Traditionally, to start in the working world, people focus on finishing a university degree and putting together their best resume to impress companies. But, have you ever wondered what will be more relevant in the future? Should you pay attention to degrees or professional skills? In this article we help you to solve those doubts!

Professional degrees vs. professional skills

Before we get into the details of which will be more important between professional qualifications or skills, we want to tell you what both terms mean:

Professional degrees are documents certifying that a person has pursued higher education studies and has successfully completed the corresponding evaluations. Therefore, it is understood that he/she has the appropriate knowledge to practice the associated profession.

Professional skills are considered to be the set of competencies, knowledge and attitudes that a person possesses and that are required to correctly perform a specific activity in the work environment.

However, the truth is that the reality in human resources departments at the time of hiring a person to the team has been presenting several changes that highlight the relevance of professional skills in the future.

According to the Freelancing in America 2018 survey, companies take into consideration the skills training demonstrated by individuals.

Thus, 93% of freelancers stated that their skills training was useful for the activities they perform, while 79% put university education as a priority.

In addition, experts say that, with the constant evolution of technology, the future of work will not be based especially on the professional titles you possess, but rather on the skills and competencies you demonstrate in your daily work.

However, this does not mean that we should discard education as a method of training for professionals in the country. In fact, according to the OECD education report, 4 out of 10 Spaniards aged 25 to 34 have a university degree.

The reality is that, if you want to really fit into a job today, you must go beyond handing in your college degree and demonstrate in a practical way what you are capable of offering; as well as those skills that truly make you a successful and decisive professional.

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What is titulitis?

In this way, it seems appropriate to talk about a term coined by the Royal Spanish Academy in 2001: “titulitis”. Have you heard of it? In a nutshell, it refers to the disproportionate and excessive valuation applied to university degrees and academic certificates as a guarantee of the knowledge a person possesses.

Likewise, it is important to emphasize the critical eye that must be kept when recruiting personnel for an organization, without making decisions based on titulitis.

As you can see, this can lead to negative consequences, since sometimes people can demonstrate professional qualifications, but an absence of belonging to the organization, lack of business values, poor communication or conflicting attitudes.

If you have a company and need help in the personnel selection process, you can also rely on experts such as TAS Consulting to take care of the process for you.

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What professional skills are companies looking for?

Choosing between professional qualifications or skills may seem like a challenge for your company. However, regardless of the certifications a person holds, ensuring that they meet certain competencies will undoubtedly benefit the work environment.

In this regard, we highlight 5 most in-demand professional skills for the future that you cannot overlook when looking for personnel:

1. Critical thinking

It seems unbelievable, but many times the failures of companies revolve around the ability to think critically when making relevant decisions. Therefore, it is valued and will continue to be valued in the future that the employees that make up each department are proactive and can solve day-to-day situations effectively.

2. Creativity and innovation

Nowadays, business is in constant evolution and matching with people who provide creative ideas, opinions and keep themselves constantly updated on what is happening in the market is one of the points that you should pay more attention to within a company.

These people considered as “creative and innovative” are nothing more than fundamental pieces in the team that will help you make a difference.

3. Virtual collaboration

Teamwork is necessary to optimize business goals, and with the presence of technological tools, it is increasingly valued that candidates can perform optimally not only in person, but also remotely.

In this way, effective communication and the development of strategies that promote fellowship, work motivation and success in organizations are demonstrated.

4. Adaptability

As already mentioned, changes in the market can occur constantly and with the digital era it is more common for this to happen.

Currently, in order to meet the needs and requirements of customers, it is essential that employees are able to go beyond and adapt to the different situations that may arise in order to solve the latent problems related to their activities.

5. Organization

The organization represents a key pillar for business activities and their teams, regardless of the sector in which they operate. This is because it allows people to work in an optimal way, as well as to establish priorities, and to choose the most convenient means to carry out each of the proposed goals.

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Putting together a successful work team may seem like a real challenge. However, in TAS Consulting we advise you to find the right balance between your candidates, and thus achieve each of your goals. Visit our website and contact us if you have any doubts.