7 skills you should acquire during the new semester

The beginning of each semester is the ideal time for setting goals you want to achieve and things you want to learn or get better in. Improving your skills and your CV might eventually give you a better chance of finding a desired job. Here are our tips on seven skills you should acquire during the fall semester.

Written communication

Whether it is e-mails to your employer or your professor, cover letters for your job applications, or any kind of formal messages and letters, it is good to know the main rules of writing them. If you are not familiar with grammar, choose the area you are struggling with the most and try get better in it. Find out how to create a professional-looking Curriculum Vitae and how to write an interesting cover letter which can catch the desired attention. Be careful of choosing the right salutation and learn how to share your thoughts briefly but accurately.

Public speaking

One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic changed is the way people communicate with each other. A lot of the face-to-face communication had to be moved online and we are now learning how to communicate remotely. Therefore, one should be able to speak well in public even when the audience can not be seen. The most important things are learning how to deal with stress and how to introduce your thoughts through online and offline.

Website design

Having your own website can be a powerful tool, which can help you to get your work to the worldwide audience and approach your potential customers and/or fans. Creating the website can take quite a lot of time but one does not have to be an expert in coding. You can build a good-looking website through different on-line systems (for example, WordPress), where you can find many templates and tips, too.

Job interview

Job interviews are never easy. But the better you prepare, the less stressful they can be. You can start with practicing your public speaking and searching the questions that are frequently asked at job interviews and trying to answer them loudly.

Foreign language

If the last time you were learning a foreign language was at your high school days, you might think you are too old for mastering a new one. This is definitely not true, one can learn a new language at any age! Choose a widely spoken language, a language you could use in your career progress, a language you have a special relationship with or a language you just like. There is plenty of materials and books online and plenty of reasons why to add an extra foreign language to your skills.

Creating a budget

Especially in the times of crisis, it is good to know your financial situation. Find out where your money goes and how you could save more. The truth is that the financial literacy is not being taught at most of the schools. Therefore, one has to acquire it by himself. For creating a budget, you can just go with a paper and pencil. You can also try out some apps that can even remind you the date of your payments. For inspiration, check this website out https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/budgeting-saving-tools/

Digital literacy

Digital literacy refers to an individual’s ability to find, evaluate, and compose clear information through writing and other media on various digital platforms. For example, if you don’t know how to use some of the Microsoft Office tools, now is the right time to master them. Digital literacy also means one can find relevant information and check whether the information is right or not. Therefore make sure you get your news and updates from relevant and trustworthy media platforms and online servers.