Business is competitive, and international business is no exception. To achieve employment success within international business jobs, you’ll want to hone in on certain high demand skills.
What skills, you may be asking? Today, we’ll be highlighting the top 5 skills in demand for international business jobs.
- Excellent Networking Skills
Did you know 85% of current jobs are landed through networking (LinkedIn)? It’s likely that international business jobs require even more networking since you’ll be away from your local community.
With that, we want to stress the importance of developing excellent networking skills. This includes mastering platforms like LinkedIn and face-to-face skills. Practice active listening, refine your personal “elevator pitch”, be aware of your body language, and strive to create genuine relationships with other international professionals.
Related: New Survey Reveals 85% of All Jobs are Filled Via Networking
- Cultural Awareness
One unique challenge of international business jobs is being culturally aware and sensitive. Every culture has nuances and quirks. These differences can spiral into cultural misunderstandings and global embarrassments, if not handled appropriately that is.
For an international business owner, being culturally ignorant is the last thing they would want to be labeled. Develop a firm understanding of the various cultures that you’ll be interacting with. On top of familiarizing yourself with the language, don’t forget to brush up on common beliefs, traditions, and cultural norms.
- Resilience
To be transparent, international business does demand a certain level of mental toughness and resilience. You may have to work across time zones and face uncertain situations. And, like with anything else, failure and setbacks are certainly possible. Bosses know this, and they don’t want to hire someone that’s just going to quit.
- Emotional Intelligence
Let’s face it. In an international setting, language and cultural barriers will inhibit communication at times. In these cases, strong emotional intelligence can help guide the way. Emotional intelligence is having the ability to accurately perceive and manage others’ emotions while regulating your own.
Related: The Top 7 Skills Needed for Success in International Business
- Adaptive Thinking
Timing is everything when it comes to international business jobs. Part of what makes international business challenging — but also incredibly interesting and rewarding — is how fast everything can go. You must have the confidence to adapt, strike and reap opportunities when they unpredictably fall from the tree.
Have a Specific Career In Mind? We’ve Got More to Offer
International business isn’t just one niche. There are many facets and sub-categories — all with their own list of in-demand skills. Landing a career right out of college can be difficult, and we want to help you.
Check out the Global Careers Hub job board for the latest career and internship listings in international business, and bookmark this website for the latest in industry news.
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