Lockdown Guide: Pick Up These Technical Skills in Less Than 30 Days
Are you confused about how to keep learning or what to do during the coronavirus pandemic? Please read this complete lockdown guide and skill up accordingly!
You are an 18+ year old ‘adult’ already. Yet it is never too late to learn something new that can add value to your resume in 2020. Also you are locked up indoors given the corona virus pandemic, with ample time to spare! Use your time wisely to learn and excel at certain useful skills. Check out the list of technical skills below to acquire a new set of knowledge in a relatively short period.
#1 – Start Coding
Join the GitHub community or the Odin Project or any other open source project / community that allows coders from all over the world. Use free or open source tools to become a good coder and a future web developer, and additionally build your portfolio of projects on GitHub. If you are truly interested to build a career in computers, you can also spend on some courses available online to upskill and become more employable in a few hundred hours.
#2 – Learn Google Analytics
Get Google Analytics certified asap. Believe it or not, many people are earning a good salary today for being internet savvy. The best ones are those who managed to get Google Analytics certified. So please note that whatever you write and publish online has to be search engine optimized. Also this field is CONSTANTLY changing, thanks to Google’s changing algorithms.
So stay abreast of search engines’ best practices alongside the certification. Also, subscribe to top journals like SEJ, Neil Patel and Moz. Also, participate in webinars for bytes on new topics that are being currently discussed in this field.
#3 – Revamp the Cover Letter and Resume
Given the pandemic situation, many colleges and websites are now allowing free access to multitude of courses. Check out one such course on Lynda.com on ‘Writing Resumes and Cover Letters’. Such courses are for college students and fresh graduates. Use tips from such sites to craft a powerful resume and a meaningful cover letter.
If you are unsure about writing your own resume, you can check with a senior or a professional. Alternatively, you can try a fast and easy resume maker by Firstnaukri.
#4 – Microsoft Excel
If you feel confused when you see an excel sheet made out of data grids, you need to polish this skills. You have to learn Excel now in order to avoid this pitfall on the job! Spare the embarrassment and become an excel master asap. Start hunting for free YouTube videos, online courses, tips and tricks on Reddit and win over that Excel monster! Its now or never.
#5 – Learn a Foreign Language
Get prepared for the future as you are about to become the entrepreneurs, doctors, scientists, engineers, lawyers, investment bankers, or an influential person in any field of your choice tomorrow. Foster the power of multilingual learning now to excel at whatever field you choose later.
Also, learning a foreign language is not just picking up grammar and vocabulary. It is more than that as you learn to perceive new sounds, expressions, and ways of seeing the world.
#6 – Unravel The Power of Podcasting
Many educationists, influencers, celebrities and professors leverage the power of podcasting. It is a way to easily broadcast engaging audio content that you can listen to at any time. All you need to do is subscribe to a podcast feed and receive a free flow of educational content that you can listen to any time time.
#7 – YouTube
YouTube is a good resource for the development of videos. Visit the Creator Academy on YouTube and start creating hobby / educational videos. You never know the kind of viewership and popularity that your videos can garner and eventually you can start to earn money from home.
#8 – Photography and Photoshop Skills
If you want to become photographer, learn photography. And then move on to Photoshop to develop the photos you have clicked. As a part of digital photography, you should master post processing. But before that, ensure to capture the right photograph with your camera or phone. As a part of photography, learn the fundamentals of photography and allied tools. In the end, a balanced photograph with good Photoshop effects will only result in a masterpiece.
#9 – Technical Writing
If writing is your forte, start with the basics of technical writing. This will lead you to a job where you will write test scripts, instruction manuals, user guides, and business proposals. Basically technical writing is a skill that can help you land a decent paying job. Develop this skill so that you can provide technical information to readers who can understand your message.
#10 – PhotoShop
We already covered photography and Photoshop. But Photoshop goes way beyond that as this skill is very crucial if you want to become a professional graphic designer. You can visit TUTS+ to learn Adobe Photoshop online for free. The freebies offered on this site will make you Photoshop proficient and job ready and there is plenty of free content to keep you busy.
#11 – Project Management
You can complete a certificate or diploma in Project Management. A diploma would be a good beginner’s option for learning terminologies, methodologies, and project life cycle basics. Just spare about 10 to 20 hours to thoroughly complete your coursework before taking the assessment.
#12 – Microsoft Word
There are many online courses on Microsoft Word to help you learn ways to insert charts and use macros. Many employers find Word skills valuable and will readily hire you if you are comfortable with it.
#13 – Public Speaking
Visit MOOC / MOOV sites like Naukri Learning, Edx, Coursera and Udemy to access Public Speaking courses. There are many free online public speaking courses by professors from top universities and institutions. You can also watch TED videos side by side, to learn how to keep a large crowd interested while speaking on a dry topic! Once you are comfortable with your oratory skills, add it to your CV / Firstnaukri Resume or LinkedIn profile.
