The job market today seems to keep everyone on a constant learning curve. Technology is changing jobs quickly, and each of us need to keep up with those changes. If you are looking for a way to learn skills quickly and easily, you can check out YouTube. In addition to using videos and movie- and TV-clips, YouTube also has an abundance of how-to videos that can help you learn just about any skill that you need to.
Why learn a skill from a YouTube video?
- Most jobs today have become multi-faceted, so you’ll have to be competent with several distinct skills just to keep the job you have.
- You may need a certain skill in order to get promoted.
- You may be applying for a job for which you lack one or two critical skills.
- Going back to school or taking formal classes is expensive and time consuming – and it can be complete overkill if you only need a new skill or two.
- YouTube how-to videos are free and you can view them in your spare time and in the comfort of your own home.
- You can access YouTube videos anywhere you need to, even at work – where you may really need to!
- They’re great for visual learners – which I think most of us are.
- Some people learn better working at their own pace, rather than in a classroom setting.
- YouTube how-to videos often provide information on where you can get additional training, such as a website or a video series.
- Most new skills are learned through repetition – a video may give you the basic understanding that you need to start, but mastering it will come with hands-on experience.
- YouTube is the perfect source when you need to learn something quick – no joke – I’ve seen auto mechanics look up a procedure on the site!
YouTube is a fun site to be entertained on, but it’s also a place where you can learn the skills you need to be better on the job, or even to get a better job. Here are some examples…
Common Computer Applications
There are all kinds of common computer applications in the workplace today, and virtually no one can master them all. But if your company is looking for someone to take on a new application – or requiring you to do it in your job – YouTube can be the place for you to get your feet wet.
Let’s say that you want to learn about PowerPoint. Here’s a video that provides step-by-step instructions on how to use it. Even if you aren’t a PowerPoint expert as a result of watching the video, it can at least give you the exposure that will make it look doable and keep it from being intimidating.
Sales Techniques
Today’s jobs require an ever-increasing amount of customer contact, and often that contact requires some form of sales. It’s not even a stretch to say that in today’s business world everyone in the company is a salesperson!
So what if you’ve never been in sales in your life, and the whole idea scares you half to death? Here is a great video that could help you overcome that fear. One of the things I really like about this video is that the speaker not only tells you what to do, but he also tells you what not to do, which is the traditional “hard sell” that people commonly think is required of a good salesperson.
Marketing
If you have a small business, or you’re looking to start one, you’ll absolutely have to master marketing. If you’ve never done this before, there is wealth of videos on YouTube that will help you learn it. Here’s one will help you learn to market at a very low cost.
Bookkeeping
Office managers in small companies usually wear multiple hats, one of which is commonly bookkeeping. So let’s say that your company wants you to take over the bookkeeping – they can no longer afford to pay a separate salary for that function. Or maybe you want to apply for another job that also requires bookkeeping. If you don’t know much about it, find out what the common software packages are in your area, and check them out on YouTube.
QuickBooks is a very common bookkeeping software package in small companies. If you want to learn about it, you can check out this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R247wAd7lko
Job Interviewing Techniques
Though we don’t think of job interviewing as a job skill in the strict sense, it is absolutely essential if you want to get a new job. If you’re thinking about doing so, and you haven’t been out interviewing in many years, you may want to do a quick review of what works and what doesn’t. How you come across in an interview is often more important than anything contained in your resume, so you absolutely need to get this right.
You can check out this video, which is one of a 12 part series from the increasingly popular job site Snagajob.
How-to videos on YouTube aren’t necessarily comprehensive, but they can get you started, and that may be all it takes. Once you gain the basic understanding, you can use that to build your skills, checking out other videos and other sources to help you master the skills.
Have you learned any new skills from YouTube?
James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.