ONE of 4 must-have job skills in 2013: 

Clear communications (Spoken & Written)

Whatever their level, communication is key for workers to advance.

“This is really the ability to clearly articulate your point of view and the ability to create a connection through communication,” says Holly Paul, U.S. recruiting leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting and consulting firm based in New York.

For job seekers in particular, clear communication can provide a snapshot of their work style to employers. “I can walk away from a five-minute conversation and feel their enthusiasm and have a good understanding of what’s important to them,” Paul says.

As office conversations increasingly move online, some workers are losing or never developing the ability to give a presentation, for example. Others may be unable to write coherently for longer than, say, 140 characters.

“Technology in some ways has taken away our ability to write well. People are in such a hurry that they are multitasking,” and they skip basics such as spelling and proofing, says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half International, a Menlo Park, Calif., staffing firm.

Point to Note: Regardless of how technology advances and changes and so on, the fundamentals remain the same. And, what are the fundamentals? A strong command of the English Language is key. It is crucial to be able to speak well and write well in order to progress.  

[All credits to: http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/must-job-skills-2013-140423361.html]