"GET SMART WITH SKILLS" FOR CA-CS-ACCA-CMA USA STUDENTS 

“Knowledge is power”. We often mistake knowledge to mean the content, facts, ideas, and perceptions acquired over a period of time through learning. Whereas, knowledge is at its peak when it is combined with its application. The unique blend of content and skills is what heightens an individual’s expertise. This is in fact what recruiters look for in prospective candidates looking for new opportunities in their companies. Theoretical knowledge alone wouldn’t help you release your full potential in this competitive world. The blog aims to let the students know the massive importance of soft skills development in today’s age especially with the advancement of the digital era.

·  Analytical Skills: Knowing the “why” behind the “what” and the “cause” behind the “effect” takes a separate set of skills. The era of massive data input calls for people who have the ability to look at large sets of numbers and figures and draw insights that can help businesses with their long-term strategies. The ability to analyse and make decisions based on those numbers is a critically important skillset to acquire. Logical reasoning and analysis can help you to give innovative solutions for various issues that restrict organisations from attaining their growth potential. Every student passing a professional course will be exposed to the corporate world and will have to deal with business problems. If you only know the theoretical aspect of an area without knowing how to effectively apply it to find solutions, you will find it difficult to survive your competition. In order for clients to prefer you over other experts in the industry, you must know how to analyse problems for optimal solutions

·  Interpersonal Skills: With the onset of the ever-growing digital era, the skills to collaborate and work in groups have utmost importance to come up with ideal business solutions. It is also a known trend that only professionals with good interpersonal skills will be able to fulfil leadership goals in any corporate environment. Qualified professionals are often an integral part of an organisation's strategic top team. Not only do they need to work effectively with people who have similar skills, but as they become more strategic, they also need to collaborate across different departments and business functions, working on multi-disciplinary teams with external clients as well.

·  Digital Skills: The use of technology is inevitable in the digital era and this makes these skills one of the basic requirements to build your career. On a basic level, a professional, be it in the field of accountancy, law or management, must be very computer-savvy and comfortable with technology, as most modern organizations use a variety of different accounting information systems to manage their accounting activities. They would be expected to have a strong background in a number of applications, including finance-related software systems, Microsoft Excel, and data modelling programs, among others. They must be able to manipulate, extract, and analyse from each of these individually, and often use several programs in conjunction with one another to obtain a holistic perspective of an organization's finance and operations. Individuals need to be technically savvy in the latest versions of relevant software. Being tech savvy is not a boon anymore, it’s a requirement. Having an edge over the same will help you to have a competitive edge in your field. So, gear up and get set to learn various tools and tricks to help you navigate in the digital era.

·  Communication Skills: Any person who is capable enough to communicate his thoughts and ideas effectively can win the hearts of many. You should be capable of communicating complex technical information and financial data to non-professionals in a much simpler context in which they’d understand. The best professionals can cut through complex information straight to the facts that matter most to the business or the client. Communication can attract and retain people, be it senior officials, co-workers, subordinates or customers, by making them understand your worth.

Developing such skills helps you stand out amongst the crowd and give you a competitive edge, it gives you a better purpose in life by making your career successful and meaningful. You should always work towards sharpening your skills to survive in this competitive world as the fittest. But you must also note that skill development is relatively context-specific, that is, these skills needs to be embedded with knowledge of your subject or field and not in isolation. Hence, ensure you acquire and expertise in such skills relevant and significant for your field in order to ensure a successful career.