Top 10 Websites for Free Job Skills Training Online

By Robert Medford
Contributing Editor
Top 5 Online Jobs

The recession and rising unemployment have made finding a job more difficult than ever. Think you're out of luck if you don't have good computer skills and can't afford formal classroom training? Think again. Below is a list of in-demand computer skills that you can learn online without spending a dime.

Having the perfect skill set for the job gives you the extra edge that you need to succeed in today's highly competitive job market. Although there are many resources both online and offline to get training for these job skills, there are websites that offer excellent free training online. And while a number of websites offer free online courses and tutorials, only a handful (or two) have set the standard by offering the best free online job skills training and guidance-from the basics to the advanced level. Also, these websites offer the best free job training materials and tutorials in an easy-to-grasp and concise manner.

Once you have armed yourself with these skills, you'll be confident enough to put them on your resume, as well as answer basic Microsoft® Office and Adobe computer program questions often asked in interviews. Take advantage of these free online job skills training resources to enhance your employee skill set, while increasing the appeal of your resume to prospective employers.

Note that links go directly to tutorial pages.

1. Microsoft® Word:
http://baycongroup.com
Superb tutorials for Microsoft® Word 2007, 2003/2002, 97. These tutorials are so simple to use, that even absolute beginners can learn quickly. If you are new to Word, this site is a very good place to start with from the foundations of the program. In addition to Microsoft® Word, the site also offers other tutorials like Excel Basics, PowerPoint Basics, Windows Vista Tutorial, Windows XP Tutorial, Windows 98 Tutorial, Scalable SQL Tutorial, Paint Shop Pro, Flash, Photoshop and more. This site is highly recommended and best of all, it's free.

2. Microsoft® Excel:
http://www.usd.edu
Deftly covers all the technical aspects of Microsoft® Excel including concepts from the basics; like explaining what a spreadsheet is, columns, rows, and cells; to the advanced concepts like Excel spreadsheet formulas. If you are new to Excel, this is a great place to begin.

3. Microsoft® PowerPoint:
http://www.fgcu.edu
Fantastic website for beginners' tutorials in Microsoft® PowerPoint. In addition to PowerPoint, you also get some other nice tutorials on Word 2007, Excel 2007, and Access 2007. The site also offers skills assessment tests that you can use to gauge your level of technical skills knowledge.

4. Microsoft® Publisher:
http://learnthat.com
Insightful Publisher tutorials cover the crucial concepts of Microsoft® Publisher beginning with the fundamentals. The tutorials are presented with effective images and illustrations for better understanding.

5. Microsoft® Visio:
http://office.microsoft.com
Tutorials straight from the horse's mouth that cover almost everything you wanted to known in Visio right from mastering the shapes to linking data to the shapes. Undoubtedly one of, if not the best, Microsoft® Visio resources.

6. Microsoft® Project:
http://www.profsr.com
Top-notch tutorials that cover topics like the basics of project management, regulations for effective project management, defining the project in Microsoft® Project, ways of managing the project resources and much more.

7. Adobe Photoshop:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/
Collection of superb tutorials and resources for learning Adobe Photoshop online. These About.com tutorials present Photoshop concepts in a clear and concise manner with the use of appropriate images for easy learning. Note that the beginner tutorial uses the CS2 version of Photoshop, but the basics are nearly identical across 5.5 through the current CS4 versions of the software.

8. Adobe Illustrator:
http://biorust.com
Extensive tutorial website providing resources not only on using Adobe illustrator but also other tools for graphic design. Keep in mind that you don't have to be a professional graphic designer to use this site. The presentation is so simple, that even graphic design novices can learn quickly. Also worth mentioning are the online Illustrator video tutorials hosted by Adobe, but be warned, the instructor moves quickly: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1586v1012 If you prefer learning at your own speed, we would suggest that you stick with Biorust.com.

9. Adobe Flash:
http://www.techiwarehouse.com
Excellent flash tutorials for beginner flash developers. The tutorial starts off describing the different kinds of tools used and then it moves on to higher concepts such as Flash tweening and more. Highlights of this tutorial include crisp clear screen shots used to describe the software.

10. HTML:
http://www.accessv.com
A great collection of tutorials and resources on HTML. This site provides information on the basics of HTML with easy to understand examples. The tutorial is explained starting with the basics like Tags and Paragraphs, and ends with advanced HTML concepts such as Frames and Tables.

So that's it, a list of the top 10 sites for free job skills training online. However, these are not the only sites out there for learning job related skills. There is an ample assortment of tutorial sites on the Internet. Although this list is only a tip of the iceberg, it is nevertheless the best of the iceberg. This list of sites will help you to begin moving in the right direction through free online training in the jobs skills you need for the job you want. God bless you during this difficult time and best wishes for a successful job hunt!

All trade names, trademarks, and/or service marks included herein are owned by their respective holders. The author is not associated with Microsoft® or Adobe® and no relationship is implied.