Any professional knows that while specializing in a super niche skillset can be important and sometimes even lead them to become a true leader of a field, they must never fully replace the baseline employability skills that can be the most important.

While the idea of a crazy-haired scientist wearing shorts and flip fops working in his lab to design the ultimate in scientific rocket propulsion techniques is a romantic one we like to hold on to, odds are the gentleman may never have received his job in the first place unless he knew how to give the potential boss a warm handshake and greeting to begin with.

This means that while being effective and continually developing within your field is a great priority to have, it’s also worth ensuring that you hold the essential skills any employer will appreciate. Some of these are timeless, and some of them have changed thanks to the advent of tech requirements and standards most of us must interface with on a daily basis.

To that extent, we have some advice to give.

Focus on Results

Your ability to focus on results will often set you apart from people who wish to prove something, or who wish to present themselves as intelligent and composed in the office. This is because when you focus on results, you are adaptable, and you’re also better able to identify just how those results came to pass. You can bet that focusing in this direction will be more important than applying your degree-level education for any task, or in fluttering with complex theories. Keeping your eye on the prize will increase the value of any employee tenfold, because it directs action in a way that nothing else can.

Provide Solutions to Problems

From time to time we need to present a problem to our employer, but for the most part this can come across as whining or as if deferring to a higher authority. It’s much better to present a problem to your boss with the potential solution or at least ideas in that regard, as it shows you’re a problem solver and willing to take the initiative, even if you need to ask permission to carry them out. Even if you do not use said solution, the fact you’re thinking about them will be appreciated.

Stay up to Date With New Systems

Stay up to date with the new systems that can help you better attend to your work. A more efficient you is someone able to understand the latest software suites such as the best MS Excel updates, understanding keyboard shortcuts, calculative possibilities and general data management. This, in turn, means you are continually increasing your value as a market asset, and you’ll be sure to keep up with the priorities of the times. For many, this can be a worthwhile goal.

With that in mind, we hope you can build the essential skills any worthwhile employer should appreciate.