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Career Advancement Salary and Promotions

5 Low-Cost Ways to Develop Your Skills

By Job Journey on Wednesday, March 1, 2017

It’s always a good idea to look for ways to increase your marketability and make yourself more appealing to prospective employers. The more you bring to the table, the greater your chances for landing the job or earning a promotion. In fact, many employers are less concerned about whether you have a higher degree, and more interested in the skills you possess. Acquiring new talents and abilities doesn’t have to clean out your bank account or leave you drowning in debt.

Online Courses

The web is a fantastic resource for low-cost learning. You can find courses on just about any subject; software and web development, business courses, CAD, marketing, general education courses, and a myriad of other topics. Sites like SkilledUp.com and Udemy.com offer free and paid courses, some for as little as $5. Other websites such as Lynda.com charge a monthly fee for unlimited access to a plethora of courses. Remember, depending on the type of course you’d like to take, you may have to purchase the necessary software, if for example, you’re interested in learning Microsoft Excel or Adobe Photoshop.

Public Library

The good old public library is an often overlooked skill-building resource. Many libraries offer writing workshops, as well as courses in computer skills and career readiness. You may also be able to learn a new language, which is always a desirable asset sought by employers. As an added bonus, many public libraries offer online classes from popular e-learning sites, free of charge for cardholders. So check with your local library before you shell out any money for an e-learning site.

Join a Club, Organization, or Group

No matter what you’d like to learn, there’s probably a group in your area that shares your interests. Sites like Meetup.com connect you with groups in your area that share a similar interest. From coding to cooking, public speaking to mobile app development, the list is practically endless. Most group meetings are face-to-face gatherings at a public place. There may be dues or a fee required to attend a meeting, but the cost, if any, will be listed on the event’s page.

Career Tech

Compared with the cost of a college or university education, career tech can be a real bargain. Career tech tuition costs nearly $5,500 less per year than the average four-year college. Plus you’ll be ready to begin your career and earn an income in two years. Career tech touts itself as providing education in a wide variety of high-paying, in-demand jobs. Career path options will vary according to the campus near you, but expect to find a wide range of choices including mechanical drafter, welder, IT technician, physical therapist assistant, biomedical equipment technician, legal secretary, aircraft mechanic, and real estate appraiser just to name a few. To find out more, do an internet search for “career tech” and your city in the search field.

Uncle Sam

The U.S. Department of Labor offers CareerOneStop.org as a source for “career exploration, training and jobs.” The site can help you explore careers, find training, and guide you to local resources via links to one of the more than 2,500 American Job Centers across the country.

You may be able to locate free computer classes, career counseling, apprentice programs, and more resources to help build your skills and prepare for a better job. Because it’s a government site, there is a vast amount of information on a wide variety of topics. So be prepared to spend some time wading through the wealth of information.

Do you have any great tips on low-cost ways to develop skills? Share your knowledge in the comments section!

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5 Important Lessons Learned From a First Job

By Job Journey on Monday, August 24, 2015

Your first job is a milestone. You get a real paycheck, you start a career, and you start on the grand adventure called life. It will be a learning experience. You may not get the salary of your dreams, and it may feel daunting to learn the ropes, but your first job can teach you many things. Whether you are serving up burgers or starting your first office job, learning these five things can make a significant impact, and can help you move from a first job to a successful career.

1. Your job is to make your manager’s life easier. Until you are CEO, your job is to serve your boss. Make sure you support your manager and take on extra projects when possible to show you are willing to go above and beyond. Most importantly, don’t go to your boss with problems. Go with solutions. If you have a situation you need to resolve, brainstorm possible solutions before you visit with your boss.

2. Attitude, manners, and people skills matter. Establishing that you’re a positive employee is incredibly important, especially early on in your role. If you show that you’re driven by solutions, others will look to you for answers and support. If you bring negative energy into the office, you’ll only bring others down and may end up hurting your career in the process. It may sound simple, but don’t forget to use your manners. “Please” and “thank you” can go a very long way in building stronger relationships.

3. Always look for new ways to learn. “Be a sponge and have a thirst for knowledge,” says business coach Tonya Monsef Bunger. Make an effort to learn new skills, take on training opportunities, and develop your hobbies. When you learn something new, you bring even more positive qualities to your skill set, which in turn can help boost your resume.

4. Don’t get discouraged. In any job, problems will arise. Issues are often unavoidable, but how you deal with them can make or break your job performance. It’s okay to feel like things are going less than perfect, but don’t dwell on the challenges. Instead, stay focused and positive, and try to offer solutions to the problem.

5. Know when it’s time to move on. Your first job may not be your dream job. You may not be making much money, you may have tasks you don’t like. All of that is normal. But, if your job is making you miserable and you face every day with stress and anxiety, it may be time to move on. Whether you’re unhappy in your job, you need more income, or it’s just time for a change, make sure you know how to move on.

Most likely, your first job is not going to be your last job. If an opportunity presents itself, go for it. The only way you can grow in your career is to take those opportunities.

What did you learn from your first job? Do you have any words of wisdom for others starting their first job? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Workplace Goofs Workplace Relationships

Own Up to Your Mistake

By Jared Cole on Monday, March 26, 2012

Has anyone ever told you that if you aren’t making mistakes at work you probably aren’t blazing any new trails either? While you shouldn’t throw caution to the wind in the effort of progress, there is a chance that no matter how prepared and organized you try to be you’re going to make a mistake at work. But it doesn’t have to ruin your day or your career. You just need to handle it properly.

Be honest and quick.

Nothing good will come from covering up your mistake, so it’s best to admit the error as soon as possible. And, unless running around screaming about the problem will save lives or dollars, you need to alert your manager and those impacted in a cool, calm, and collected manner. Depending on the timeliness of the error you may be able to schedule a meeting with everyone in a few hours or you may need to circle up in the next 15 minutes. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, try not to interrupt other meetings, it can just create more chaos

It’s important to remember that you need to admit your mistake and provide some explanation as to why it occurred. Clearly explain what happened and providing any additional support, research, or correspondence to clarify the mistake is a good first step in communicating the situation. Questions will arise around your mistake, so remember to answer honestly and, if you don’t know the answer, resist the urge to make something up. It’s better to say you don’t know rather than to lie. Now is not the time to lay blame elsewhere or dwell on elements outside of your control.

Have a solution prepared.

Be ready to move forward with a proposed solution. When you’re focusing on calmly presenting your mistake, take a moment to think through the problem you’ve created and what solutions you can offer. If you have time, check into details like availability times of others you may need to inform after you’ve discussed the problem with your manager, any expenses that may arise from the error, or past protocol if this error has occurred at the company before. Don’t stall gathering information and solutions, but try to be as prepared as possible so that you can have a productive discussion on a solution. Spending a few extra minutes to get answers to the questions you know your boss will ask is better than rushing ahead and having to go back in a second time with the answers.

The first steps you can take to rebuild trust within your workplace after a mistake is handling the situation professionally. As you’d expect, trying to cover up your mistake or redirecting blame will not serve you well. Do you have any examples to share on effectively moving forward after a mistake?

By Rachel Rudisill

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