How will you make your resume stand out once you graduate? Sure, you could join a bunch clubs, perhaps even taking leadership positions within them. Even better, you'll have garnered at least an internship or two to show you gained some real professional experience over those four years.
But as a recent grad, it’s going to be hard to clinch a job when your experience looks exactly like everyone else’s. An easy and productive way to make yourself a more attractive, employable outlier amongst the sea of entry level candidates? Build skillsets.
Tons and tons of online academies (heard of Lynda?), YouTube channels, institutions (hello, MIT and Stanford!), startups and other companies are offering classes, certificates, and videos online that can turn you nearly pro in a variety of fields. Depending on what you’re interested in -- or rather, depending on where your weaknesses lie -- you can round out your resume with these easy skills you can learn online:
Photoshop
If you’re in media, communications, marketing, or, well, any career forcing you to create things digitally, having a solid foundation in photo softwares like Adobe Photoshop is hugely beneficial. Even if you end up using it just to enhance your selfies, or to make a living selling presets on Instagram, this proficiency won’t go to waste. The only downfall is the sheer cost of the software itself, which is now being offered on a more affordable subscription basis for less than $50/month.
SEO
Similar with basic foundations in Photoshop and graphic design, having an understanding of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will make you a marketing maven regardless of the field you end up in. Why? Everyone not only uses Google search tools these days, but relies on them over any other source for finding information. How to make sure your porftfolio site, company, product, LinkedIn profile, etc. are the first thing recruiters or customers find? SEO.
Law
Before you roll your eyes, consider the fact that Harvard University offers free courses on a variety of law disciplines, including copyrights, policy, justice, contracts and leadership. Remember those times you stared at more than three pages of legalese on a contract you were about to sign for a car, apartment or credit card? Yeah. It's better to fully understand what it is you're reading and feel confident signing -- a course in judicial jargon might be worth the time.
Coding
It’s a given. One day, coding will be required curriculum across not just secondary but elementary schooling. Get a leg up now before Generation Z overtakes you. Today, there are thousands of ways you can learn coding online. Ladies under 18 particularly enjoy the Karlie Kloss route (Kode with Klossy), and CodeAcademy has become well-known as one of the top online resources to learn from. Depending on what your needs are -- basic HTML, CSS, Java, etc. -- you can tailor the curriculum to the languages you want to learn.
Advanced Excel
We absolutely hope you have more than a basic understanding of the Microsoft Office suite by now. But take it a step farther by learning advanced Excel use, and become a pro at reporting, accounting, and project management. For instance, Udemy offers advanced classes on the topic, with over six hours of content. Their “Ultimate Excel” course has over 60+ precise videos on specific functions so you can focus on what’s most relevant to your field.
Speed Reading
While this may not make your resume stand out, it’ll certainly give you a leg up on learning a slew of other skills in half the time. Speed reading has become especially trendy since the likes of Tim Ferris and other “lifehackers” introduced ways of learning, getting ahead and becoming productive uber-quick. Speed reading is more than skimming, however. It incorporates an understanding of how the brain’s visual system works, and allows you push aside distractions and inefficiencies that typically slow reading down.
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