{"id":1467,"date":"2016-09-06T17:54:04","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T17:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-collegesuccess\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1467"},"modified":"2024-04-30T22:47:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T22:47:16","slug":"text-acquiring-necessary-skills","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/chapter\/text-acquiring-necessary-skills\/","title":{"raw":"Acquiring Necessary Skills","rendered":"Acquiring Necessary Skills"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explain how to acquire necessary career skills, both in and out of class<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<strong>Lifelong learning<\/strong> is a\u00a0buzz phrase\u00a0in the twentieth-first century because we are awash in new technology and information all the time, and those who know\u00a0how to learn, continuously, are in the best position to keep up and take advantage of these changes. Think of all the information resources around you: colleges and universities, libraries, the Internet, videos, games, books, films\u2014the list goes on.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1469 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/605\/2016\/09\/06175607\/5820402523_2226cf4caf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Where do the world's content strategists' skills lie? 265 surveyed content strategists were asked to indicate their abilities, knowledge, and skills by choosing from a predetermined list. Accessibility, 27%. Community management, 24%. Content analysis, 79%. Content curation, 62%. Content development, 84%. Content management, 80% Content sourcing, 49%. Creative direction, 42%. Digital marketing, 40%. Editorial strategy, 71% Information architecture, 66%. Interface design, 28%. Interaction design, 25%. Localization, 12%. Project management, 60%. Search engine optimization, 41%. Technical communication, 34%. User experience design, 51%. Web writing\/editing, 86%. Other, 16%.\" width=\"566\" height=\"640\" \/>\r\n\r\nWith these resources at your disposal, how can you best position yourself for lifelong learning and a strong, viable career? Which hard and soft skills are most important? What are employers really looking for?\r\n<h2>Strategies for Gaining Skills<\/h2>\r\n<h3>Personal Projects<\/h3>\r\nEngaging in personal projects is a great, self-directed way to gain skills. Not only will your personal project be motivating because it\u2019s something solely designed and implemented with your own interests in mind, but you will likely need to learn new skills to complete your project. This project means that you\u2019ll have a concrete and (hopefully) exciting goal to help keep you motivated to learn new skills, and at the end, you\u2019ll have a finished product you might potentially be able to make part of your work portfolio.\r\n<h3>Online Courses<\/h3>\r\nYou may not have additional time to take online courses while you\u2019re pursuing your degree, but there are lots of opportunities available to take online courses on pretty much any skill you\u2019d be interested in learning. You can learn more informally from YouTube videos or you could sign up for a course on Udemy or another platform that offers a certificate of completion at the end of the course.\r\n<h3>Part-Time Work<\/h3>\r\nYou may already be working part-time while you are in school, or perhaps you\u2019re considering it. Taking on work can be about more than just a paycheck if you have the opportunity to pick a job that will continue to build your skillset. Think about what skills you\u2019d like to learn and then take a look at the job offerings around campus to see if there\u2019s a good match. You might find the experience invaluable.\r\n<h3>Volunteer Opportunities<\/h3>\r\nAnother way you can build your skills and your social network is through volunteering. Volunteering could be a weekly or monthly commitment, or maybe more often. Take a look at what opportunities are available around you for volunteering, and if any of those opportunities seem like a good fit for you both in what your passions are and in helping you grow in ways you\u2019re interested in growing.\r\n<h3>Join a Friend<\/h3>\r\nYou\u2019re likely to meet a lot of people in school who have many different experiences and interests. Make the most of your differences by joining your new friends in the things they love to do. Maybe you could join your friend on a volunteer day or take up rock climbing with an experienced partner. You can tap into your social network to learn new skills and experiences if you\u2019re brave enough to try something new. Let your friends help you out on this one!\r\n\r\nThe following list was\u00a0inspired by the remarks of Mark Atwood, director of open-source engagement at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. It contains excellent practical advice.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Learn how to write clearly<\/strong>. After you\u2019ve written something, have people edit it. Then rewrite it, taking into account the feedback you received. Write all the time.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Learn how to speak<\/strong>. Speak clearly on the phone and at a table. For public speaking, try joining Toastmasters. \"Meet and speak. Speak and write.\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Be reachable<\/strong>. Publish your email so that people can contact you. Don\u2019t worry about spam.