By Rachel Weingarten
We seem to be a nation of professional multitaskers. With modern job descriptions being ever evolving and incredibly elastic, it seems as though we're expected to do more every single day. But beyond that, sometimes it's fun or potentially lucrative to know how to do more than the average professional skills simply listed on your job description. It can make you stand out. It can make you get the right kind of notice. It can make your boss remember you when it comes time for the raises, bonuses and special projects. And adding more to what you can do demonstrates that you’re a leader and not just another member of the pack.
One of the best ways to do this is by proving that you’re not content to simply plug away at the daily grind. Instead, find new ways to expand your skill set. Sometimes it’s the tiny details that make you memorable, and the best part is that they’re surprisingly low cost or free.
- Learn to Shoot: Video that is. According to the YouTube website, more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month with over 6 billion hours of video watched each month on YouTube. You don’t need to be the next Scorsese to set yourself apart in the work arena. Most digital cameras or smartphones have high definition shooting capabilities. Practice (with prior permission, of course) at meetings, companywide summits or even speeches. Start small by posting short videos to sharing services like Vine before exploring editing software and applications.
- Speak in Tongues: Many workplace experts believe that by learning another language you can increase your earnings potential. You’ll also be the go-to person when it comes to travel and hosting your company’s foreign guests or clients. Do a search using terms like “free language learning” or “learn a language for free” and you’ll find dozens of sites with foreign language teaching programs ranging from Arabic to Yiddish, though concentrating on more popular languages such as Spanish or Chinese will prove to be incredibly useful. Check out Livemocha.com and http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons. Or try out your new skills with others who might long to speak in their native tongues.
- Keep Up with the Trends: Did you ever wonder how some of your colleagues seem to be so well-versed in current events? They’re likely signed up for popular newsletters like The Skimm. Try setting up Google Alerts which give you real time email updates on your industry, competitors and even your name to make sure that you’re being fairly and honestly represented in online chatter. Follow trending topics on Twitter to see what the of-the-minute conversations are about. You can even follow the trending topics on Yahoo or Google to see the hottest search trends and terms.
- Polish Up Your Social Media Skills: Way back in the days when MySpace was practically the only space, social media seemed like a take it or leave it prospect. These days though, there’s a social media platform for nearly every career path or preference. If you’re trying to figure out how to begin, it’s best to figure out what your end goal is: are you looking for a way to polish up your professional network? Spend some time increasing your presence on LinkedIn. Want to find out what the most popular recipes or décor options are? Try your hand at Pinterest. And as tempting or overwhelming as it can seem, you don’t need to be on every social network – just the ones that best align with your company messaging and goals. If it still seems like too much of a time investment, search around for free social media tutorials and tools.
The bottom line is that you need to prove your worth on a daily basis, and sometimes that means displaying your less expected skills and talents.
Rachel Weingarten is an internationally recognized lifestyle writer, content strategist and an award-winning author of three non-fiction books. She writes most often about business and style. Tweet with her @rachelcw.
Additional Reading:
2. Why Information Technology (IT) Professionals Have Been Thinking About Their Jobs The Wrong Way
3. 5 Reasons The Chief Information Officer (CIO) Matters More Than Ever
