Securing new career development opportunities is the most common motivator driving professionals to change jobs. These active job seekers are looking for vacancies with challenging projects, top clients and desirable locations. However, with these enticing roles attracting an average of 250 applications, landing that dream job isn’t a given.  

Understanding which skills and qualifications are most desirable to recruiters and companies in the target role should be the first priority applicants take to get ahead. With this knowledge, cover letters and CV’s/resumes can be tailored to highlight relevant information and demonstrate those desirable skills with clear examples. Without taking this step, even the most qualified candidate runs the risk of being overlooked: 70% of employers rely on technology that pre-screens candidates based on the data and keywords they’ve submitted. 

So, what are those skills that can give applicants that edge and increase their chances of being part of the 25% that make it past the first stage? Here we cover some of the most popular job profiles for 2019 and the traits that recruiters are seeking.

The Civil Engineer

Civil engineers benefit from a strong global construction sector, meaning their skills are consistently in demand. However, the economic fortunes of countries can create pockets of increased opportunity. Singapore’s construction industry is currently experiencing growth of 3.3%, following a boom in transportation megaprojects. In tong-term, China, the US and India will account for 57% of global growth in construction and engineering by 2030. 

As this role deals with public infrastructure, recruiters need to be sure they are sourcing reliable candidates who can hit the ground running, ideally with 3 - 5 years experience under their belt. 

Professional qualifications are non-negotiable in this sector so this information must be clearly presented, along with detailed examples of on the job experience. 

Membership to a professional body, such as ASCE or ICE, is a highly complementary addition to the resume and demonstrates a strong commitment to personal development. These organizations offer access to the latest construction updates and sector regulations through conferences, publications and training courses, creating many opportunities for members to arm themselves with the latest knowledge. 

Although Civil Engineering is highly technical, don’t underestimate the importance of supportive skills. Most building sites involve stressful, time pressured situations in complex, multi-cultural environments. Evidence of solid communication skills can be the deciding factor between two qualified candidates up against each other during application. 

The Data Scientist

The explosion of the digital era has resulted in a wealth of structured and unstructured data requiring expert analysis. Demand for data scientists has expanded beyond the tech-sector with a steep increase in recruiters from marketing, healthcare and even agriculture looking for talented analysts. Recently named as the most promising job for 2019, data scientists can expect attractive salaries and good long-term prospects.

To secure one of these opportunities it's important to show knowledge of the latest technologies and software. At the moment, top requested programming languages for data science include Python, R and Java, but new theories like reinforcement learning show candidates are ahead of the curve. It’s also beneficial to be up to speed with legislation affecting the data science sector, such as the EU’s GDPR and AI code of ethics regulations. 

As coding and data analytics is a language in itself, data scientists should demonstrate their ability to translate findings to other team members and company executives. Examples of presenting at board meetings or contributing to overall business operations helps to show the value of that keen analytical mind. 

The Project Manager

Project management is an enduringly popular profession due to attractive salaries and stable long-term opportunities, with even entry-level roles expecting to fetch an average of $57,500 in the US. By 2027, the profession is predicted to grow by 33%: When coupled with the diversity of choice in sector and location, candidates can expect great long-term career flexibility. 

Here, it’s important to be aware of overall changes to the professional working environment. For example, the shift to local and global remote working makes skills in virtual project management increasingly important. Whilst the use of digital meeting software and kanban tools are pretty ubiquitous in business, highlighting these in the application process demonstrates an ability to respond to this workplace trend with clear tactics. 

Creating a high-performing team is crucial to the success of any project, and project managers should cultivate their people skills to aid this. Leadership and emotional intelligence training improves the ability to resolve conflict, generate buy-in from all team members and steer projects to mid- and long-term goals smoothly. 

Creating that winning resume  

Whether it’s getting past application screening software or being noticed by the recruitment manager inundated with CV’s / resumes, even the strongest candidate risks being overlooked if they haven’t done their homework.  

Job requirements are always shifting to respond to the needs of the company and sector trends, so the ideal skill-set is never static. Taking the time to research exactly what recruiters are looking for will pay dividends. The right combination of experience and attributes presented in an easy-to-read format creates a resume that cannot be ignored. In a competitive, global marketplace, know what the recruiter wants before you feed it to them.