4 Great Professional Skills to Learn Outside of the Office	1.0/5.0 (1 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
Elena Velikova March 21, 2018

Under the best of circumstances, your office should act like a classroom. As an employee, you should take it upon yourself to learn something new every day. However, there are certain skills and programs that simply take too much time to master completely while at work. And what separates successful entrepreneurs from the chasing pack is their willingness to go the extra mile and pick up new knowledge in their free time. The good news is, you can start mastering any one of these four useful abilities –– and begin your path toward a new, better future:

Public Speaking

Few jobs require their employees to speak in front of large crowds on a regular basis. However, that’s not to say that practicing your public speaking isn’t worthwhile. On the contrary, employees who are comfortable and elegant behind the microphone create opportunities for themselves to shine in front of other business professionals. Plus, being able to command a crowd’s attention is a fabulous way to impress your bosses.

Hardware Solutions

Have you ever had a computer monitor, printer, fax machine, or cell phone that mysteriously stop working? Wouldn’t it have been great if someone were around who knew some basics about tech hardware and could diagnose the problem for you? Well, with a little application and a few hours of study, you too can enjoy a greater handle on your important hardware. Just understanding the basics can provide a huge lift to a coworker in need.

 Social Media Promotion

Professionals in marketing positions work extremely hard to create compelling content like blog posts, videos, and even produce podcasts for their clients. But unfortunately, all too often that hard work is undone because of poor social media promotion. Not properly displaying your content on social media channels will undermine your efforts and leave you frustrated. Which is why it’s all the more vital to examine what makes an effective Facebook ad on your own time. As always, don’t be afraid to ask questions of others in the industry that you know and trust –– it’s one of the best ways to learn!

Business Finance

Many people dream of running their own business; few put the required time and energy forth to effectively do so. One big area that many first-time entrepreneurs overlook is that of securing necessary funding. After all, it’s far from the most glamorous aspect of owning your own company. However, if you’re serious about starting your own business, it behooves you to consider how you’re going to manage the financial element of it. Luckily, you’ve got a lot of options: small business loans, SBA loans, lines of credit, unsecured loans, and a business cash advance are all effective methods of landing the capital you need to get started. Remember, doing the legwork now will save could save you time (and money!) down the line.