Doing something new can be scary. The social anxiety and fear of looking bad can stop many people from exploring new skills and interests that could benefit them in various ways. The digital sphere has helped remove many of these barriers by allowing people to learn various skills and crafts without leaving the comfort of their own homes.
If you are afraid to leave home because of the pandemic or social anxiety, you can still take dance lessons via Zoom or a streaming service. The ability to interact with a teacher and other students is available while allowing you to reveal yourself on camera at your own pace.
Do you want to start a new career or learn new skills to snag a promotion? Find easily manageable classes for every type of skill at a range or price points. For skills such as coding, you can find open-source platforms that will teach you everything you need to know and direct you to places you can get certified to make it authentic. If you want to learn, the opportunities are online and waiting for you to take the first step.
Learn How to Code
Coding is the most in-demand skill that you can teach yourself. Plenty of businesses across the world are looking for coders who know the new programming languages. You can even go into business for yourself by making an app that can help to generate passive income. Freelance web developers can also generate a great deal of income from consulting for start-ups and small businesses.
Resources like The Odin Project can help you get started on this path and promise to do so within a very manageable time frame.
Google Analytics and SEO Management
Many companies are hiring people to help them with their Google Analytics and SEO management. It is a constantly growing and changing area and can be a demanding and delightful field for people who enjoy creating content and a dynamic workplace.
Staying up-to-date can require you to keep refreshing your knowledge base with follow-up courses, but these tend to be short. You can also turn to online resources such as blogs and podcasts to help you stay abreast of new developments and changes.
LinkedIn Learning
This online course provider offers free access for a limited time to their many and varied courses. You can learn how to write a better resume and enhance your cover letter to help make you more attractive to recruiters.
Courses like these are mostly designed for recent college graduates but can help you at any stage of your working life. Other classes can teach you how to network effectively, build a personal brand, and begin building a reputation within your field. Most of the courses are short and would only require a few weekends of your time to help you achieve personal and professional growth.
Learn a New Language
Learning a new language can benefit you in the workplace a great deal. Companies with branches in other countries need staff who can speak the language to run those branches effectively.
Pick a language that you are interested in and belongs to a region or country with a good economy. Your interest in the language and region will help you stay dedicated to the learning process while targeting a country or region with a solid economy increases your employability options.
There are multiple ways you can pick up the language as well. Online classes from universities with their distance learning programs can help to add a layer of legitimacy by giving you a prestigious certificate. Cheaper options like language learning websites can assign you to one of the classes with a teacher to learn the language through speaking it. Use apps to help you practice between classes.
Streaming Content
Whether this takes the form of a podcast, YouTube videos, or gameplay on Twitch, streaming is a lucrative way to generate extra cash doing something you enjoy. If you are already a gamer, turn your hobby into a side project by learning how to stream on gaming platforms. You can set up payment gateways so that people can pay to have different levels of access to your content. You may even be able to sell merchandise and establish a second line of revenue by selling products.
A short course on technical writing can open you up to the world of freelance writing, which can be quite lucrative. Many types of companies need people to provide manuals, proposals, and translate reports. If technical writing is too dry, you could also look into becoming a ghostwriter for magazines or lifestyle blogs that need to provide constant content for their clients. Many people have taken creative writing courses and then found success online by writing fiction and selling access to their books or chapters via dedicated websites. Essentially, whatever you want to learn is waiting for you to find the time.
