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Useful skills to learn, preferably cheap or free

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PetalToTheMetal

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Joined
Oct 21, 2013
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Hey all,



I'm in between jobs right now, and to fill the time I've been trying to learn some skills that may help in the future. I've been teaching myself French and coding. Any recommendations on skills to look into?


Thanks
 
I've been in your shoes. I've gone down the path of trying to learn things that just were not helpful or within grasp, so I'll throw a few alternative ones out there that were useful for me, but may or may not be for you.

A language is up there, so good on you for that.

But, first and foremost, organisational skills are a must. I found that by organising all of my documents, doing my washing before it pilled up, cleaning the house before it really needed it, getting into a routine, paying my bills, getting my drug dependency under control, etc. all to be very useful for my productivity. Another one is exercise - just getting out and going for a walk, or going for a run if you dare ;)

Then there is mindfulness, which is an absolute must for those getting over dependencies of one form or another. Just sitting out in the sun is a good place to start.

As for skills, I learned to touch type. That was a good one. Another one that helped was to configure, clean, and order my computers and operating systems, so that everything is neat - scanning imoportant documents so I could file away the hard copies, for example.

You can never underestimate efficiency and effectiveness when self-efficacy is your goal, which it should be for all :)
 
make sure you have a solid grasp of ms office or, at very least, libreoffice or openoffice). i've done many jobs and i've had to be proficient with office for pretty much all of them.

alasdair
 
Basic etiquette and conversation is a skill, and one that is in decline. Most people have lost the knack for effective communication, both written and spoken (primarily spoken) and it has huge negative pervasive impacts on their life. I have known brilliant people that write and speak like illiterates and it prevented them from getting the level of career they deserved. I have also seen that improper eating habits also hold people back...but that may be a regional issue as I live in the Southern US and frequently see people unfasten their trousers and tuck their napkin into their shirt. I once attended a conference for the financial institution I worked for that was being held in Las Vegas. I went to dinner with four other VPs and also mine. My VP did just that at a high end restaurant (the meal for the six of us was around $8500.00)...needless to say he was not invited back while I was.

I know this stuff sounds trivial but people will absolutely judge judge others based on these things.
 
Moreaux said:
Basic etiquette and conversation is a skill, and one that is in decline. Most people have lost the knack for effective communication, both written and spoken (primarily spoken) and it has huge negative pervasive impacts on their life. I have known brilliant people that write and speak like illiterates and it prevented them from getting the level of career they deserved
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I agree with this wholeheartedly. A lot of times it seems people take turns talking at each other or simply not having the articulation to accurately describe something. I find good social awareness to be very important it saves you the embarrassment of droning on about a topic that may really interest you but not many others.

Actually I think proper social conduct is extremely important, you can get far with just being good at being social and knowing the proper way of behaving in those situations.
 
A language for definite maybe german in a european context as germany is where there is work going, mandarin to head to the orient to the PRC.
Computer and I.T skills a must and a decent understanding of the language tech people use.
Car licence a must. I'm realising that at last.
Knowledge on motors and competent enough to use tools whether building or fixing your tech.
 
thujone said:
learn how to market your skills effectively
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Having a personal brand is a very useful tool. Also having a mature presence on social media is very helpful - I've actually known people who didn't get a job precisely because the other candidate had a FB account and they didn't.
 
Handyman type stuff is very useful if you are young. I never touched a tool until I became a home owner and I wish I had learned how to do stuff in shop class or something.

Being able to do handyman stuff will save you so much money in the future, like I just spent $150 for a person to replace some of my water pipes, took him no more than 15 mins.
 
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