What are durable skills and do you need them in Fintech?

It’s a brand new year, and the ticking time of December 31st often makes us look at what we’ve achieved in the past 12 months and consider what we want to aim for next.

Job hunting and career development are often at the top when it comes to decisions. Recent data from YouGov found that 21 per cent of Britons set a New Year’s resolution for 2023, with 20 per cent pledging to pursue a career ambition.

Whether it’s to get promoted, ask for a raise or step into a whole new role, there are a huge number of ways to boost your career in 2023. One you may not have considered is to take a broad look at your skills, and solve any gaps.

We often hear skills talked about in terms of a hard and soft breakdown. The former relates to your core technical skills, for example your skills with a language like Python, or your ICT ability. The latter is about the personal qualities you have that give you a glimmer in your daily interactions and negotiations.

Soft skills can be dismissed by employers, but at their peril. According to a 2019 Global Talent Trends report, 89 percent of recruiters said that when a new hire doesn’t work out, it’s often because of a lack of soft skills. Another report highlighted that the top three soft skills employers want are teamwork and collaboration, followed by communication, and problem solving and critical thinking.

Today’s workplace means that the way we look at skills needs a refresh. The average British worker has six different jobs in their working life, according to The Association of Accounting Technicians and 46 percent of study participants retrained after deciding that a particular career was not for them.

Assess your skills

Durable skills are a way of looking at a combined skill set that can stand the test of time throughout your career and help you develop. Consider which of your skills are more durable and which are more perishable—for example, that accreditation you earned for a piece of software that is no longer supported, or internal tools and process knowledge that you can’t transfer to a new role.

Hand in hand with that you should consider whether your skills are transferable across roles or sectors. You should take a hard look at whether your skills are in demand – will that remain the case? This analysis should give you an idea of ​​which intersection of capabilities between your soft and hard skills is truly sustainable.

In fintech, this is important, because the industry is a constantly evolving landscape. As new technologies emerge, new technology stacks need to be addressed. Compliance and regulatory issues need to be kept on top, and developing deep skills around negotiation, communication and problem solving is essential.

The good news is that really durable skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration and leadership skills are in demand. Analysis of 80 million job postings from 2020 to 2021 found that seven of the 10 most in-demand skills are permanent.

If you’re looking to expand your lasting skills in 2023, there are plenty of opportunities to do so The Fintech Times Job Board. Check out three roles available below.

Lead Senior Business Consultant, FIS Global, London

FIS is looking for a passionate, driven individual to join the FIS Private Capital Suite Consulting Services team in an impactful role as a Lead Senior Consultant. This will be an integral part of FIS’ delivery of client implementations, upgrades, customized solutions and integrations to ensure that clients are successfully onboarded. You should have knowledge of the private equity industry, experience in accounting and data handling background. You also need strong time management and good communication skills. Apply for this role here.

Portfolio Management and Analytics Associate, Citi, London

Citi is seeking a Portfolio Management and Analytics Associate to be an integral part of the EMEA PMA team. You will add programming technical bench strength to the team to help provide analytics and insights, and market fundamentals to support the business, as well as provide insight into market developments and new strategies. You need strong technical experience in Python, demonstrate a strong interest in commodity markets and hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a technical discipline. Get all the details about the job now.

Commercial Excellence Finance Business Partner, Deloitte, Dublin

This Ireland-based Commercial Excellence Finance Business Partner role will create greater value for the business by developing priorities in close collaboration with relevant teams to maximize financial performance. You will focus on scenarios and portfolios that are the most complex and material in nature and work to shape and/or refine exception analysis to ensure focus is optimized to improve financial and commercial outcomes for clients. To apply, you must be a qualified accountant, ideally in a professional services firm, with strong experience with business partners. See all the requirements for this role here.

Discover your new role for 2023 on the Fintech Times Job Board