How to get the skills you need

Question:

I’d like to learn some new skills, but I don't have the money, the time, or the patience to go back to school full-time. What options are available to me?

Answer:

The good news is that you can learn many skills without going to school.

At Lynda.com, you can learn almost anything, from photography to Skype to marketing. Lynda.com provides online courses on hundreds of topics, in varying degrees of depth. Best of all, you can learn it all for free with your Frederick County Public Libraries card number! Check it out at fcpl.org/learn. You’ll find many other tutorials there as well.

Webinars are another great way to learn. Google “webinar on (whatever topic interests you)” and you’ll find more than you want. There are webinars on virtually any topic you can think of!

Maybe it’s time to pick up some new computer skills. In addition to the plethora of them on Lynda.com, consider trying out Google Applied Digital Skills. Google offers Docs (equivalent to Microsoft Word), Sheets (similar to Excel), Slides (like PowerPoint), and Sites (create your own website.) They are all free apps, and you can find out how they work at https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/s/en/home. (Or just Google “Google Applied Digital Skills”.)

YouTube has also become a great place to learn almost anything. It’s not just cute kitten videos anymore. If you want to learn how to get your new phone up and running; how to rewire a lamp; how to tie a bowtie; how to invest money or make a YouTube video: YouTube is the place.

And of course if you want to learn how to choose a new career to use those skills in, or how to build a LinkedIn profile, write a resume and answer challenging job interview questions, Frederick County Workforce Services is the place to be! We may also be able to help you choose and even pay for short-term career training.

That’s the good news. And the bad news? With so many options available, you may have a hard time deciding where to start.