Diverse employees are valuable employees.

But what if haven't really got any hobbies, or skills to speak of? Well, find something interesting and take a class. Many areas offer classes on things like graphic design, or generic computer classes, or public writing classes. Most fees for such classes are assessed on a sliding scale (and if you don't have any income, that works out well for you). The point is to get something going that you can be passionate about and that can make you more valuable to potential employers out there. And community colleges and community classes are a great place to learn those skills.

This is also something you can arrange through your Dislocated Workers office, and often times, they'll even pay for it under the retraining umbrella. All you need is a piece of paper saying you were layed off due to economic conditions (and not something like poor performance), and you'll get all the help you need. You'll even be assigned a career counselor, who can help point you in the right direction and tell you which classes will indulge your passions in a constructive way.

Having an extra skill set is becoming more vital than ever because of today's tough economic times. It helps you stand apart from your peers, and if it's something you're passionate about anyway, it's not that difficult to take the time and invest in that skill set. Because you're really investing in yourself. You might not have to turn your hobby into a career, but wouldn't it be nice if your hobby started to earn you some money?

Now that you have read about Skill Sets, may we suggest that you take the next step and check out Improving Your “Soft Skills” to Land the Job. It is important to us that we are able to help people as they recover and prosper after job loss, so please contact us with suggestions, corrections, and even your personal experiences. If you found this article or video to be helpful, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. Also, be sure to check out all of the amazing resources for your career transition in the  ILostMyJob.com Book Store!

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