As part of my 201MAPA module, I underwent different methods of extra training to enhance my skills which could be used in a career. Attached is a link to my LinkedIn profile as this is an account which I have used for further training.

Microsoft Word Training:

Beforehand, I was semi-competent at Microsoft Word however needed to develop certain areas of my skills to be able to use it in a professional environment. To do this, I used Microsoft’s online guides to word and practiced these skills on mock documents. My evidence of further training was that I was able to earn the LinkedIn Skills Assessment Badge in Microsoft Word which required me to partake in an assessment of my skills and answer a series of questions on Microsoft Word, ranging in difficulty, correctly.

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Adobe Photoshop Training:

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most commonly used applications for me, however I would describe my previous skills at this programme as amateur. I could do basic tasks on this software, however was never able to produce anything too technical. Due to my false-confidence in this application, I attempted the LinkedIn Skills Assessment in Adobe Photoshop but did not pass this assessment. As a result, I underwent further training. This further training included professional articles by media professionals and Adobe itself, tutorials by content creators on platforms such as YouTube, and mock-ups of different projects using photoshop. This mix of different learning methods was valuable to me in several ways as it allowed me to gain a mix of professional and non-professional advice, making the information easy to understand whilst keeping a level of professional skill. Additionally, this allowed me to get hands-on experience which I believe is one of the most important stages when learning how to use different pieces of software. As a result, I re-tried to LinkedIn Skills Assessment, an assessment with a variety of technical questions, and was able to achieve the LinkedIn Skills Assessment Badge in Adobe Photoshop.

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Online Training Modules:

For certain skills such as PR specific skills, I have decided to train using online resources. One such website is Alison. Alison allowed me to access training courses which I could study and am currently making progress on. One example of these training courses is on Best Practices And Ethics For Excellence In Public Relations. Whilst I have not yet completed any assessments to track whether I have learnt these skills, I have been gradually using my free time to read through the content provided by this website, as evidenced by the screenshot detailing sections which I have completed for a module. This module has thus far taught me different approaches to dealing with ethics-based situations in PR, as well as the acronym RACE (Research, Action planning, Communication, Evaluation). Additionally, I plan on using this website more often for training courses as it is linked with my LinkedIn account, meaning that employers can see my progress through different training courses in the future.

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Personal Training Based on Reflections:

On training websites, such as the one above, there are courses for a variety of areas. These are not exclusive to technical skill or workplace skills, and can feature courses on areas such as personal skills. As mentioned in my Skills Audit and SWOT Analysis section, a few key areas of weakness for me are assertiveness and self-confidence. I used a course on the website Alison to learn more about skills which could boost my self-confidence and assertiveness, including information such as how body language always over-powers speech and how to deal with anxiety in situations, a skill of utmost importance to me as this is my biggest struggle in a work situation. I have watched video seminars on this subject, as shown by the screenshot below, and intend to continue my training in these skills (as well as others) as it will help me not only in the workplace, but also in everyday life.

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Personal Development Through Experience:

Advice that I have been given by a number of people I know with content creation roles or courses is that experience is key. My thoughts on this advice were that whilst training courses etc. are one way of learning theory and knowledge behind a certain subject, actual content creation is required to improve my skills as this will give me hands-on experience with the software I could work with in future roles. As mentioned earlier, this was a crucial aspect of achieving my LinkedIn Skills Assessment badge for Adobe Photoshop. An additional aspect of this, however, is that this training can also be valuable for presenting myself to potential employers as well. As a result, I decided to set up social media pages on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube as these would give me somewhere to publish the projects I have been practicing my skills on. This use of social media also allows me to gain experience in social media itself, which is necessary for a role such as social media manager, as well as giving me experience in presenting my work professionally, therefore training my employability skills as well as my technical skill. More information on projects is available in the ‘examples of work’ section.

Next Steps:

Currently, I am using free resources to enhance my skills and train for a media career as, being a student, I find myself unable to afford the monthly fees of monetised training resources. I have, however, planned for how I aim to develop my skills in the future. Sites such as LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare are resources which have a wide variety of classes online which would benefit my career in media. One example I am interested in training in is a public speaking and communications seminar on Skillshare as whilst I personally believe that I possess these skills, I would like to enhance them further to a professional standard. My plan for the future is that once I am earning a wage, I will use paid resources to be able to move forward in my career.