#14 – Personal Finance
The basics of budgeting involve the fact that you have an income and that you know what your expenses are. If you have not joined a job yet and you are unsure about your earnings, then you must start budgeting immediately. Now is the time to build a clear sense of your expenses like food, rent, utilities, transport, education loan, insurance, clothing and the like. Figure out your future budget based on an income you assume you will earn in a few months from now. Tally up your income and expenses, then compare the two. What you get in the end is your budget sheet.
#15 – Pick Up Mac Skills
If you are new to Mac, the graphical user interface may puzzle you. So learn the nuances of Mac OS X operating system and Safari browser. OS X is a UNIX-based operating system and is the 2nd most popular operating system worldwide after Windows. The Dock is a mixture of task bar and Start menu on Windows that launches applications and is an easy way to access your documents, downloads and so on. The menu bar runs along the top of a Mac screen and contains the Apple menu. Similarly Finder is the Windows Explorer of OS X. Learn all these nuances about Mac and you will be good to go.
#16 – Human Resources
If you are planning to start your own business, or join a family run firm or become an entrepreneur in partnership with some friends, you need to know basic HR. Do a short course in Human Resource Management to know how to find the right people for a company and keep them motivated. This course can also help you get a job in case you want to become an HR professional irrespective of your degree.
#17 – Microsoft Access
If you want to become a Database professional, start with Access. Microsoft Access is a DBMS or database management system from Microsoft. It combined relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a GUI and supports software-development tools. It comes along with Microsoft Office suite. Like any other relational database, with Microsoft Access also you can link related information like customer and order data.
#18 – Mathematics and Statistics
There are many surprising and refreshing guides available online on mathematics and statistics. If you want to be a Data Scientist, you need to know statistics and R programming. Learn basic mathematical and statistical analysis and practice programming the same in language R. This skill will help you as a Bioinformatics Professional and also in the field of Big Data.
#19 – Culinary Skills
Culinary skills will always go with you wherever you go. Watch online videos and follow celebrity chefs to gain an in-depth understanding of the time-tested cooking skills. Prepare both classic and current cuisine and expand your understanding of wine and food pairing. These skills will go a long way!
#20 – Pet Care
If you are an animal lover or are planning to adopt pets, you should care for them properly. In order to do so, subscribe to a pet care journal, visit a veterinary clinic or become a member of animal lover groups. Read up on correct pet care techniques and follow them while tending to your four-legged or winged friend at home. Also, vaccinate your pets before welcoming it into your home. Try to schedule an immunization appointment.
#21 – WordPress
One requirement to be a WordPress developer is to be an eternal student! If you seriously want to become a WP developer, you should fall in love with HTML5, CSS3, PHP, JS, and maybe MySQL. Also, an awareness of security concerns is crucial. Since the open source nature of WordPress has opened the door for many freelancers and entrepreneurs, its your chance to bank on it now.
#22 – Accounting
You must know the accounting basics like debit and credit as you are about to become a professional job holder soon. You should be clear about the basic accounting equation i.e. Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity for proprietorship or Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders’ Equity for corporations. Also, Debits and Credits must always be equal!
#23 – Credit Score
What is credit score? It is a tool used by lenders to analyze the information in a credit report and make lending decisions. These models compare data from your credit report and determine risk on account payments or default on a loan. This analysis is called a credit score. So can you now calculate your credit score? If not, learn how to do it for yourself and others.
#24 – PowerPoint
Take online classes on preparing powerful power point presentations decks. The goal is to make your PPT should be visually appealing, uncluttered and meaningful.
#25 – Investment Basics
Learn the basics of stocks, funds, bonds, and portfolios from MOOCS / MOOVS. Once you are clear about these terminologies and start earning, you can put your new knowledge to work. You will also know how to analyse stock analyst reports and share market news!
#26 – Digital Marketing
Enroll for the Google Online Marketing Challenge and gain real world marketing experience. You can also enroll for online certifications and complete them from the comfort of your home for a self paced learning. With this knowledge you can become a professional digital marketer.
#27 – Ethical Hacking
Ethical hackers are in demand across organizations today. To be one, enroll for a complete ethical hacking bundle i.e. true to the spirit of this field and is pocket friendly. Learn website hacking and penetration testing, networking and WiFi hacking, system and mobile device hacking etc. White hat/ethical hacking tests and strengthens system security only.
#28 – Copywriting
To be a copywriter, you must write clearly and concisely. With this skill, you can take a prose to the next level in a marketing copy.
#29 – Economics
Start taking advantage of sophisticated and free course materials in economics. MIT offers dozens of graduate and undergraduate course elements across subjects like Principles of Microeconomics to Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy to Advanced Macroeconomics. Use the MIT Open Course Ware to your benefit.
#30 – Keyboarding
Complete free keyboarding lessons and throw enough practice to keep your skills sharp. Keep your newly learned skills up to increase your productivity at work and become a valuable employee in the future.
Do you think you have all these essential job skills in you? If not, start practicing today! Start utilizing this lockdown time sensibly and become job ready for the post pandemic world.