Your resume is the most important tool you have in your job search arsenal. Not only does it list your basic information and history, it tells potential employers a great deal about whom you are. One of the things that help tell about who you are is your skills. In fact, there are certain skills that are included in all the best resumes; the resumes that get noticed more. Look over your resume and see what your skills are and how many are listed. If this area is slim pickings it is time to beef it up! You do not have to go through a lot to add specific skills to your resume so don’t worry. Some skills are things that you can teach yourself. As long as you know the skill it does not matter how you learned it. And adding it to your resume can mean the difference between working and standing in the unemployment line. Read on to see what 5 skills that you should be working on and adding to your resume skills section.
1: Web Development
This may sound complicated but it really isn’t. Web development can mean things as simple as JAVA and HTML. These skills are like language for computers. You may think that this skill is only valid for those in the computer field such as information technology experts but you would be wrong. Anyone who has these skills is highly attractive to all sorts of employers. So, if you do not know a thing about these skills you can easily learn about them. All you have to do is have the desire. You can simply go online and use the many free tutorials such as code academy or w3schools.com. These free sites will take you step by step though the basics of web development.
2: Excel
Learning Excel is perhaps the most valuable thing you can add to your skills list. The reason it is so valuable is that it offers essential ways of analyzing information in a short amount of time. There is a lot to this program but even knowing the basics can really help you out in your job search. If you want to go beyond the basics you can learn the custom functions, pivot charts, visuals, applications, equations and formulas. Again, this may sound complicated but the information you need to learn how to proficiently use Excel is right at your fingertips. Just as with web development, you can go online to a free tutorial to learn all you want to know about using Excel. There are so many jobs that require you to know at least the basic functions of this program so this would be a smart move on your part!
3: Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe is used heavily for graphic design; from basic designs to complex designs. It is easy to get Adobe on your computer, and when you do, just dive right in and start exploring all the possibilities it offers. Included in this program are photoshop, dreamweaver and indesign. All of these applications can help you to develop engaging and creative web layouts and designs and you never know when this skill will come in handy! If you want to get started learning this skill you can use free tutorials or check out Youtube for video lessons.
4: Languages
Language is not only a skill, it is a weapon. People can take many things from you but they cannot take what is inside your mind. Being able to communicate in different languages is power. Since American has become more diverse than ever, knowing other languages may land you the job of your dreams. Many jobs will even require that you are bilingual. At the moment, the most valuable langue to know in America is Spanish. However, depending on where you live you may be better off knowing Hebrew, German, Italian, etc. In fact, learn as many languages as you possibly can to make yourself even more marketable! There are many different methods that you can use to learn languages. If you are a self-starter you can try Rosetta Stone. This is a program that guarantees that you will be fluent in the language you are learning in no time.
5: Social Media Skills
You may think of social media as a way to connect with friends; something to use for your personal life. However, it can also be a perfect tool to use on your resume and for your job hunt. Of course you do not want to link employers to your personal page, but making a Facebook page that is only for your work and portfolio is a fantastic idea. You can have business contacts there and really highlight your skills. You can also “like” specific pages that will make you look attractive to potential employers.
Now that you know what these skills can do for your career, don’t wait! Get started now! If you are not good at self-teaching, look to your local community college. It is very likely that it offers classes in all of the above skills. These type of classes are pretty short and do not cost much take. Just think of any money you have to spend as an investment in your future!
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