The unusual circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have not only forced businesses to move to remote working, but have also meant people have more time to spend at home, rediscover things, and learn new skills in new areas.
While many have gone into planting, crafting, and online selling, others have also focused on investing in their skill sets. The skills gained during these trying times have not only kept us sane but have better equipped us as we move to the new normal.
“You are probably not alone in having a digital collection of tutorials, guides, and patterns that you have gathered for the past few months. If they’re already taking up too much space in your computer, try converting them from DOCX to PDF using an online Word to PDF converter “.
So, what skills have you learned during the lockdown? Here, we divided all the activities you might have enjoyed during the quarantine period into three categories: self-improvement, home skills, and digital skills.
Self-Improvement
Use the social distancing period to upgrade and add new skills to your life. So, as we enter the new normal, you are a new person as well.
- Language – Finding time to learn a new language has always been challenging, with many other things to keep you occupied in the modern world. But, with so much free time and tools to help you learn a new language or two, you can become a multilingual professional that gets paid for being a translator or an English teacher for foreigners, among other job opportunities.
- Instrument – If you have got a guitar or any other instrument sitting around your home, then all that’s needed is some willpower to start a musical career. You can cover some songs or post tutorials on YouTube and earn money through paid ads or views.
- Blogging – Starting a blog that makes money isn’t a short-term fix. But, it can build up into a successful blog that generates income over the long-term, provided that you invest time in learning how digital marketing works. While at it, you can write for other sites that pay you for providing high-quality, relevant content.
Home Skills
Upgrade your home skills like cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, and other related crafts. They are all handy at a time when we have to minimize interaction with others. They can even help you live a more sustainable lifestyle, even a profitable one, too.
- Cooking and Baking – Ingredients have been limited during the lockdown and it’s not like you can always order food delivery any time. Cooking and baking are some life skills you should rediscover and while at it, you can earn some additional income by accepting food orders from your neighbors.
- Sewing – Sewing, knitting, crocheting—these are some activities you might have learned in school but never had the time nor the drive to revisit them. But, today, it’s a handy skill to re-learn to not only pass the time but to open a small craft business as well. There are several online groups where you can find fellow artists as well as materials to get started.
Digital Skills
By far the most effective way to prepare yourself for a post-pandemic world is to learn new technology skills: digital marketing, photography and videography, graphic design, and web design, to name a few. It’s also a plus if you could help businesses exploit up and coming technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, virtual and augmented reality, and the Internet of Things.
- Photography and Videography
There are many things you can do to earn profit from this field—sell your photographs and/or help businesses with their online content through professional photos, videos, and other visuals. These services are in demand these days as more and more brands are moving online to adapt to the changing times.
- 3D & Graphic Design
Jazz up your social media channels with 3D-rendered photos and videos or other rich media that attracts attention. Here, you will need some software like Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D to get started. You can also offer these services to other businesses for competitive rates.
- Web Design
Part of establishing an online presence is creating a website for the brand and in today’s digital age, the homepage is essentially its storefront. With your experience in web design, you can offer these services, helping businesses stay competitive.
Takeaway
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for so many of us. But, may you have seen the lockdown period as an opportunity to improve your skills and prepare yourself for the post-pandemic job market.
How many of these profitable skills have you learned for the past months? What other things are you interested in learning? Let’s talk in the comment section below!
