Your job search may be the best time to upgrade and improve
We completely understand that your job search is your main focus and will take up the vast majority of your time. Nonetheless, you may have some spare time on your hands – time that you can use to refresh, expand or grow your knowledge of any number of things.
Let’s face it. One of the major complaints that employers have about older applicants is that they are not always current on the latest technology. Being able to read your gmail on your smart phone is one thing, but have you learned the latest and greatest from any number of pieces of software.
Whether it’s Excel or Quickbooks, or Photoshop, or something industry specific, this is your opportunity to brush up on that which you think you mastered 20 years ago. Even basic Windows can do things today you won’t believe.
Knowing where to look
The good news – or maybe we should say the best news – is that you can sharpen those skills quickly and easily without leaving your home. YouTube is overflowing with tutorials on any number of things. Updates and additions to the latest versions of software are there for the taking – many of them are 30 minutes or less.
The bad news is that there is a caveat. It can be detrimental to your job search if you claim to be current on some software in an interview only to learn that you’re still two or three versions behind.
Fortunately it’s something that’s easily avoidable. All YouTube videos feature a posting date – the day that video was posted to YouTube. If you’re looking, for example, for information on the latest version of Excel, be certain that you will be investing your time in the most current tutorial(s) out there. It will do you no good to be learning from a video that is seven or eight years old.
Just like any other facet of your job search, invest your time wisely and pay attention to what you’re doing.
Comments