LinkedIn released its annual report on the most in-demand skills for 2023, and communication and leadership rank as two of the top five most in-demand skills in today’s competitive job market. The other skills landing in the top five are management, customer service and sales. The LinkedIn report is based on data gathered from LinkedIn job postings and member activity, providing a unique and valuable perspective on the job market’s current and future needs.
An effective way of building and enhancing these valuable skills is by joining Toastmasters International, the global organisation devoted to communication and leadership skills development. Toastmasters offers a supportive setting where people can practise and improve these and other soft skills. In addition to public speaking, a typical Toastmasters club meeting gives members an opportunity to engage in active listening, provide and receive constructive feedback and practise time management.
“In the current job market, job candidates need to possess the skills that are most sought after by employers, and Toastmasters offers a supportive and cost-effective place to develop and improve these skills,” says Matt Kinsey, Toastmasters’ 2022–23 International President. “Our organisation prides itself on helping individuals to build these important skills and utilise them daily in their professional lives to enhance their career.”
More than half of all Fortune 500 companies offer in-house Toastmasters clubs, including Amazon, Bank of America, Caterpillar, General Electric and Google. These employers have found the Toastmasters programme to be an effective staff development tool that benefits their organisation.