4 Ways to Upskill During Lockdown

Now that we have all started to settle into our new ‘at-home’ routines, we are regularly hearing from people that they are eager to use this time to broaden their horizons.

Yes, there are many things right now that are out of our control, but one thing that is controllable is our mindset and how we utilise our time alongside our current work and personal commitments. Any additional time we now may have at home, presents us with a unique opportunity, one that most people have never had before.

We recommend that each and every person should be utilising this time to UPSKILL. With the job market soon to be flooded with additional candidates looking for work, having advanced skills and additional knowledge is going to help now and after COVID19. Not only does being productive help with mental health, it also enhances our ability to do our job and increases revenue opportunities outside of our job as well.

Here are some interesting ways you can optimise this time.

Educate yourself: Thanks to the internet, there are so many new ways you can further your education from the comfort of home. Here are some examples:

Low cost educational programs: Check online for free or government sponsored training in your area of expertise.

Get certified: Check online for certified programs for in-demand jobs. These online certifications can help enhance your abilities and make your CV stand out among the crowd.

Formal education: Ever wanted to go back to university? Universities are now offering a large percentage of their courses online, so you can still work full-time alongside.

Take an online course: If you have needed to or simply wanted to learn a new skill then check out the abundant lists of online courses that the following companies offer online (plus, there are big price reductions available right now!)

• Coursera
• Udemy
• iTunes U

Learn a language

Being able to speak a second language is a highly sought-after skill. As the job market is becoming more globalised, speaking another language opens up new job opportunities and can increase your earning capacity.

Formal classes with a professional teacher is the best way to learn a language (during this lockdown you can do it over Zoom). But as a starting point, some of the online courses below will get you up to speed on some of the basics.

Dynamic Immersion, which involves gradually introducing sights and sounds, words, sentences, conversations, and concepts in a way that’s supposed to accelerate the learning process.

Rosetta Stone – Arguably the best in the business, Rosetta Stone uses Dynamic Immersion learning techniques to accelerate your language learning process. Price: Between $80-$250.
Duolingo – A simple way to learn the basics of the language and test yourself! Price: Free – $6.99 per month
Babbel – Babbel offers 14 languages, and it’s excellent at teaching phrases and words that you’ll actually use on a day-to-day basis. Price: $6.95 per month – $12.95 per month

So many businesses around the globe are offering free webinars right now. Webinars and podcasts are available for you to tune in and listen whenever you want, giving you huge freedom.

After a quick Google search you’ll realise there is basically a webinar or podcast on every topic you could think of!

Our favourite podcasts right now are:

Masters of Scale – Hosted by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Inspirational for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, this podcast takes you through various businesses which have scaled from scratch.
Tribes of Mentors – Great for those who are looking for a mentor, offering career guidance.
Datacrunch – This podcast takes a look at the lives and careers of technology entrepreneurs and experts. For those looking to learn more about tech, this is the podcast for you.
Get Tech Savvy –It will always be a bonus in this day and age if you are tech savvy.

Each industry is evolving with technology. So regularly reassessing your skills and keeping updated with emerging technologies will always be of benefit.

Here are some good places to start:

Coding – Check out this Life Hacker blog about the best ways to teach yourself. Also head to Codecademy.com.
Anything else – Go to the Udemy website, to find a multitude of online courses in anything from graphic design, to financial analysis and coding.

If you want to enhance your skills, but don’t know where to begin – we can help you. As employment experts, we can help you devise a plan to accelerate your career. Contact us today at hello@lmhrconsulting.com.au From our team at LMHR Consulting, we wish you all a healthy, safe, calm and productive time through this period.