Land a Job More Easily With These 6 Courses

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StudyIf you are still in college, it doesn’t hurt to take a few electives that can boost your job prospects after graduation. And if you are already done with school, furthering your education is a great way to get noticed when you’re looking to take the next step in your career.

Here are six stand-alone courses that can boost your chances of getting a job:

1. Professional Development

Professional development classes typically cover job-search skills, interviewing techniques, and writing cover letters, resumes and thank you notes. You can have a peerless skill set, a first-rate portfolio, and (where relevant) an impressive GPA, but if you don’t know how to present yourself to a prospective employer, you won’t get the job.

2. Etiquette

Few colleges offer these courses, but they may be available from community education programs or other local outlets. People are not usually taught how to shake hands, introduce themselves, or when offer someone a seat, but these are all important things to know.

Though anyone can learn these skills, you improve your chances of landing a job, keeping your job, and moving up in your company if you display proper manners.

3. Social Media

Social media is about more than just posting, sharing, and tagging your friends on Facebook. While it may seem like something you can teach yourself, it is a good idea to take a class that is based on good marketing principles of social media. Also, be sure to list the skill on your resume, in your cover letter, and in the interview.

4. Psychology

Taking a psychology course can help you better understand human behavior better. Knowing why people do what they do is an often overlooked and underrated skill.

5. Business Communication

Getting your ideas across clearly and concisely is vital to succeeding in any career. There may be no more important class for both students and working professionals than business communications. Basic communication skills, like proper grammar and oral presentation, are essential to achieving lasting career success.

6. Statistics

Statistics can apply to almost any field, from biomedical research, to business, to economics, to computer sciences and beyond. If you don’t know what sort of career you want, but you are proficient in statistics, you can get a job offer in almost any field.

By Joshua Bjerke