In today’s increasingly connected world, computer skills more valuable every year. Basic computer skills are necessary for almost any job, and most also require at least some specialized knowledge. By building your technological skills, you could open up more career opportunities, increase your market value and be better prepared to run your own business. The big question is which skills you should focus on since there’s only so much time in the day to devote to learning. Here are the top five computer skills that you should consider.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been an essential skill for years because getting organic traffic from search engines is one of the best free ways to bring in more potential customers. No matter what you do, knowledge of SEO can be a big help.
You could use SEO to help your personal website climb up the search rankings, making it more likely that clients or potential employers will find you online. Or you could take a business’s digital marketing efforts to the next level with effective SEO techniques.
Coding
If you know how to code, you probably won’t ever need to worry about having a job, because there is always a business in need of a coder. Coding is certainly a complex skill that takes time to build, especially since there are many different programming languages out there.
It’s best to look into different types of programming languages to see which ones best fit your goals. Angular JS is a popular choice, and one great thing about it is that, like many other technological skills, you can learn it online through web courses.
Social Media Marketing
One of the ways people stay connected is through the many social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Considering the number of users, these social networks provide excellent marketing opportunities, but you can’t approach them in a traditional fashion. You must adapt your marketing to each specific social network.
When you understand social media marketing, you can bring considerable traffic to your site and build a brand’s reputation. Best of all, social media marketing is something you can do without investing any money.
Graphic Design
There’s no shortage of graphic design jobs available online, and when you consider all the situations when people need custom graphics, this is no surprise. If you have a website, you’ll likely need at least a few graphics for it. Businesses need logos that match what they do and look memorable. Marketing campaigns often require images, especially social media campaigns. If you develop some skill with any design programs, you can make good money through graphic design.
Web Development
People and businesses are well aware of the benefits of building a web presence, and that means there are plenty of web development opportunities out there. There’s a desire for websites that look professional and sleek, without having a generic layout that’s seen on dozens of other sites. Since most people don’t have the skills to build their own sites, and even setting up a WordPress theme properly can take some time, there are opportunities for skilled web developers who can bring their clients’ visions to life.
You obviously can’t learn it all, and you’re better off being very skilled in one area than average in several, anyway. Consider what computer skills best fit your interests and current knowledge, and then look for some training options. There are plenty of free ways to learn something new, although you may have an easier time learning if you invest a bit of money into your training. If you develop a skill enough, it could make you quite a bit of money.