I think we can all agree that this has been a weird year. A majority of us have seen our work and school pivot to remote learning and large social gatherings being put on pause. Without the commute to work and play you may find yourself with more free time than you are used to. If you are unsure what to do with yourself, now is the perfect time to learn a new skill. Instead of bingeing another show on Netflix, here are four transferable skills that will not only get your brain working but are also great resume builders!
Learn a new language
Did you know that being fluent in more than one language can not only earn make you stand out more for a job or internship but can also help you get paid more? Learning a second language shows your ability to communicate with a vast amount of people and that you are aware of cultural diversity. By learning a new language, you are also showing a strong work ethic, which can be beneficial for not only fashion related jobs but also, international business, tech and education job opportunities.
Knowing more than one language can also help when traveling to other countries. French, Mandarin and German are all popular languages with billions of people speaking one or more of these languages around the world. There are many apps and websites that are free or charge a small fee to learn many different languages. One of the most popular is Duolingo. This easy to download app has helped over 300 million users learn a new foreign language. They can help you brush up on your high school languages like German, French, or Spanish, but the list goes on and you can learn something new like Russian, Italian, or Indonesian.
Whatever language you have always wanted to speak will most likely be on their list. They have different levels of short courses that you can work through to teach you the basics, as well as how to interact with others when traveling and other activities.
Coding
Shecodes offers workshops to teach anyone how to learn the basics of coding. They offer a 60-minute free workshop to show you the basics of what it takes to become a coder. Spoiler alert: it’s not as hard as you think! Anyone with a computer and reliable internet can practice becoming a full blown coder in months and can earn some serious money on the side. If you want to be your own boss and set your own schedule, this might be the thing for you.
Excel
One thing I wish I would’ve learned more of in college is Excel. No matter what job or internship you land, you will more than likely need to know the basics of excel. If you are still in college, take advantage of Microsoft software access if your college includes it in your tuition. Knowing how to create a nice looking table, a pivot table and maneuver a spreadsheet with the Excel basics will make your life a whole lot easier in that 9-5 job.
Social Media
After learning to code you can use that new knowledge to build an app or your own website. It’s a good idea to have an online portfolio to showcase all of you experiences, especially if you work in a creative field. If you are into photography or writing, this is also a good idea to show all of your work. Some people turn their hobbies into a full time job.
This is seen with a lot of bloggers. If you are passionate about something, find your niche and start creating content. You can use WordPress, something that is important to know if you want to work in editorial or be a copywriter. If you can afford to pay for a website, wix.com is a great place to build a website and easy. They have many templates to choose from and help you create the perfect website specific your needs in just a few clicks.
We are in the middle of a technology revolution. We interact with so many different apps daily. It seems that so much of our life has been moved to the world wide web. One of the best ways to land that job, is to have a relationship with someone that works in the building. If you don’t already, now is the time to beef up your LinkedIn profile.
Make sure you have a clear and professional photo of you, a short bio with your elevator pitch and all of your experiences. Connect with students in your major, your co-workers and all of your mentors and professors. For the time being, a majority of our lives will be online, so you might as well master the craft.
COURTNEY ADAMS
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