Skillsets that will complement MBA specialisations in the post-COVID world

With Lockdown 5.0, many districts in the country have allowed businesses to reopen. However, they are under strict orders to operate with a staggering attendance. As the scare of the coronavirus is still very real, most employees continue to work from home. This shift to a virtual workplace might find a permanent place in the post-COVID world. In light of this, most age-old MBA methodologies that require you to traverse geographies physically might lose their appeal. Newer skillsets that complement MBA specialisations will become more relevant to this dynamic new market.

There will be a need to hone your people skills because now the employer should be convinced of your talent through a screen (literally!). As we move towards this change, the world is essentially shifting towards a digital era. The desirable skillsets in today's world will change. This age of digitisation and automation is upon us. The best we can do is embrace it and leverage it to get ahead in the game. Technological skills such as Data Science and Analytics, Product Management, Data Engineering, Cybersecurity, IoT, Mobile Development, etc. are becoming more and more desirable.

The post-coronavirus world is going to pose a challenge for people not in touch with the new technology. Even right now, many companies are operating virtually, with most employees at home. Experts say that being tech-savvy is going to give a huge advantage to employees.

Here are a few skillsets that will sell like hot cakes in the post-lockdown world. Take heed for the change is coming!

Data Analytics:

Data-driven insights are becoming more and more essential for any digital marketing program. For this purpose organizations need data analysts who understand business and marketing strategy. Strategy ranks third in the most in-demand MBA specialisations. Combined with the skill of data analysis, it can help build the ‘unicorns’ (individuals with knowledge of both data analytics and strategic business understanding) that big brand names hire.

Computer Programming languages:

Programming languages ranging from Java, C++, to Solidity and Python are widely learnt by techies. MBA specialisation in IT and Information Systems can use this skill to have a better understanding of the digital platform for commerce. Individuals trained in business management and advanced computer languages are sought after to create programs targeted towards supply chain management, e-business, project management, etc.

Mobile Development

Companies that want to stay on top of their game don’t just need websites today, they need apps. Mobile development skills coupled with a specialisation in operation management enable you to have the expertise of business planning and managing production powering an app that can channel those.

An MBA specialisation in Entrepreneurship can also be combined with a tech course in mobile development. Because if you can build apps for companies, you can also build and sell your own!

Artificial Intelligence:

Your perception of Artificial Intelligence might be a sequence for ‘I, Robot’. But AI is not just a human-robot crossover. It deals with machine-learning to achieve marketing-specific goals such as optimizing the customer experience. It is also a powerful tool for content tagging, conversational experiences, augmented market analysis, etc.

In 2018, about 31% of businesses reported that implementing AI was on their agenda for the next 12 months. An AI tech career, coupled with an MBA specialization in Marketing can prove to be a very successful tool in customer targeting and product promotion.

UI/UX Design:

UI (User interface) and UX (User Experience) specialists design interfaces for websites and apps and ensure that every element of the user interaction is at its best possible level. This skill can be applied along with one of the most consistently popular specialized MBA programs, General Management. Organizations in any industry, as visual media for marketing, continues to rise, along with the consumption of visual content. These designing tools are getting simultaneously more powerful and affordable but they still need the expertise of marketers with visual design skills.

What else can you pick up during this time?

Many industries such as aviation, hospitality, HM, MSME are faced by a declining consumer base that is causing them major setbacks. According to experts, sectors with a wide digital base are going to see a rise in their customer base such as:

• Education Technology
• E-commerce
• Health and Education
• Infrastructure 

Employers will look for leaders and empathetic workers to take their companies forward in these difficult times. One can learn to be better-suited for such opportunities by learning things such as:

Leadership skills

In difficult times, a team often looks towards their leader. Strong leadership qualities were essential even before the pandemic began. But now, as the world is shifting to a work from home trend, leaders have to motivate their teams from afar. Instead of a get-together or a motivational speech, video calls and emails will be at your disposal. A good leader should be able to bring together a team even from a distance. For example, Tata Sons’ top deck took a 20% pay cut, instead of cutting employee salaries. This included the chairman and CEOs of all operating companies

Refine you EQ

It is important to understand that a crisis of this scale does damage to the human psyche. Understanding other’s emotions and keeping our own emotions in check is an important trait. Employees who have empathy will be able to cope with stress better. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Asian Paints is a stellar example of such empathy as they raised salaries and offered assistance packages to their employees.

These skillsets that complement MBA specialisations also make an individual better equipped to take their place in the post-COVID world.

The global crisis we face right now is one that has not been seen before. While it brings new challenges, it will also leave behind new opportunities. In the post-COVID world demand for minds equipped with better emotional, technological, and imaginative skills will emerge. The education sector will also change to accommodate these in their curriculum.

To be a part of this world it is important to be prepared for the challenges and ready to grab the new opportunities. With the lockdown and need for social distancing, take time to acquire these new skills that can help you flourish in the new 'normal'.

In this new normal you will need to update and upgrade every aspect of the self along with the above-mentioned skillsets that complement MBA specialisations. Here are a few reads that can help you along:

• A changing economy demands new skills -With Shrikant Singh, Amazon; Great Recession survivor
• Should you do an MBA during Corona crisis? With Abhishek Kothari, IT, ISB, Co-Founder FlexiLoans
• How to score 100 percentile in CAT -By Somansh Chordia from IIT Bombay
• How to look for a job during the recession? With Abhishek Kothari, IIT Bombay, ISB, Co-founder FlexiLoans
• Use Twitter for your career and take networking up a notch