Many of the skills that stand out to hiring managers are taught in class or learned throughout
your career, but taking the initiative to teach yourself new skills is a great way to
boost your resume.
These days you can pretty much find and learn anything on the internet, thanks to many platforms
online that offer free or low cost courses that you can take at your own pace.
And some of these courses although free can seriously boost your employability.
So, let’s dive into some of these courses.
1.
Digital Marketing Digital marketing is basically the process
of promoting and selling products or services on the internet using one or more marketing
channels.
It is continuously evolving and is fast beginning to outcompete traditional advertising like
newspapers, magazines and TV commercials.
Some of the commonly used forms of digital marketing are online videos, mobile marketing,
SEO content and advertisements in social networks.
Since people tend to consume digital content for many hours a day, marketers who know how
to handle the digital environment are in high demand.
These skills are also critical to entrepreneurs and prove advantageous to many businesses.
2.
Computer programming & coding Computer programming is important today because
so much of our world is automated.
Having these skills allows you to build software, programs, smartphone applications which have
become essential to everyday life.
The place to start learning is from the most basic programming languages such as python,
Java, C and C++.
And to start you only need your computer, good compilers and a reliable internet connection.
Programming is quite challenging but if you put in all the necessary time and effort you’ll
receive all the necessary tools to master programming.
Within six months you’d have learned enough of the basics and start a project on your
own.
After this period you could even be able to create a website or application to put in
your portfolio for potential employers.
In an increasingly tech driven society, coding is a valuable and in-demand skill.
With intermediate to advance coding skills, you can work for companies freelance or full
time, or you can create your own product.
There are plenty of resources you can learn online where you can learn different languages
from home without having to go to uni or taking a class.
Learning the fundamentals of programming can set you apart from your counterparts, giving
you a competitive edge in this technology driven world.
3.
Graphic design The number of job listings for graphic designers
is growing each day.
The profession is in high demand and not going to lose its ground in the years to come.
The job market is competitive but if you manage to land a job, you’ll make a good living
out of it.
All you need as a freelance designer is a portfolio showing your design taste.
You can always employ a countless number of courses available online to enrich your designing
skills.
As more brands are looking to improve their online presence, one of the things they need
is a strong visual identity.
And this is where a graphic designers come in.
Through graphic design, companies can improve their brand messaging, create marketing materials
and drive conversations.
Through graphic design, companies can improve their brand messaging, create marketing materials,
and drive conversations and so on.
Without an in-house graphic designer, brands tend to lack a cohesive visual identity.
That’s why graphic design continues to be a great skill to learn and improve going forward.
As a freelance designer, all you need is a portfolio showing your design taste.
You can always employ a countless number of courses available online to enrich your designing
skills.
There are numerous creative directions you’ll have to choose from.
Logo design, product design, font design, animation, all of which can be learned with
the help of an online course.
4.
Video and photo editing Many smartphones and computers have built
in video capturing and editing software which people use to shoot videos, share videos,
and watch videos all the time.
Video has been the best marketing and promotional tool for products, ideas, news, music and
educational information.
It doesn’t cost much nowadays to produce videos.
Having a computer is already enough to make a professional looking video if you have the
right editing skills.
The same applies for photographs.
Taking pics and videos used to be the job for trained professional photographers and
videographers.
But today anyone can do it.
There are many people taking videos and photos on their phones, but we still need people
who are good at editing them.
As long as you are creative and have a sharp eye for aesthetics and composition, you can
become extremely successful in this area.
As long as you’re creative and have a sharp eye for aesthetics and composition you can
become extremely successful in this area.
5.
Writing skills Today you can build an entire business from
your writing skills.
Writing is a highly desirable and highly rewarding skill if you are patient enough to develop
your skill and find opportunities.
You can teach yourself different forms of writing such as script writing, content writing,
copywriting, fiction, the list is endless, and from them you can build a lucrative career
or business.
There are plenty of resources to help you out.
Blogging is also a good way of sharpening your writing skills, find your writing style
and receive feedback from your audience.
Writing is a fundamental skill that employers value in candidates.
Regardless of the field you’re in, the ability to write well is an asset.
There are a variety of different types of writing kills you may want to consider learning,
depending on your industry.
6.
Financial education Learning to handle your finances is a valuable
skill to have.
You need skills to earn money and you also need skills to manage your money.
You need investment skills to grow your wealth, and luckily these are skills you can teach
yourself.
Accounting positions are in-demand jobs that offer a number of benefits to those who pursue
this career path.
