The best way to remain ahead of the herd is to constantly learn new skills. Learning new skills will help you gain an edge over others at all career levels. It does not matter whether you are starting off or have reached higher ladders of management. New skills that are in demand will certainly increase your chances of reaching your career goals.
The hiring managers look for the keywords (skills) while browsing the CVs, the more compatibility you have with the skills they are looking for, the brighter are your chances to find suitable job opportunities.

Benefits of upgrading your skills
Today, most jobs are dynamic, and they are constantly evolving. Therefore, one needs to be up to date with the trends and developments in their field.

The benefits of upgrading your skills include:

• Increased self-confidence:
Learning a new skill gives you a boost in confidence. People with high confidence levels and updated skill sets are highly rewarded by the companies.

• Improved marketability and competitiveness:
When you apply for a job, you basically market yourself. More skills you have, more chances of marketing yourself successfully for the coveted jobs.

• Greater resourcefulness:
New skills equip you to handle new problems that might spring up in the organization. When you have new skills, you are deemed to be more resourceful and considered as an asset for the company.

• Better career opportunities:
Acquiring new skills will open new opportunities for you that were out of bounds for you earlier.

One should upgrade skills based on his/her interests. Here are the 5 skills to upgrade online for better opportunities.

1. Data Science
Increased computerization means immense data that is created every day across the world. This humongous data has opened many new doors for people interested in data analysis. There are many related courses in data science that one can do from online platforms like simplilearn, upgrade and greatlearning. These courses vary from a few months to up to 12 months.

2. Online 2D/3D Animation
Everyone loves animation – right from kids to adults. There are innumerable movies and series that have made it big in Hollywood and across the world. All science fiction and fantasy movies like Extra-terrestrial (ET), Close Encounter of the Third Kind, Avatar, Harry Potter series are some prime examples that have caught the imagination of kids and adults alike.

With streaming services getting steam, the potential of 2D/3D animation has increased immensely. If you are creative and have hidden aspirations to dazzle the world with your creative talent, you should check out these amazing online courses in 2D/3D animation. There is one for everyone, go ahead and find the one for yourself now.

3. Online Sketching/drawing
Are you an aspiring graphic designer or a fashion designer with an inherent talent for drawing? Whatever be your creative career goals, this is the best time to hone those skills to take them to the next level.

An online course in sketching/drawing will open multiple doors of a plethora of career options that you can pursue. Fashion designing is one of the most lucrative fields that never goes out of fashion!! People across the world always yearn for new styles, patterns, weaves and colours. So, if you wish to utilize your lockdown time well, go ahead and enrol in online sketching/drawing course today.

4. A certified course on social media strategy
Social media is at the heart of every small to large corporations. No one can deny the usability and effectiveness of social media. Careful social media planning can make a small brand big in the least possible time. Moreover, the marketing departments highly rely on social media campaigns to garner leads and increase the revenues.

If you have an interest in marketing and social media, there is no reason not to do a course in social media. This is the present and this is going to be the future of marketing. There are so many companies that offer short-time certificate courses free of cost, including Google.

5. Customer service
People believe that customer service is only for those people interested in pursuing customer service careers. Whereas, when you champion the essentials of customer service, you learn to see the world from the customer’s perspective. This is a rare and invaluable skill that will help you grow in every field.

Remember, additional skills are like cherries on the cake that everyone loves. Employers surely love them more than anyone.