4 Creative Ways to Advance Your Career

4 Creative Ways to Advance Your CareerTheres no worse feeling in the world for a job hunter than finding the perfect location but being eliminated from consideration simply because you fail to meet one requirement. There may be some ways around these must-haves, but in most cases failure to meet the job description or even one small component of it can remove you from the running. Instead of taking a chance on it happening again, cover your bases by padding your resume with one or more of these four sought-after skills. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) 1. Basic CodingWhile a weekend-long program in basic coding wont land you a job as a software engineer, it will round out your resume. Sites like Codeacademy offer free lessons in a range of programming languages, including PHP, HTML, Python, Javascript, CSS and others. Each lesson is short, powerful, and delivers just what you need to add Programming to the Skills section of your resume. 2. Public SpeakingTen percent of people love public speaking, 10 percent are terrified of it, and the remaining 80 percent are somewhere in the middle they know its not going to be very fun, but they also know theyll survive the experience.Aside from helping you pass the good communication skills requirement parte of a job description requirement, theres another important reason the majority of people should work on this skill why would you want a job when you can merely tolerate a major aspect of it? Comfort with public speaking wont just land you a job rather, it will continue to be a useful skill throughout your life.Courseras Introduction to Public Speaking course is free, always open, and delivers useful instruction and plenty of opportunities for practice through its public speaking curriculum, including a series of videos totaling 18 hours, videos, and peer assessments.3. Graphic DesignGraphic design skills are highly desirable for a wide range of positions, particularly wit h the growth of social media, digital technology, and ever-popular infographics. While fudging knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator on your resume can lead to catastrophic results particularly if youre called upon to demonstrate your knowledge or experience it is possible to learn the basics on your own.For example, Adobe offers tutorials designed to help everyone from novices to experts expand their skill set, while online education website Lyndas Photoshop CC Essential Training offers the training you need to feel comfortable working with Photoshop.4. Website BuildingAn increasing number of employers are requesting that candidates include links to personal websites along with their application materials. Dont have one of your own? Unfortunately, this may indicate a lack of initiative and/or the inability to keep up with 21st century expectations.Rather than risking coming off as unmotivated, take advantage of classes aimed at helping beginners acquire the knowle dge they need to to build their own websites. The Muses Your Guide to Building a Personal Website Thatll Land You a Job, offers the perfect starting point.The best part of many of these web courses and tutorials? Many are taught during a single day or weekend so you can increase your job marketability without investing significant additional time or expense. Your resume will thank you for it.