Stay On Top In The Career Game With These Important Business Skills A recent LinkedIn report found cloud computing to be the most desired hard skill among companies

When hiring new candidates, the HR specialists look for that one important skill which makes the candidate suited for the job. The more skills you have, the more you will rise in your career. Let's be honest, in a competitive job market, a university degree is just not enough to increase one's chances of getting employed. A recent LinkedIn report shortlisted the top hard and soft skills that companies are looking for in 2018. Hard skills and soft skills are both important to evaluate an applicant's abilities. Hard skills are specific abilities that can be measured, such as typing, writing, math, reading and the ability to use software programs. On the other hand, soft skills are universal and harder to quantify, such as etiquettes, getting along with others, listening and engaging in small talk.

If you want to stay at the top your career game then become fluent in these five business skills.

• Leadership: Whether it's a startup or a large business, having leadership skill is very important for employees. The important job of the leader is to inspire and support his team and assign tasks responsibly. Becoming a successful leader will get you promoted in your professional or personal life.
• Communication: Communication is a very important skill in your personal life and professional life. According to Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group, communication is the most important skill any leader can possess. The entrepreneur emphasized in a blog that communication makes the world go round. "It facilitates human connections and allows us to learn, grow and progress. It's not just about speaking or reading, but understanding what is being said--and in some cases what is not being said," shared Branson. So, both written and verbal communication skills in a candidate are of utmost importance for any company during the hiring process. So, it's always important, take care of your verbal and nonverbal communication during your job interview.
• Collaboration: The collaboration skill enables workers to work productively with others at the workplace. It is very important to create a happy and productive work environment. If your company lacks this skill then your business productivity can also go down.
• Time Management: Time management is an important skill for any company. Employers also want to hire employees who can prioritize and manage their work effectively.The skill not only improves efficiency but also help the employee plan the workload and ensures that the goals are accomplished on time. No matter what industry you are in, time management is always important.

When it came to hard skills, cloud computing toppled the others and emerged as the favorite among companies. The study highlighted that the job demanding this skill would offer a salary up to $135,000.