Being qualified and having lots of experience in one area is great, if you plan on working a particular job role. However, having more than one string to your bow, and building up a number of skills that work together nicely will always give you an edge over other candidates. Here are a few skills that employers want, and that you can easily build yourself by taking a local class or online course.

Writing

Being a proficient writer will help you in just about any job role. Whether it’s creating content or just communicating with other employees, it’s a necessary skill and being able in this area can make life much easier for you at work. Consider taking a diploma in blogging, a creative writing course or a magazine writing course. Along with this, you could practice your writing in your spare time by working on a novel, poetry or a blog. If you really enjoy writing then there are lots of ways to turn your skill into a career, but even if this isn’t the route you want to go in, being able to get words onto the page in a way that’s engaging and makes sense will help you in any job.

IT

Pretty much everything we do these days is online, and even businesses that don’t sell online still need to have presence on the internet. For this reason there’s no escaping it, and in almost any job you do, having some knowledge and understanding of IT is going to be advantageous. From basic coding to building entire websites, again, even if you’re not aiming to secure yourself a career based in IT it’s something that will benefit you in most jobs. An IT qualification is something that employers will look on favourably, and is a great way to refine your skills if you have an interest in this area.

Marketing

The internet has given the opportunities for businesses to flourish, and as a business owner this is both a good and bad thing. On one hand, you have the ability to create your own company and for it to really do well, but on the other, lots of others doing the same means serious competition. For this reason, if you want to reach the right customers then you need the right marketing. It’s something that every single company needs and relies on for their success. A marketing qualification could go hand in hand with content creation or graphic design for example, it gives you the edge if you have a background understanding of what angle will be best received by an audience. It’s also an interesting and well respected career within itself, if you wanted to become a marketer for a company.

Design

Whether it’s web design, app design or graphic design, there’s always call for people with these skills within businesses. If you have a creative flair and an eye for design then taking a course in this area could be enjoyable as well as providing you with another skill that employers covet.