Entering the world of work and looking for your first job can be daunting, particularly in an increasingly competitive job market. Give yourself a head start and help your CV stand out from the crowd by topping up your professional skills with a course from The Skills Toolkit website.
The Skills Toolkit is an online learning platform giving you free access to more than seventy high-quality digital, numeracy and work-readiness courses to help you build the skills you need to strengthen your CV and boost your career prospects. These are the skills most sought after by employers, so developing yours can help you get ahead in your career.
Whether you’re just looking for a quick refresher or want to learn something entirely new, there’s a wide range of courses from top providers such as Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Amazon, and The Open University – there’s something for everyone.
1. Master the basics with Microsoft Outlook
Impress your future employer with your organisational skills by learning how to get the best out of Microsoft Outlook. Getting to grips with Outlook is an essential skill when entering the workplace, so whether it’s learning how to manage multiple diaries or set up team calls, developing these vital skills can help you get ahead on your first day and give you more time to learn other new skills on the job.
2. Get finance savvy
The Introduction to Finance course explores essential analytical tools and financial reports used in the workplace, helping you to understand the basics of balance sheets, cash flow forecasts and managing budgets – ideal for preparing yourself for the world of work.
3. Learn to code
From start-ups to tech giants, coding skills are highly sought after by employers and can open-up an exciting range of career opportunities. With seven coding courses to choose from, you can learn a range of different coding languages, including Python and HTML, or learn to code for data analysis, website building or video game development.
4. Present with impact
Delivering presentations or getting your ideas heard in meetings can be an intimidating experience. Boost your confidence and develop techniques to improve your presentation skills with the Presenting with Impact course. From learning how to organise your ideas and build a cohesive argument, to identifying the right tools to deliver your message, this course helps prepare you for those upcoming interviews, meetings or presentations.
5. Become a digital marketing guru
Master the fundamentals of digital marketing; learn the basics of SEO, strategy planning, and how to build up a strong web presence to market businesses online. Or explore how to design user-friendly mobile apps, create great online content, or learn the basics of graphic design – all valuable digital skills that can help your CV stand out from the crowd.
6. Support your personal growth
From long days and pressured deadlines to not receiving that great feedback you were hoping for, it’s likely you’ll come across challenging situations at some point in your career. Learn to how to handle and overcome set-backs with a range of personal growth courses, including how to deal with stressful situations, adapt and be flexible in times of change, build up your resilience and look after your personal wellbeing at work.
Find out more
Whichever course you choose, developing your digital, numeracy and work-ready skills can help you get ahead in your career – so get started today! To view the full list of courses, visit: The Skills Toolkit website.
Or if you’d like to talk to someone about which course would suit you, you can contact a careers adviser on the National Careers Service website by social media, webchat or phone 0800 100 900.
The Department for Education’s Skills for Life website can also help you find new learning opportunities and qualifications to support your job search.
