The Coronavirus Pandemic

may already have many college students and new grads second-guessing their career plans. With 42 % of the American labor force  working from home and 33% not working, it is impossible to predict what the job market will look like in four or five years.  New grads could be graduating into unpredictable job markets for years. These job markets will either still be in or recovering from the pandemic or the recession that could accompany it. No one is sure.

Of course no one can predict the future accurately, but we already have some insight into the post pandemic job skills workers are going to need.  If you are in college right now or going to grad school, you should be thinking about how to get these job skills.

If you have them, then you should be thinking about how to improve on them and to market them.

Adaptability

Given our common experience of the pandemic, it is easy to understand why adaptability is a key job skill that is in demand and will continue to be in demand post pandemic. Companies were already predicting accelerated changes in the economy due to rapidly evolving technologies. The pandemic has definitely .

Digital Literacy

According to the American Library Association, digital literacy is “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” With 30 percent of the American workforce having to work virtually because of the Coronavirus pandemic, digital literacy is very much in demand. If you are making a list of post pandemic job skills today, digital literacy has to be at the top of the list.

Emotional Intelligence

Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves wrote Emotional Intelligence 2.0 over a decade ago. The book has become a favorite for professionals who adopt the four traits described in the book. The four traits are Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Management. During and after this pandemic it is feasible that these traits and skills will be in demand. Regardless of where you are in your professional life, building these skills could offer an advantage regardless of which job, industry or career you choose.

So what does this mean for students?

Does this mean that HBCU college freshman or any other HBCU student for that matter, should immediately see their advisers and change their college major? No. What it does mean is that you have to find ways to build these skills in your college experience. If you have already graduated, then you have to find a way to inventory the skills you already have. You also need to think of meaningful examples of the times when you have demonstrated these skills. It would be good to be able to explain those examples in your job interview.

It is important, however, that HBCU students understand employment trends, and learn about what employers say they want.

I have worked with thousands of college students, including HBCU students. Therefore I know that regardless of college major, graduates build successful careers in the fields they love. They key is to plan early, expand industry and career awareness and stay on top of employment trends.

So whether you are a Liberal Arts, Pre-Law or a Biology major, there are roles for you in emerging industries. Your goal should be to develop these post pandemic job skills. These skills are flexible and transferable between industries regardless of your longer term career goals.