This week, we're postponing our usual monthly Spotlights where we highlight a career, college, and scholarship. After all, there's nothing usual about the coronavirus pandemic the world is experiencing, and we're all adapting day-by-day. So today we're switching gears and stopping by the blog to share a great way to spend some of your newfound free time as you shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19: exploring interests, developing skills, and even earning certifications that will make future employers and admissions counselors say "Wow!"xxz
Pause Netflix, close Snapchat, and get ready to boost those resumes and college apps with these fun, free resources:
Learn to code like a pro
Codecademy offers free courses ranging from the basics of learning how to code to CSS or JavaScript. According to Codecademy, their courses have been taken by employees at Google, NASA, and Facebook. To stick with free courses, make sure to avoid those listed as Pro. Another great option is Free Code Camp, where new users learn coding and platforms such as HTML5, Databases, GitHub, Node.js, React.js, and D3.js. While you are learning these new skills, you will have the opportunity to code websites and software for non-profit organizations in order to earn certifications. It's a resume double-whammy!
Lend an expert ear
If you're the one friends come to for a listening ear, empathy, and advice (or you want to be) consider checking out 7 Cups — a platform where you can earn a free certification in active listening. This is a great item to add to your resume to showcase your communication skills, especially for those interested in helping professions.
Develop business prowess
Hubspot Academy offers 45 free courses (some with certifications) focusing on marketing, sales, and service. Dive into topics such as social media strategies, advertising opportunities, and sales software. Most courses include lessons, videos and quizzes, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours to complete.
If you hope to have management roles in your future, then check out Oxford Home Study and the dozens of free courses it offers. Choose from business management, event management, project management, risk management, and more — the UK-based education platform provides certificates of completion that are sure to catch your future employer's eye.
Become Google Suite certified
Google’s Digital Garage offers two, free online course programs are along with free certification. These two specific courses include the G Suite Certification Exam and Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. Earning these certificates demonstrates strong digital skills and a motivation to learn, making them excellent items to include on your resume.
Learn a new language
It was recently announced that students can use Rosetta Stone for free for three months—choose from 22 languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Italian, German, Mandarin, French, etcetera. Who knows? Maybe this endeavor could launch you into a journey toward bilingualism, which will in turn open up plenty of doors in your future job searches.
Explore your other interests
Alison is a database of free certificate courses from leading companies, colleges, and experts. With a wide variety of areas to choose from, this would be a great site to visit if you’re looking to dive a little deeper into your unique interests. Categories include IT, Language, Health, Humanities, Science, Marketing, Lifestyle, and Math. Free certificate courses range from Adobe InDesign CS6 to Yoga Exercises.
LinkedIn Learning is another great interest exploration resource, where you can access one month worth of free online video courses (just make sure you cancel your subscription when the trial period runs out). Taught by industry professionals through highly engaging content and interactive lessons, the list of learning areas spans from Photoshop how-to's to singing lessons, chef training to relationship-building tools.