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Learn about computers and computing<\/strong>, even if you aren\u2019t gearing for\u00a0a career\u00a0in information technology. Learn something entirely new every six to twelve months.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Build relationships within your community<\/strong>. Use tools like Meetup.com and search for clubs at local schools, libraries, and centers. Then, seek out remote people around the country and world. Learn about them and their projects first by searching the Internet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Attend conferences and events<\/strong>. These are a great way to network with people and meet them face-to-face.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Find a project and get involved<\/strong>. Start reading questions and answers, then start answering questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Collaborate with people<\/strong> all over the world.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Keep your LinkedIn profile and social media profiles up-to-date<\/strong>. Be findable.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Keep learning<\/strong>. Skills will often beat smarts. Be sure to schedule time for learning and having fun!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Just Get Involved<\/h2>\r\nAfter\u00a0you\u2019ve networked with enough people and built up your reputation, your peers can connect you with job openings that may be a good fit for your skills.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/4014755b-889c-4ab6-8cbd-72dc6fc81bcb\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>glossary<\/h3>\r\n<strong>lifelong learning:<\/strong> a popular phrase that acknowledges the many resources available to us for ongoing professional self-improvement, it refers to a broadly applicable understanding of the learning process itself and not to any one skill\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explain how to acquire necessary career skills, both in and out of class<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Lifelong learning<\/strong> is a\u00a0buzz phrase\u00a0in the twentieth-first century because we are awash in new technology and information all the time, and those who know\u00a0how to learn, continuously, are in the best position to keep up and take advantage of these changes. Think of all the information resources around you: colleges and universities, libraries, the Internet, videos, games, books, films\u2014the list goes on.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1469 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/605\/2016\/09\/06175607\/5820402523_2226cf4caf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Where do the world's content strategists' skills lie? 265 surveyed content strategists were asked to indicate their abilities, knowledge, and skills by choosing from a predetermined list. Accessibility, 27%. Community management, 24%. Content analysis, 79%. Content curation, 62%. Content development, 84%. Content management, 80% Content sourcing, 49%. Creative direction, 42%. Digital marketing, 40%. Editorial strategy, 71% Information architecture, 66%. Interface design, 28%. Interaction design, 25%. Localization, 12%. Project management, 60%. Search engine optimization, 41%. Technical communication, 34%. User experience design, 51%. Web writing\/editing, 86%. Other, 16%.\" width=\"566\" height=\"640\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With these resources at your disposal, how can you best position yourself for lifelong learning and a strong, viable career? Which hard and soft skills are most important? What are employers really looking for?<\/p>\n<h2>Strategies for Gaining Skills<\/h2>\n<h3>Personal Projects<\/h3>\n<p>Engaging in personal projects is a great, self-directed way to gain skills. Not only will your personal project be motivating because it\u2019s something solely designed and implemented with your own interests in mind, but you will likely need to learn new skills to complete your project. This project means that you\u2019ll have a concrete and (hopefully) exciting goal to help keep you motivated to learn new skills, and at the end, you\u2019ll have a finished product you might potentially be able to make part of your work portfolio.<\/p>\n<h3>Online Courses<\/h3>\n<p>You may not have additional time to take online courses while you\u2019re pursuing your degree, but there are lots of opportunities available to take online courses on pretty much any skill you\u2019d be interested in learning. You can learn more informally from YouTube videos or you could sign up for a course on Udemy or another platform that offers a certificate of completion at the end of the course.<\/p>\n<h3>Part-Time Work<\/h3>\n<p>You may already be working part-time while you are in school, or perhaps you\u2019re considering it. Taking on work can be about more than just a paycheck if you have the opportunity to pick a job that will continue to build your skillset. Think about what skills you\u2019d like to learn and then take a look at the job offerings around campus to see if there\u2019s a good match. You might find the experience invaluable.<\/p>\n<h3>Volunteer Opportunities<\/h3>\n<p>Another way you can build your skills and your social network is through volunteering. Volunteering could be a weekly or monthly commitment, or maybe more often. Take a look at what opportunities are available around you for volunteering, and if any of those opportunities seem like a good fit for you both in what your passions are and in helping you grow in ways you\u2019re interested in growing.