Skills for employment as a common discussion that most of the students have at least once in their lifetime. If you are a student or a fresh graduate, thought would have definitely crossed your brain, “Do I have the right skills for employment? Will any organization hire me?” Well, this is a common thought, and a good question to have! If you do a literal word meaning, skills for employment are mainly those skills and competencies that an individual should possess to make them an ideal candidate for a role. Put simply, it is what you should have before you can apply for a job anywhere.

It goes without saying that each role requires a specific skill set and one uses a blanket of skills to say that I am ready for employment. However, what is certain is that as technology is progressing with the speed of light and the future of work is transforming, the notion of what skills are ideal is definitely changing. While in the conventional days, skills of manual labor were the need, today the situation is quite different. A combination of hard and soft skills is the need of the hour.

It goes without saying that the need to upskill has been around for some time. However, the way Covid-19 has amplified this need has been beyond anyone’s imagination. Therefore, the idea of this blog is to help you understand how Covid-19 presents us with an opportunity to reskill and upskill ourselves. At the same time, we will briefly look upon the tools and platforms one can use to get the right skills for employment.

What does Covid-19 mean for education? Read here in detail

Skills for Employment: The Covid Opportunity

While the need for upskilling has been voiced time and again, Covid-19 has taken this need to a whole new level. Let us look at how Covid-19 is promoting the need to upskill oneself:

Opportunity #1: The Time in Hand

To begin with, the lockdown that came as a result of Covid-19 is adding a lot of free time for everyone around. It is true that most people are either learning from home or studying from home. Nevertheless, the time that usually goes into a commute or social interactions is free and in hand. This is one of the biggest opportunities to get the right skills for employment. Additionally, spending free time productively will add more positivity and hope to your day. You will not feel that you are wasting any time. Rather, you can come out of this pandemic with a plethora of new skills.

Opportunity #2: The Changing Nature of the Job Market

Due to Covid-19, there has been a drastic change in the economy and the job market. Most organizations are under the process of layoffs to cut the rising costs to break even. While some may say that this is a temporary measure, the deeper you look, the more you realize that these job cuts are here to stay. Individuals who have the least relevant skills are the first ones to go. Invariably, acquiring the relevant skills for employment is the only way students and professionals can ensure job security. And, the best way to achieve this is by upskilling.

Opportunity #3: Deferring or Rolling Back of Placements

While retrenchment is one part of the story, the other revolves around fresh placements for recent and upcoming graduates. Numerous articles are doing the rounds that a plethora of students from the most premium institutions are getting rollback or deferring calls. Here, organizations are either taking back the offers they made or are deferring them to a later date. Again, those students that had the least relevant roles are the ones on the gun. It is important to understand that this trend will affect not only this batch, but the ones to come too. Therefore, students need to focus on upskilling themselves if they wish to secure a credible position in their placements in the subsequent years.

Opportunity #4: Online Platforms in Solidarity

In the wake of Covid-19, a lot of e-learning platforms are offering courses either completely free or at very negligible prices. This is an opportune time for students to leverage them and build skills for employment. These platforms are not only offering courses in conventional studies, but also vocational courses for upskilling. Undertaking some of these courses as you are lockdown can help you add credibility to your resume. Upon upskilling, you can proudly flaunt your skills for employment and have your application reach the top of the queue.

Skills for Employment: Best Platforms for Upskilling

Now that you understand what makes this an opportune time for you to undergo upskilling and build some skills for employment, it is a good time to see which platforms you can leverage. Before selecting the right platform for upskilling, you need to decide which are the skills you wish to add. Do not simply focus on upskilling for the sake of it. Take some time and research on what skills are relevant in the market today and then decide which ones make the most sense to you. Here are a few skills for employment you can pick up and relevant platforms to ease your upskilling journey.

Skills for Employment #1: Digital Marketing by Moz Academy

Digital marketing is one of the most sought-after skills for employment today. With the rapid increase in digital marketing and online presence for brands, marketing on the internet is becoming the need of the hour. Brands that don’t have an online presence find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. And, as digital marketing is gaining momentum, professionals for the same are also in need. One of the leaders in the digital marketing space, Moz Academy is offering several courses for its users free of cost. Students and professionals can simply create an account on their website and access top digital marketing courses. Right from the meaning to techniques of backlinking and search engine optimization, the courses cover every topic.

Skills for Employment #2: Digital Upskilling with PluralSight

Like digital marketing, the need for coding skills is on the rise in the current market. As one of the sectors which are likely to withstand the impact of Covid-19, technology is the hope of many students for employment opportunities. To further this hope, PluralSight, a leading e-learning platform offering courses in different coding backgrounds is offering free upskilling. Right from basic courses on web development to advanced courses on Python and Java, this platform covers all aspects of programming, giving students all the top skills for employment as a coder.

Skills for Employment #3: Tech and Non Tech Upskilling by Udemy

As opposed to the above two, Udemy as e-learning and training platform does not stick to one niche. Rather, it brings together professionals from various walks of life to help students in upskilling. In their aim to help students during this Covid-19 crisis, Udemy is offering several of its courses completely free, while some others art substantially low prices. Courses on HTML & CSS, JavaScript, Photography, and a host of others are available for no charge at all. All courses come with a certification that can help you boast these new skills for employment in your resume.

What are some courses that you are doing this lockdown for upskilling? Comment Below

But What About My Homework & Assignments?

While most students are all excited about upskilling themselves with skills for employment, some are worried about how they will cope up with their studies. Most say that schoolwork is something that they are able to manage. However, homework and assignments come in the way if they try to undergo upskilling. If you are also dealing with the same stress, write to us and we’ll help you out. At TutorBin.com, we have a network of expert tutors who come with expertise in various subjects. These expert tutors can help you out with online assignment help and online homework help. Remember, we are only one click away!