You can level up your career skills from the comfort of your home or dorm! Here are some important work skills, and where you can find training and experience to level up.

Interviewing Skills 

The first step to landing the job you want is to impress during your interview! The best way to improve your interviewing skills is to practice, practice, practice! Our free Interview Coach tool is an easy way for you to hone your skills from wherever you are. In just 15 minutes, you can complete a practice interview and receive personalized feedback on what you did well and what you can improve! Get started now:

Customer Service Skills

Providing excellent customer service is an essential skill for any job. Whether you work as a cashier at a grocery store or you run your own business, honing your customer service skills is a must. Sign up for a free Foundations of Customer Service course on EDGE, a customer service training platform developed in partnership with Arizona State University and made especially for young adults. If you complete this one-hour training (and answer all the questions correctly) you will receive a certificate of completion from Arizona State University, which you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile. 

Communication Skills

Being able to communicate effectively is a vital skill to have in your personal and professional life, and how you communicate with people can have a positive (or negative) impact on your relationships and career. Learn how to communicate with your boss and coworkers, understand techniques for communicating with different audiences, and practice how to have tough conversations by taking the Communication in the 21st Century Workplace class offered by Coursera. Upon completion of this free 5-hour course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Coursera and the University of California at Irvine.

Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets Skills

You probably feel comfortable using Microsoft Word and Google Docs to type up homework assignments, but how are your spreadsheet skills? Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets have thousands of functions and learning a few of them can help set you apart from other candidates in the job search process. Learn how to analyze data, run calculations, make charts, graphs, schedules, forms and so much more. Udemy offers a free Excel kickstart course where you can learn the basics in just 36 minutes! GCFGlobal has a free Google Sheets course and each lesson takes less than three minutes to complete.

Adobe InDesign Skills

Adobe InDesign allows you to create anything from flyers, posters, and magazines to ebooks, apps, interactive documents and more. Every company and organization needs a way to visually communicate with their audiences in print and online and InDesign is the industry-standard software for design professionals. Now's the perfect time to be creative and learn new skills because Adobe is providing free access to their design software (so no need to pay), and Udemy’s Adobe InDesign Made Easy course, provides step-by-step video instructions on how to use InDesign.

Google Career Certificates

More than ever, digital skills are necessary to land a job and grow in your career. Interested in IT, help desk support, coding, or project management? Check out the free courses on Coursera taught by experts at Google. In a few short months, you can learn the key skills you need to apply for entry-level jobs at Google and other tech companies. No college degree or previous work experience is needed to take these courses. Click here to learn more about Google Professional Certificates.

Digital Content Creating Skills

With the shift in online content to video-based, there's a need for digital content creators more than ever to help organizations and brands create engaging content and story-telling on social media. Formal training can come in handy for these growing jobs but isn't required - you have to show that you can do the job. The best way to get experience and develop a portfolio is by creating your video-based content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube. Consistency will grow over time, and you can use your videos as part of your portfolio or resume for jobs. Here’s also more background on the type of Digital Creator position out there for you.

• Content coordinators organize content on a website, schedule the publication of web and social media content, and train their team on how to use a content management system.
• Video editors edit raw video footage to create a final product ready for publishing. Depending on the job you are applying for, some positions do not require formal video editing training - a knowledge of how to create great videos on TikTok or Instagram along with a willingness to be adaptable and grow your skills can help you land a job without a college degree! 

Writing Skills

In almost all jobs, even your first job, writing skills are crucial. To get your foot in the door you’ll need to write a resume, a cover letter, and maybe some emails to your network or future employer. Writing in the world of work can take lots of forms - social media posts, emails, writing to your manager - so being ready to encounter all sorts of writing opportunities is important. Check out EdX’s courses on writing. For instance, they have free courses on writing an essay for English Language Learners and email writing for networking!

Presentation Skills

Whether you are interacting with customers, interviewing for a job, or selling something you’ll need to think about your presentation skills. Presentation skills aren’t all about giving speeches or debating a formal topic. They are about persuasion, clear communication, and helping others see your point of view. To hone your presentation skills you can practice all sorts of ways of communicating: improv comedy, debate, online presentation! These skills are all about your style of communication!

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