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18 SkillsFuture Courses That Could Help You Keep Your Job in 2016

3 Tips That Will Make Your Job Search Easier and Faster

Previously on MoneySmart, we talked about some of the skills Singaporeans who actually care about their employability should probably look into building in 2016.

Well, the year’s barely a quarter over, and based on the increased rate of retrenchment that’s hit the island, it might be a good idea to use that SkillsFuture credit this year, and on something useful rather than a sushi-making class.

Here are some courses you might want to consider taking based on our top 5 skills to build in 2016.

Soft skills

Even if you’re a genius in your field, the ability to get along with others, lead a team and communicate effectively might elude you. Here are some courses that can help you improve in these areas.

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  • Advance Your Influence & Communication Skills With Emotional Intelligence (Rohei Corporation Pte. Ltd) – Don’t be that callous dude at the office with the low EQ.

  • Business English Communication Skills (COURSERA) – If your inability to codeswitch from Singlish to formal English is holding you back, you need to brush up on your language skills.

  • Business Presentation & Communication (EON Consulting & Training Pte Ltd) – Put more pep in your Powerpoint presentations and stop sending emails you later regret by honing your communication skills.

  • Communication Across Cultural Contexts (Nanyang Technological University) – Singaporean workplaces are becoming increasingly international, and if you have trouble connecting with anyone outside your Singaporean circle of colleagues, learn how.

Data Analysis Skills

We are now working in a knowledge economy, and knowing how to handle, analyse and crunch data will make you much more employable. The kind of skills you can develop will depend on your technical background.

  • Business Statistics, Data Analysis, and Decision Making (COURSERA) – If you’re in an analyst or management role, knowing how to make decisions based on data can be very useful.

  • Effective Data Analysis Skills Using MS Excel (Eagle Infotech Consultants Pte Ltd) – No matter how much you might have avoided Excel back at school, the fact remains that it’s indispensable in data analysis.

  • Machine Learning for Data Analysis (COURSERA) – If you’re a software engineer, you already know that machine learning is one of the hottest and most lucrative areas to work in.

  • Data Security Fundamentals (Modular Unit Stackable to Specialist Diploma in Big Data Management) (Temasek Polytechnic) – Big data is one of the technical areas that pays the highest salaries, and there is a concomitant demand for people skilled in information security.

Digital and Online Marketing Skills

For those who don’t have a technical background, digital and online marketing are one of the biggest growth areas. In a couple of years you won’t be able to call yourself a marketer without skills in digital, so pay attention.

  • Content Marketing for Web, Mobile & Social Media (Marketing Institute of Singapore) – If you work in sales and marketing, you need to understand content marketing across a number of platforms.

  • Social Media Marketing for Retailers (The Retail Academy of Singapore Pte. Ltd.) – Whether you’re running an online business or are working in the retail industry, a knowledge of social media marketing is key to successful sales.

  • The Complete Social Media For Business Workshop (UDEMY) – Learn about social media marketing from the comfort of your own home.

  • Digital Analytics for Marketing Professionals: Marketing Analytics in Theory (COURSERA) – So your SEO or digital marketing team has given you a bunch of data, but what does it mean? It’s time to find out.

Skills that take you across borders

If you don’t want to be stuck in Singapore forever, work on acquiring skills that will make it easier to get hired overseas.

  • Business Chinese (SIM University) – The fact that Chinese is so darned hard for foreigners to learn makes it all the more useful if you’re actually proficient in the language—not necessarily to work in China, but for positions elsewhere in companies that deal with the Chinese region.

  • Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution (COURSERA) – The Singaporean way of working doesn’t always translate well elsewhere. If you’re working in an MNC or deal with foreign clients and partners, learning how to work effectively with them is key.

  • Comparative Study of Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia (SIM University) – So you already speak fluent Malay but need to use Bahasa Indonesia at work or for business. Perfect your command of BI by taking this course.

Interdisciplinary skills

Give yourself an advantage over your university coursemates and colleagues by picking up skills in a complementary discipline.

  • Financial Management for Non-Finance Managers (Universal Stage Pte. Ltd,) – Stop being forced to always rely on the guys in finance to explain what’s going on.

  • Sales & Marketing Strategies for Engineers – Aligning Product Development to Customer Needs (The Marketing Institute of Singapore) – If you’re an engineer in a lean startup team, learning how to tailor your product to what customers want is key.

  • Digital Analytics For Marketing Professionals (COURSERA) – If you entered the marketing field back before digital became a big thing, you really need to get up to speed on how digital analytics work, or risk losing your job to someone younger.

What are you going to do with your SkillsFuture credit? Tell us in the comments!

The post 18 SkillsFuture Courses That Could Help You Keep Your Job in 2016 appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

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