How I Transformed My Resume—and Skill Set—in Six Weeks

Half the articles we publish on Career Contessa are about just that. We tend to suggest little things you can do every day—listening to insightful podcasts or setting weekly coffee dates with you network—to keep the momentum going without much pressure or commitment.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe wholeheartedly in each of those pieces of advice. But personally, I’ve always been one of those people who does better with The Big Push. I’ll start those weekly coffee dates, only to drop them three weeks in. But when I commit to something like a No Spend Month, a Dry January, or paying off my debt as quickly as possible, I’m more likely to get it done. Go all out, then chill out. That’s how I thrive.

So when Open Campus at The New School offered to let me try one of their online short courses, Design Thinking Fundamentals—which focuses on solving problems by isolating pain points and devising creative solutions—it sounded right up my alley. I’d learn some new skills I could use at Career Contessa to create better content and launch new projects and have a new line item for my resume—all in under six weeks.

But as I dove deep into the video courses and assignments, it turns out I got more than I bargained for. Online learning taught me how to work better. Here’s what I got out of the experience that you can use, too:

1. Pick Instructors Who Are Actually Doing the Work

At the time I finished up my undergrad degree, I was positive I wanted to go on to get my Ph.D. in Marxist theory. Yeah.

Thankfully, I took a year off after graduating to work and recuperate. And I quickly discovered what many before me had: you can only learn so much in a classroom.

From the start, it was clear Design Thinking Fundamentals wasn’t going to be another college course. The focus was going to be on applying lessons and concepts to the real world. 

When the course opened, an email landed in my inbox from the instructor, Lee-Sean Huang. The thing about Lee-Sean is, he doesn’t just teach design thinking. He uses it daily in his work as cofounder and creative director of Foossa, a successful design consultancy firm. This was key.  

Lee-Sean was a very real dude who always seemed a little awkward in front of the camera, which I remember thinking was exactly as it should be. This was a guy who was going to run this class on a topic that he was passionate about—and then get back to his own work. Learning best practices from someone who applies them daily meant that lessons felt authentic and useful. Throughout the course, my mind would drift to ways I could use what I was learning at Career Contessa.

So my takeaway applies to more than online classes: anytime you can, find someone who is an expert in an area that interests you. Then focus on listening to what they have to say as carefully as possible.

2. Find the Way You Learn Best and Focus on What’s Most Important

Summers are hectic around here, so the idea of starting my course in June initially felt daunting. But I quickly realized that there was never going to be an "ideal time." As they say, no time like the present. And the upshot of Open Campus at The New School is that the programs embrace flexibility.

So began the process of determining when and how I learned best. The answer, typically, was after dinner on Thursday nights. But at one point, I worked on a week’s worth of videos and assignments on a flight from West to East Coast. Being able to work whenever I had the time meant that I didn’t feel pressure to rush through things. Slowly but surely, I tackled each assignment—watching videos from start to finish and taking notes as needed.

3. Focus on What’s Most Valuable for You (Meaning Don’t Do It Because You “Should”)

For each lesson, there was just enough to work on for me to feel like I’d taken something away from the process but not so much that I felt like I had to pull an all-nighter. And unlike watching one-off TED Talks, each section built off the previous one. By the end, I not only understood the definition of “design thinking,” I got all the nuances as well—and how to use it in my daily life.

The other brilliant thing was that there was a clear path forward for me if I wanted to pursue more coursework in the field. Actually, Design Thinking Fundamentals is the first of six courses offered by Open Campus, which you can combine to obtain a certificate in Design Leadership for Business. Having that freedom to pick and choose—by taking just one class or enrolling in a deeper path of study by taking them all—gives you a sense of control and direction. 

If there’s one piece of advice I can give you from my experience it would be this: Don’t just commit to learning one “skill” because you think you should—think about why and how that skill can help you in your career path.

4. You Have to Do the Work—But You Have to Do It For You

I remember in college feeling so stressed about turning in papers because I knew the professor would read it. In committing to an online course, though, things felt different. Maybe it’s because I’m older or because Lee-Sean was on the opposite side of the country so there was some comforting distance, but I felt like doing the assignments was purely for my benefit. I worked on each task with one question in mind: how will this benefit me? And I got more out of each assignment than the last.

Of course, feedback from the instructor and the other students helps—but how I felt about my work mattered so much more. I took pride in it in a way that I hadn’t in college. The result is it felt like I retained more of what I learned.

5. those skills aren't worth anything until you put them into action

One piece of advice we love to give at CC applies to both promotions and career changes. If you want a better job, you have to figure out what gaps you have in your own skillset, then go out and learn those skills before asking for that promotion or applying for a new role.

The end of the class aligned almost exactly with my two-year anniversary at CC. We’ve evolved since I started—going from a team of two (me plus Lauren) to a team of six (including—gasp—a dude).

Leading up to our annual review, Lauren asked me how I saw my role evolving. My work in design thinking had paid off because I had an answer—I wanted to shift my focus toward brand strategy. I’m beyond excited for what this new chapter of my career will bring, but mostly, I’m ready to consider what to learn next.