<\/p>\n<h3>Join a Friend<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019re likely to meet a lot of people in school who have many different experiences and interests. Make the most of your differences by joining your new friends in the things they love to do. Maybe you could join your friend on a volunteer day or take up rock climbing with an experienced partner. You can tap into your social network to learn new skills and experiences if you\u2019re brave enough to try something new. Let your friends help you out on this one!<\/p>\n<p>The following list was\u00a0inspired by the remarks of Mark Atwood, director of open-source engagement at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. It contains excellent practical advice.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learn how to write clearly<\/strong>. After you\u2019ve written something, have people edit it. Then rewrite it, taking into account the feedback you received. Write all the time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Learn how to speak<\/strong>. Speak clearly on the phone and at a table. For public speaking, try joining Toastmasters. &#8220;Meet and speak. Speak and write.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be reachable<\/strong>. Publish your email so that people can contact you. Don\u2019t worry about spam.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Learn about computers and computing<\/strong>, even if you aren\u2019t gearing for\u00a0a career\u00a0in information technology. Learn something entirely new every six to twelve months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build relationships within your community<\/strong>. Use tools like Meetup.com and search for clubs at local schools, libraries, and centers. Then, seek out remote people around the country and world. Learn about them and their projects first by searching the Internet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attend conferences and events<\/strong>. These are a great way to network with people and meet them face-to-face.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Find a project and get involved<\/strong>. Start reading questions and answers, then start answering questions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Collaborate with people<\/strong> all over the world.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep your LinkedIn profile and social media profiles up-to-date<\/strong>. Be findable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep learning<\/strong>. Skills will often beat smarts. Be sure to schedule time for learning and having fun!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Just Get Involved<\/h2>\n<p>After\u00a0you\u2019ve networked with enough people and built up your reputation, your peers can connect you with job openings that may be a good fit for your skills.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_4014755b-889c-4ab6-8cbd-72dc6fc81bcb\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/4014755b-889c-4ab6-8cbd-72dc6fc81bcb?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_4014755b-889c-4ab6-8cbd-72dc6fc81bcb\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>glossary<\/h3>\n<p><strong>lifelong learning:<\/strong> a popular phrase that acknowledges the many resources available to us for ongoing professional self-improvement, it refers to a broadly applicable understanding of the learning process itself and not to any one skill<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1467\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>College Success. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Linda Bruce. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>College Success. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>7 skills to land your open source dream job. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Jason Hibbets. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/opensource.com\/business\/14\/4\/open-source-job-skills\">https:\/\/opensource.com\/business\/14\/4\/open-source-job-skills<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of Content Strategists&#039; Skills Chart. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Richard Ingram. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9Sk5TD\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9Sk5TD<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":19,"menu_order":13,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"College Success\",\"author\":\"Linda Bruce\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"7 skills to land your open source dream job\",\"author\":\"Jason Hibbets\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/opensource.com\/business\/14\/4\/open-source-job-skills\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of Content Strategists\\' Skills Chart\",\"author\":\"Richard Ingram\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9Sk5TD\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"College Success\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"8e4039bc-84c7-41fb-919e-2e5e379be5cf, 074376f0-2986-45ff-bc93-7aa500ee7cd6","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1467","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":58,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7524,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1467\/revisions\/7524"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/58"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1467\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1467"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1467"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}