One of the best ways to improve your career prospects is by learning new skills. Thanks to the internet this is now easier than ever to do.
There are an array of great resources out there, both paid and free, that enable you to learn almost any skill you could think of.
Below are 5 of the best skills to learn this year.
1. Coding
Coding is an incredibly useful skill to have these days, with so many businesses now having their own website and mobile app. Although many people are put off, assuming you need years of experience and a technical mind, the truth is that coding is something anyone can learn.
A good place to start is by learning HTML/CSS to get a fundamental understanding of how websites work. You can then move onto more complex programming languages such as Python, C++, PHP etc.
2. SEO
Search Engine Optimization refers to a number of practices that are used in order to rank a website for particular keyword phrases in Google. SEO has changed a lot over the years as Google has implemented many algorithm changes to cut down on spammy/low quality websites. A lot of businesses have suffered due to this and are looking for ways they can get back up the search page results. Obviously these means a knowledgeable person on SEO is very valuable to them. That person could be you.
3. Graphic design
Knowing how to use graphic design software such as Illustrator and Photoshop is another great skill you can learn. There are a multitude of ways you can make money through graphic design from designing for clients to selling digital assets and creating your own courses.
If you want to learn graphic design then it’s a good idea to try and narrow exactly what you want to learn first and focus on that. This is because there are so many areas of graphic design you can learn and it’s easy to get bogged down in trying to learn everything at once.
4. Languages
A skill that not many people consider but is in fact potentially hugely profitable is learning a foreign language. Learning another language opens up a lot of doors and means you’re able to communicate and do business effectively with a lot more people.
Some languages that are very useful to learn for business are – German, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
5. Social media marketing
Given how popular social media is, it might be surprising to know that knowing how to use social media effectively is still a mystery to a lot of companies. Therefore knowing how to utilize the various social media platforms effectively will make you a very attractive person to work with.