The Remote Job Marketplace

• An ever-increasing number of companies are transitioning to permanent remote and hybrid work arrangements. 
• This is changing the job marketplace, and also the skills required for candidates to thrive in the future of work. 
• Based on research from FlexJobs and PAIRIN, here are the top 5 career categories and the respective skills needed to succeed in them. 

The coronavirus pandemic has forever changed the way we work; specifically, how and where we work. In fact, an ever-increasing number of companies have already stated that they will transition to permanent remote work arrangements.  

This has changed not only employee expectations, but also, and more importantly, the job marketplace.  

The skills needed to thrive in a job that gets done in an office are different from the ones needed to thrive in a remote role. The remote job marketplace is also much more competitive, as it gives companies access to an enormous talent pool. Workers hoping to land their dream job now have the added pressure of competing with people from all over the world.  

To make matters more challenging, a recent survey found that 58% of workers aren’t confident that they can find a new job with their existing skills. The same survey also found that 57% of workers cannot identify transferable skills with a high degree of confidence.  

This makes the job search process much more challenging and makes it harder for workers to stand out in the remote job marketplace.  

Top Skills Needed to Thrive in the Remote Job Marketplace 

Knowing which soft skills are crucial for success in remote jobs can help job seekers stand out to recruiters.  

FlexJobs and PAIRIN recently identified the soft skills job seekers need to succeed in the remote work marketplace, specifically in 10 career categories. Those interested in a remote career can benefit from this knowledge; if they have the skills required, they already have an advantage over others; if they don’t have the skills most coveted by recruiters, they can work on developing them to improve their resume and their chances of being noticed.  

Below are the top 5 career categories with the respective skill set needed to succeed in them.  

Computer & IT  

According to the research, those interested in pursuing a remote career in the computer and IT sector would benefit from having the following soft skills: 

• Creativity 
• Originality 
• Objective-analytical 
• Problem solving 
• Critical thinking.  

Medical & Health 

For these industries, remote job seekers should focus on highlighting the following skillset: 

• Service orientation 
• Supportiveness 
• Social awareness 
• Accountability 
• Compliance. 

Project Management 

To be a successful remote project manager, a job seeker must focus on developing the following skills: 

• Relationship management 
• Collaboration and teamwork 
• Dynamism 
• Productivity 
• Stress tolerance.  

Sales 

Remote salespeople need to have the following soft skills to succeed in their careers: 

• Influential leadership 
• Conflict management 
• Social awareness 
• Service orientation 
• Assertiveness. 

Accounting & Finance 

To have a successful remote career in this area, job candidates must have the following skills: 

• Social awareness 
• Compliance 
• Relationship 
• Conflict management 
• Critical thinking.  

Why Desirable Skills Are Different for the Remote Job Marketplace 

While the duties and responsibilities of a job position may be the same regardless of whether it is remote or in person, the required skills to thrive in it are different for both scenarios.  

This is because in-person skills don’t necessarily translate to virtual settings. Soft skills are particularly important in remote positions as these are the type of skills that help a person work independently, communicate and collaborate effectively, and manage their workload productively.  

Skills like relationship management, social awareness, teamwork, supportiveness, and assertiveness are particularly important for remote workers because they need to be able to convey messages, feelings, and emotions – to colleagues and customers alike – without relying on body language cues.  

Additional Skills for Remote Work Opportunities 

In addition to role specific skills, remote job candidates should also focus on developing and honing soft skills that could help them land leadership positions.  

Important skills to demonstrate for remote positions, regardless of job type include: 

• Empathy 
• Leadership 
• Independence 
• Reliability 
• Punctuality / time-management 
• Proactivity 
• Tech-savviness 
• Learnability.