Top Digital Skills You Can Learn from Home

Let’s all fight for justice and work together to solve massive inequalities in our world. We can’t afford to be passively supportive, and clearly, the “old ways” of operating in our society aren’t working. We need everyone to feel safe, equal, and empowered to pursue their hopes and dreams…

Hello, fine readers! I’m back from a little hiatus to bring you an excellent write-up by Artur Meyster, founder of Career Karma.

I spent a good six weeks during the lock-down, considering a wholesale career change and Artur’s pitch for this guest post landed in my inbox at the right time. I figured, hey, why not learn how to code and maybe swivel to part-time consulting/coding gig on this never-ending ramp to early retirement?? 

I found that using the Career Karma app is a breeze. I enjoyed my Zoom call with a CK coach, someone who’s already going through the bootcamp process, and offering tips on how to pick a good fit.

Although I chose not to go through with any of the bootcamps, I believe there’s value to them and the incentive model they’re built upon: You get a job and then pay us a small portion back — a win-win proposition in my book. Enjoy this overview, and who knows, maybe you too could find yourself coding up a storm and paving a new career path for yourself?

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Learning from home has never been easier. We have so many options to choose from that the only hard aspect is deciding which works best for you. However, you must go with the most in-demand skill and the one that makes you happy. Knowing some of the most trending topics will also allow you to work as a digital nomad. You’ll be the owner of your time and have a good salary.

In the past, the only way to land a career in tech was to opt for a computer science degree. But now companies have stepped away from this requirement and become more flexible. So, learning from an online course or bootcamp has become a feasible way to learn digital skills: they’re less expensive and allow you to study at your rhythm.

Web Design

A web designer is someone who handles the visual properties of websites. A designer’s job is often confused with that of a web developer. Although they’re similar professions, they’re not synonyms. However, both web designers and developers work side-by-side in the conception of any website. Web designers create fonts, layouts, icons, and other visual website elements. Often, web designers have to create the same design adapted to mobile websites and desktop.

You can learn this skill online in several schools. There are many web design bootcamps you can choose from. Most of these schools offer you different payment options like deferred tuition or loan financing.

SEO and Google Analytics

SEO, which refers to Search Engine Optimization, is the skill that allows you to bring more traffic to a website. Every company can benefit from having more visibility on its website. The first thing people see when they’re looking for information about any company is their website, but enterprises are not able to showcase their products or services if they’re not ranking well on Google. That’s why this trend has become more in-demand every day. 

You can learn this digital trend at Skillcrush. All of its courses are online and flexible, meaning that you can still work on other projects while you’re studying. You can also choose from a short-term bootcamp of three months or an in-depth that has a higher duration.

Podcasting

Podcasts are here to replace traditional talk radio. This digital trend has become very popular these years and more people who want to start creating a career with this profession. Podcasts require very little investment and it’s something you can learn anytime at home.

Data Analysis

Data analysis is one of the most in-demand tech skills this year. Data analysis is in charge of filtering and analyzing information to create actionable insight. Some of the professions that come from this trend are a data analyst, data scientist, and machine learning engineer. This career is related to artificial intelligence and machine learning. Many industries will depend on AI in the future economy, so it could be a good idea to specialize as an AI engineer. However, you will need prior knowledge of data science.

One of the best schools to learn data science is Galvanize. This school offers online education with a complete bootcamp where you’ll learn everything to become a great data analyst.

Photoshop

If you’re passionate about photography, then learning how to use Photoshop is a good idea. You can either start learning by watching YouTube tutorials or enroll in an in-depth course. There are many schools online that teach you how to be a master in Photoshop. Adobe has even created online courses that you can use to start building your career in photography editing. Besides, you can also leverage this skill if you work as an influencer or want to start learning something about graphic design.

Mobile Development

Mobile development is the process of conceiving a mobile app or software. You can either work with iOS or Android depending on your interest. With Android, you’ll need to learn programming skills with coding languages like Java or C++. However, you’ll also need to learn how to use the Android Native Development Kit (NDK). For iOS, people used to work with objective-C, but this was a very complicated coding language and Apple came up with a more intuitive option: Swift.

A mobile developer’s salary is very generous. This salary ranges from $76,000 to $123,000 per year, so it’ll be a great skill you can learn to start building your career in the tech industry. Lambda School’s program could be a good idea if you’re trying to learn this skill from home. Whether you’re going for Android or Apple, Lambda has both courses to offer. You can either pay up-front or choose a loan financing program to pay your bootcamp.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a crucial activity for any company, but this field is very competitive. If you want to be a digital marketer, you’ll need to educate yourself to become a master in digital advertising. Every day we have a new trend on social media marketing, so you’ll probably stay as a lifelong learner with this skill. You’ll need to stay always up-to-date to be able to offer the best services to your clients.

Whether you want to learn the basics or you want to get an in-depth course, you can choose from a variety of online schools, like Wyncode Academy, that offer this type of bootcamp. If you want to get some experience, Google is currently offering a program called Google Online Marketing Challenge that allows students to start practicing their digital marketing skills and grow their network.

Machine Learning

There’s a reason why machine learning is the career of the future: the trend of automation is drastically increasing and tech companies require a vast load of machine learning workforce. There are so many things in our life that have been automated and this is only the start. From automated cars to chatbots or manufacturing, there are so many industries that can benefit from machine learning.

Machine learning is the process of programming machines or devices so they’re able to simulate our actions. Machines work like us, they learn and then the act. Springboard is a school where you can learn this skill. They offer one-on-one education and deferred tuition.

Software Development

Anyone can benefit from learning some basic coding. Whether you’re launching an app, you’re working with artificial intelligence or IT apps, you’ll need to have some knowledge about software development so your project can succeed. If you’re passionate about creating cool digital products, then you’ll be more than happy to learn software development. Besides, this is a profession that allows you to work remotely and it has a good salary. Software developers can make up to a whopping $103,000 in a yearly salary.

You can learn this skill at General Assembly, which offers a $14,950 course that you can either pay up-front or by loan financing. General Assembly’s remote bootcamp teaches you how to create UX-oriented digital products.

UX and UI

When you think about design, you think about art and creativity. UX design doesn’t have much to do with art, but it surely requires creativity. A User Experience designer works more with the functionality of the product, rather than the artistic factor. UX can do research, surveys, and tests to create an enjoyable experience for users.

UI, on the other hand, handles the interaction of the user with the device. It manages everything related to the interface like keyboards or voice commands. The goal of UI development is to create an intuitive product.

In this case, Bloc is the best school where you can learn UX and UI design. This school focuses on the UX principles applied to web development. Besides, if you don’t find a job in 180 days, Bloc will reimburse your investment in full.

Graphic Design

Graphic design is also a digital skill that covers a lot of ground in the digital arena. One of the most important factors that tech companies should consider is to have great visuals, such as their logo and corporate images. A graphic designer also collaborates with digital marketers for advertising campaigns. Colors, fonts, and design play a huge role in customers’ perception of a company, and graphic designers work towards excellent visual results. This is a great skill you can learn online if you’re someone who enjoys artistic design and visual work.

Cybersecurity 

Cyber attacks can be devastating for companies. A data breach, loss of important files, or threat could negatively impact the performance of a company. That’s why cybersecurity experts work to protect systems from cyber attacks. This profession detects possible threats and acts accordingly to prevent malware and destructive intrusion. There are many cybersecurity bootcamps that you can choose from and start learning this skill from home. Some of the most popular schools are Woz U and DevLeage.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash