We are already a few months into 2018, but if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to improve your work situation and increase your income, then it’s never too late to build up your toolbox of technical skills. In our modern, fast-moving digital age, it’s also more important than ever to stay on top of the latest trends — plus, it’s always fun to learn new things and doing so is a great way to keep your mind active and prevent yourself from falling into a productivity-killing mental slump.
Whether you’re starting out in the workplace, you’re tired of your current grind and are on the hunt for a new line of work, or you just want to sharpen up your technical abilities to stay ahead of the competition, we picked out some great online courses from Udemy that can help you master the 10 vital job skills that employers want to see in the skills section of your résumé in 2018.
Search engine optimization
It’s vital for any modern business to have an online presence in today’s competitive market. Just as important is ensuring that prospective customers can actually find you on the internet. A person looking for a certain good or service is likely to start with a cursory Google search, so whether you’re creating your own online business or just want to appeal to future employers, a great skill to have in your corner is search engine optimization (or SEO).
SEO is the process of optimizing a website for search rankings, the goal being to make sure that your site is near the top of the listed results when someone plugs in relevant keywords on Google or another search engine. Most people don’t browse past the first page of search results, so it’s easy to see why this is so important for driving traffic – and potential customers – to your site, whether it’s for a local brick-and-mortar business or one that sells products and services on a national or global scale.
Learn the basics:
- SEO 2018: Complete SEO Training + SEO for WordPress Websites
- The Complete SEO Guide to Ranking Local Business Websites
- SEO Training: Get Free Traffic to Your Website With SEO
WordPress
Even if you’re not interested in creating your own website, many employers like to see a worker who knows the ins and outs of popular online content-management systems – and WordPress is by far the most popular and widely used CMS there is. This software is used for everything from blogs and online stores to top-rated news outlets and company websites. WordPress has a bit of a learning curve, however, with a wide range of design features and a myriad of available plugins, this CMS takes some skill to wield.
It’s a skill you want on your résumé, though, and these courses will bring you up to speed on how to use WordPress to build, edit, maintain, and troubleshoot sites using this CMS. Whether you’re starting your own online business, want to pitch and sell your freelance web design projects to companies, or just want to round out your résumé, this is one of the most important skills to have today.
Learn the basics:
- The Complete WordPress Website Business Course
- Learn to Create WordPress Themes By Building 10 Projects
- WordPress for Ecommerce: Build Online Stores with WordPress
Coding
Coding is one of the most popular and in-demand tech skills you can learn, and the market for programming work is only growing. New jobs are popping up everywhere in the fast-paced working world of technology, and knowing how to code could really help you with job applications and distinguish you from other job candidates. Stack Overflow’s yearly developer survey shows that the five most popular coding languages to learn for 2018 are JavaScript, SQL, Java, C#, and Python.
Any one of these languages is a good place to start, with C# and Java being top choices due to their versatility. These three courses from Udemy will get you ready to start mastering code by taking you through the basic fundamentals of programming, helping you to choose the coding language that is best-suited for you and your career goals, and teaching you the basics of C# and Java — two excellent general-purpose languages for beginners.
Learn the basics:
- Pre-Programming: Everything You Need to Know Before You Code
- C# Basics for Beginners: Learn C# Fundamentals by Coding
- Java Basics: Learn to Code the Right Way
Web development
From desktop and laptop computers to smartphones and tablets, we rely on websites for pretty much everything we do online. It should come as no surprise that arguably the most common application for those all-important coding skills is web development.
Whether you’re developing mobile sites, managing forums and databases, or creating browser games, website development jobs require a unique set of tools needed to master this wide and active field. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python are just some of the relevant skills you will learn throughout these courses, which will teach you the ins and outs of web development and user interface design as you create your own functional apps and websites.
Learn the basics:
- The Web Developer Bootcamp
- The Complete Web Developer Course 2.0
- UX & Web Design Master Course: Strategy, Design, Development
Digital and email marketing
Email remains a powerful and ubiquitous tool for companies to reach their customers, and employers naturally want people who can effectively leverage this communication channel without the annoying spam tactics. These courses impart a wealth of knowledge of digital marketing using tools like MailChimp and social media, teaching you how to utilize email and other digital platforms to boost the market presence of any company — and perhaps even start a marketing business of your own. Digital marketing is one of the top skills of 2018, making it essential for any résumé.
Learn the basics:
- The Complete MailChimp Email Marketing Course
- Start & Run a Local Viral Email Marketing Home Business
- Email & Affiliate Marketing Mastermind
Microsoft Excel
Excel is one of those skills that businesses have been using for decades, and it’s not going away any time soon. Efficient data management is a vital task for modern companies in the digital age, and Microsoft Excel, while fairly complex, is an indispensable skill that every hiring manager will be looking for on your résumé. Excel is a business skill that can make all the difference in the hiring process.
You don’t really need to pursue multiple courses here, so we picked out the top-rated Udemy lesson on Microsoft Excel that can be yours for $10. This beefy four-part course teaches you how to master the intricacies of this highly versatile work software, taking you from a beginner to advanced proficiency in no time.
Learn the basics:
Writing
Writing is one of those underappreciated but important soft skills that many people might overlook, especially those seeking jobs in tech-related industries. Nonetheless, good writing has a relevant place in almost any line of employment — even the process of crafting a good résumé or cover letter when applying for that dream job requires the ability to clearly and concisely communicate through writing. Almost every recruiter you send your résumé to will immediately pass over it if you can’t demonstrate an ability to write.
Maybe you’re looking to get into freelance writing, start a blog, write a perfect pitch, or just want to gain a better mastery of English to make your résumé perfect. From blogging to expert-level copywriting, these courses will greatly sharpen your communication skills and pay dividends no matter your chosen career path.
Learn the basics:
- Writing With Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer
- Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery
- Writing With Impact: Writing That Persuades
Google Analytics
Along with Microsoft Excel, mastery of Google Analytics is another industry-specific skill that employers and hiring managers will have their eyes peeled for when reading your résumé. Pretty much all websites today use Google Analytics as a comprehensive guide to track their internet traffic and gain valuable insights about their visitors and customers, so it’s easy to see why companies value it so highly for problem-solving. Learning and becoming certified in Google Analytics can show an employer that you are able to identify complex problems using critical thinking.
The first Udemy course we picked will teach you how to set up and use Google Analytics to track your web traffic, increase sales, and integrate these metrics into successful marketing campaigns, while the second will help you pass the exam needed to acquire an industry-recognized certification — the perfect addition to any résumé. This is one of those new skills that can be fairly easy to learn.
Learn the basics:
- Google Analytics Training Course for Beginners
- Google Analytics Certification: Get Certified in Just 2 Days
Public speaking
Public speaking is something that everyone dreads, but, like writing, it’s one of those transferable skills that everybody should be good at. Even if the job description doesn’t call for public speaking skills, the ability to give a good presentation is vital whether you’re pitching an idea to your employer, heading up an important project, or just cooperating well with others in a diverse work environment. Teamwork is essential to any good business, and the ability to show leadership within a team is a trait a lot of hiring managers prioritize.
The ability to speak well and with confidence is even vital to whether or not someone will hire you, as it can make all the difference when it comes to acing your next job interview or trying to solve problems. These courses will show you how to craft a compelling speech, deliver a knockout presentation with bullet points, and persuade any audience, while also helping you to cultivate a mind-set that endows you with the self-confidence to do so. If you’re going to be a team player and a good employee, interpersonal skills are absolutely vital.
Learn the basics:
- Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking
- The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course
- Powerful speaking
Project management
After you have written and delivered that perfect pitch and it’s time to get started on your next project, you need to actually be able to manage your time and resources effectively in order to get it done — preferably under budget and ahead of schedule (employers love that). The right set of skills and a solid work history could also eventually lead to a higher-paying project manager position. Time management and leadership skills can make all the difference both in an interview or if you’re trying to get a promotion.
Project management requires a broad set of abilities, from soft skills that help you work well with others to more technical things like resource handling and budget oversight. These Udemy courses will give you the additional skills and necessary tools while fully preparing you for the official PMP (Project Management Professional) certification exam. If you’re ever going to take any career advice seriously, it’s this — learn how to manage your time and yourself, or else talent and being a hard worker mean nothing. Project management is one of those work skills employers are always impressed by.
Learn the basics:
- Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
- PMP Exam Prep Seminar – PMBOK Guide 6 includes 35 PDUs
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Updated on May 29: Added the new SEO and WordPress lessons.
