Learn New Skills to Boost Your Resume

The summer is a time to distress from a hectic school year, take a break from classes and be able to work or intern without having to balance classes, meetings and homework. It is also a great time to learn some new skills and build your resume.

Whether you are a public relations, mass communication, advertising, marketing or similar major, there are countless internship and job opportunities available. With so many young professionals applying for these positions, knowing how to use various programs and software helps diversify your portfolio and supplements your past experiences on your resume.

There is a wide variety of skills and programs such as coding, Final Cut Pro, the Adobe Creative Suite, Google Analytics and others that are helpful in future job opportunities. The job description may not ask for someone with these skills but you can introduce them into your workplace if appropriate and find new ways to complete tasks. Knowledge of some programs also can be used when you are asked to use a brand new program or system because you will be able to see some similarities and work though any issues easier.

Cision is another skill that public relations professionals frequently use. It is a website that serves as a database of journalists and their contact information. Professionals use it to build media lists when they want to send out a press release or media alert. To learn more about it, watch a tutorial here.

To find some programs that interest you, watch tutorials on websites like YouTube or Lynda. The tutorials will take you step by step and allow you to learn at your own pace. Some universities, like Temple University, offer free memberships to Lynda, so check before buying a membership.

If you would rather spend your summer days by the pool or at the beach, you can take supplemental classes during the school year to learn these skills. Last spring semester, I took a digital design class where I became proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Design. I added these three programs to my resume and hope to apply my skills in an upcoming job opportunity.

Regardless of your major, never stop learning and discovering new skills to stand out and get your dream job.

What programs are you looking forward to learning? 

This blog post was written by PRowl Secretary Shaun Luberski.