How do you get an edge in today’s tough economy? What critical skill are you lacking that can make you more attractive to employers? I’m a huge proponent of using the other 8 hours to learn, grow, and create. Sure you can go back to school and get that advanced degree or designation, but with money so tight, are there more economical ways to learn and get an edge? Absolutely!
Over the next few months, I’ll be doing a series of “Must Use Resource” posts about inexpensive and/or free resources of which you can take advantage. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear from you.
The first resource has been around for less than three years, but it is already one of the most popular websites on the Internet (they get over 60 million visitors a month). Scribd is the largest social publishing company in the world - they have 10 times the amount of content as Wikipedia!
When I first heard of Scribd I thought the content would be the equivalent of open mic night at my local coffee shop, but instead of a bunch of wannabe amateurs hocking their second-rate content, I was pleasantly surprised. They have great content by insightful authors.
So how does this help you? Simple. Scribd is like a free Amazon.com. They offer books and articles on anything you can imagine. What do you want to improve? What areas of your life could use some help? I call this “finding the gap.” The gap is the void between where you are and where you want to be. Find your gaps and then search Scribd for the answers.
Want to learn how to design a killer website, market yourself or your business, write a business plan, build a powerful personal brand, use Twitter, survive the recession (I uploaded my free personal finance ebook to Scribd), or even how to cook vegetarian or play Stairway to Heaven. You can learn all of this and much more quickly and for free.
While most companies are struggling through this recession, Scribd is growing and it makes sense why. Scribd CEO, Trip Adler, says, “Scribd is a great place for people out of work to learn a new skill. We are the library for the next generation.”
While I still like my library, you should use some of your other 8 hours to try Scribd. It’s a fantastic resource.
If you’re interested in using your other 8 hours to get your finances in shape, you can download my free ebook/audiobook “Plan Z: How to Survive the 2009 Financial Crisis (and even live a little better).“