A few of the many advantages being, the opportunity to work in different industries, job security
and the ability to branch out and open your own accounting firm or business.
Accounting plays a vital role in running a business because it helps you track income
and expenditures, ensures statutory compliance and provides investors, management and government
with quantitative financial information which can be used in making business decisions.
By understanding some of the financial and accounting skills needed to run a small business,
you can improve your business decisions when the accounting is under your watch.
Accounting skills are critical if you have any interest in a finance or management role.
Accounting knowledge can include basics like book keeping as well as specifics such as
liquidity management.
If you’re interested in being an accountant, you’ll need to pursue a formal degree program.
However, you can also start by learning skills online and understanding the basics that way.
You can get a lot of info online but you’ll have to take responsibility for your own mistakes
to actually learn.
You must always remember that you learn best from your own experience.
7.
Search engine optimization(SEO) This is a skill that has evolved and changed
multiple times since its inception in 1997.
It involves improving a website’s organic search engine traffic.
As simple as it sounds, optimising websites becomes a complicated task with over two hundred
assumed search engine ranking factors.
Although it’s one worth taking since well-optimized websites can earn hundreds of thousands of
dollars in passive income.
Whether you’re looking to establish an agency, create websites for yourself or offer freelance
optimisation services, learning this skill will pay for itself tenfold.
Every company that has an online presence is interested in enhancing its visibility
and exposure to potential customers online.
And one of the best ways to do this is by using search engine optimization.
This skill is useful if you’d like to work in a marketing department or qualify for a
role as an SEO specialist.
It’s a booming and rapidly changing industry and employees are always on the lookout for
people who keep up with it.
8.
Language skills Being fluent in a second language can help
you get ahead in your career.
Learning another language can be the stepping stone you need to advance.
One of the ways that speaking different languages can boost your career is by instantly improving
your chances of doing business or finding work abroad.
Learning a second language can not only help you establish relationships with clients who
don’t speak English, but also make you a viable candidate for jobs that require international
travel, from sales and business development to training and leading others on tours.
You can also use this skill for call centre jobs, telephone or online sales jobs and customer
service jobs with employers who need bilingual employees.
According to employment website Indeed, proficiency in multiple languages is valuable in a multi-cultural
business environment because you have a higher likelihood to from relationships with clients
or co-workers.
Learning a new language is difficult for most adults but it offers a rewarding experience
and opens doors of opportunities.
It might seem like a lot of work but you can always take your time.
There are so many apps like Duolingo and Rosette Stone that you can start with.
9.
Investing This is one of the valuable skills you don’t
acquire from school or from your folks.
A lot of us don’t know how to invest and there is a variety of options, including fixed
deposits, mutual funds, stocks, and real estate.
Although the stock market involves high risks, it gives high returns.
You see, being able to buy and sell stocks requires a good understanding of the stock
market processes, analytical thinking and prompt reaction.
Investing is likely one of the best financial skills you can learn online.
And you don’t need a lot of money to start investing.
Investing isn’t all about buying and selling stocks, bonds or options.
It’s about planning for the future.
10.
Ethical hacking Ethical hacking is the practice of legally
breaking into devices and computers in order to ensure a company’s system is safe from
vulnerabilities.
Because online security is a high priority for companies these days, ethical hackers
are in high demand.
Ethical hacker are the good guys of the hacking world.
Instead of using their advanced computer knowledge for nefarious activities, ethical hackers
identify weaknesses in data computer security for business and organisations across the
globe to protect them from hackers with less honest motives.
11.
Block chain Block chain is the ridiculously complicated
technology behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies which is arguably one of today’s buzziest
industries.
Block chain is an open distributed ledger that enables the verification of transactions
between two parties in an unhackable transparent and permanent way.
A wide range of industries has already adopted the usage of block chain technologies.
Block chain has the potential to disrupt virtually all modern industries.
Businesses across all industries will be hiring blockchain developers sooner or later, and
that’s why it’s another one of the most essential and valuable skills that can be
learned online.
12.
Data science and data analysis Data science is one of the most future-proof
and lucrative career choices one can make.
All corporations these days need a team of data scientists to keep up with the competition.
There is the data science part of it and data analysis.
Data science involves deciding what questions need to be asked regarding the available data.
Data scientist’s possess programming experience and are experts at mathematical modelling.
Data analysis involves answering those questions that the data scientists put forth.
Data analysts identify trends in the data through broader statistical analysis and they
help make conclusions in the bigger sense.
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So, have a great day and see you all in the next one!