In this time of economic hardship, it is more important than ever to build your skills and make yourself valuable. Spending just a few extra hours late at night building basic skills will eventually become worthwhile.
Let’s say you find the extra free time to build skills, how do you go about finding resources and ways to build skills?
Here is our suggestion- turn on that computer and start with these three simple methods.
1. Start a blog. As basic and simple this may sound, blogging is essentially another method of communication- particularly, writing. What better way to improve your writing skills than writing something you are interested about? The beauty of creating a blog is that you can kill two skills with one mouse: internet skills and writing skills. Using easy-to-use blogging websites such as Blogger.com,WordPress, Xanga, etc., you can create, write, design, post, link, insert, follow, add, manage…anything you want. Don’t forget to pick up The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and The Stylebook by The Associated Press to help you edit and re-write.
2. Social network. Although, face-to-face networking is still essential and valuable, social networking is the new frontier yearning for use. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tagged, or Classmates.com enable you to brand yourself. As future professionals, we need to use the most up and coming methods to make yourself interesting and valuable. The nice thing is, once you master one site, it is relatively easy to transfer your skill-set to master another site. Be sure to keep your personal sites professional and valuable.
3. Help others. I think besides the obvious like getting a paycheck or promotion, the most gratifying thing about a job is being able to help others. If you’re not getting paid then why not still help others with your abilities? It can be something simple like offering to write a letter for a neighbor. It can be something more complex like creating a website or business plan for a local business. Helping others will allow you to brush up old skills and learn more. Furthermore, you never know who you may meet in the your journey…a Dean, an academic school counselor, or even admissions director?
Photo Credit: AlA.org
