Staying up-to-date with new trends and market demands is helpful, not only for the organisation you are working for but also in your career in general. Research skills are defined as an individual’s ability to find and evaluate useful information related to a specific topic depending on what and where you need to apply this skill. When it comes to the working environment, Yvette Nkurunziza, a final year Medical student at University of Rwanda says research skills are not only valued in the working environment but also in learning institutions, making it a go-to skill for anyone in their career. She mentions that as a student in the medical field, having these skills is imperative to advancing your career, thus preparing you to be in a position to compete for jobs out there. “With research skills, one is able to gain knowledge and insight of what is going on, and most importantly, where there is a need to improve in their respective domain,” she says. In addition to this, Nkurunziza points out that research skills, help one learn new ways of doing things, that will later help them adapt and evolve to meet workplace demands. As a student, she also says that this in the end helps the learner be able to identify problems that are hindering performance in different areas or the ability to complete tasks. Earnest Ssebuggwawo, an educator says with research skills, one is able to come up with viable solutions to problems at the workplace or in other environments they are in. He notes that this is also important as it builds one’s time management skills; it allows one to break down tasks into more manageable parts and effectively tackle each piece. Besides, he goes on to mention that this also helps one to plan, set goals as well as organise tasks and delegate them to others, depending on the position one has in their institutions. Ssebuggwawo says that research is a vital part of any organisation, as it helps the companies in many functions such as report writing, and developing new products among others. “Possessing this skill means that one is able to suggest new ideas and assist its team in adapting to their changing world and dynamic market, thus saving resources,” he says. Fabienne Uwamahoro, a teacher at Little Angels, Kicukiro, says in a working environment, preparing well before embarking on any task or project is important. She believes that this is vital as it will help you to come up with the goals that you want to achieve and ensure everything you need to complete the research. In addition, she says when doing research, it’s also important to keep into consideration that using different sources is important. This, she says is a good way to ensure you find the information you’re looking for and that whatever you are looking for is accurate and rhymes with other sources. Nkurunziza says having research skills can also be demonstrated by always consulting with co-workers, colleagues or your fellow students. For instance, she says it can be comparing your findings with colleagues, as this will ensure that the same information is being found and utilised across the environment you are all in. Meanwhile, it’s believed that having research skills is useful even in non-research areas, and such fellows are valued in almost every company or every sector.
