The pile of chocolates left over from Christmas is slowly getting smaller and you’re slowly getting back into the grind. If you’re serious about the ‘new year, new me’ lark, you’ll want to gain some new skills in 2017. Thankfully, all students and staff at the University of Stirling get free access to Lynda.com through the Portal. Biblical amounts of knowledge. On tap. For free. I know right?
Anyway, here’s 8 invaluable career skills you can pick up right now through the University’s subscription to Lynda.com. Jump right in by checking out our curated Lynda.com playlist, which includes the courses below, or access Lynda.com through the UofS Portal.
Learn Excel
Spreadsheets immediately conjure images of stuffy offices and endless rows of data, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A knowledge of Excel can be an extremely powerful tool to have in your career armoury – data analysis is a highly sought-after skill in today’s job market.
Data analysis
Once you know how to use Excel, you can start to look at how to analyse data in advanced applications.
Learn how to write
Every job requires a fundamental knowledge of how to write. Writing in Plain English will improve your writing ability with a focus on clarity and brevity.
How to freelance
Fancy being your own boss? Working as a freelancer can be liberating and empowering, especially if you’re fresh out of university study. Learn how to succeed working freelance – and what pitfalls to avoid.
Small business marketing
If you’re serious about freelancing and running your own business (see above), you need to learn how to sell yourself – and your work.
Manage your time
168 hours in a week. Chances are you’ll spend a third of that sleeping. Learn how to make the best use of your time and maximise efficiency in your work life.
Be productive
Firstly, a word about the tutor of this course. David Allen is a LEGEND in the world of business productivity. His Getting Things Done methodology has been adopted by millions of people worldwide. Now you have access to that knowledge, for free. You’re welcome.
Learn how to take photos
Knowing how to take a good snap can be a useful skill, regardless of what you end up working as.
There you have it: eight invaluable career skills you can pick up right now through our subscription to Lynda.com – though there are thousands more videos if you want to take a different path. Ready to start learning? Head over and copy the playlist to your own dashboard!