In The Interest Of Not Wasting Time…

What do you do with your time between jobs? After you’ve run through all the domestic busy-making you can make with cleaning, decluttering and other garden variety household chores, sooner or later you’ll want to take a deep breath and face the inevitable with a closer look. Besides taking classes and volunteering, what are some of the creative ways to acquire new skills related to your expertise?

For professionals in a field that is constantly growing and changing, like software and internet marketing, there are tons of tutorials on technical subjects. This allows you to learn and use new technology skills at home for free.

The caveat to this approach is two-fold. You could easily find yourself going in five directions at once.  The information age demands familiarity with a broad range of applications and technologies, so choose one to begin a project.  Embark on your learning cycle with an idea of what skill area you want to enhance.

The second warning is about time management. While it is great to have an exploratory mind-set, when your time seems endless and completely your own, you risk getting to the end of your week and wondering what happened. Sound familiar? Consider holding yourself accountable to a chunk of time in front of the computer during which you will do X. Then record your own personal milestones as you acquire new techniques and practice them.

Let your friends know of your accomplishments, they may know an organization who needs your new skills.