How your child can develop skills online - 6 ways to broaden their interests and stand out in interviews
- Aug 29, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 22
It doesn’t matter if your child is applying for a job, an apprenticeship, a university or college place, training or an internship. The bottom line is always the same: they’re more likely to get the interview if their application stands out, and they’ll get the place if they're likeable and impress their interviewer.
It’s personality that differentiates one person from another. Positive, proactive, committed, resilient individuals make good students and great employees. They’re quick to learn, quick to forgive and pleasant to be around, and that makes them attractive.
Preparation is key: nothing beats it for improving confidence. Here are our top six ways to help your teen prepare for their future, doing something they love, being online.
1. Listen to TED talks
An absolute blessing if your child has a short attention span. Most TED talks are around 15 minutes long, covering diverse subjects from science to business to global issues, and feature some of the most eloquent thought-leaders of our times. It’s a great place for your child to develop their interests without a huge time commitment.
2. Enjoy some podcasts
Not every teenager loves to read, so podcasts are a fabulous way to discover interesting themes and topics. Their length varies significantly, from 15 to 20 minutes to feature-length episodes; some are long and split into series, others are broadcast regularly as complete episodes with an overarching theme linking them. Podcasts are hugely popular with teenagers.
3. Stay up to date
It’s a good idea for your child to be able to demonstrate relevant general knowledge, so they should keep an eye on the news and be aware of headline stories. In interviews this is often 'elevator talk', something mentioned when someone meets them at reception to take them to the interview room. It may not be part of the interview, but it can have an influence. Not knowing anything about world events suggests a lack of interest, which may not be true but doesn't reflect well.
If they’re not sure about news articles or are struggling to get a balanced view, they could read opinion pieces to see what other people are saying, and develop their own thoughts on the matter.
4. Take an online course
If there’s something that really interests them, why not take a course? Choosing to study outside the school curriculum, and taking assessments or exams to prove knowledge, is very impressive. It shows initiative, commitment and an ability to follow through, all desirable qualities whether the next stage is further education or a job.
This doesn’t have to require massive commitment; some courses and modules are very short, others longer. What’s on offer is vast, and lots of the courses are free. This sort of activity stands your child in good stead when a university or employer asks how they used their spare time.
Useful links:
With thousands of courses and millions of learners, there really is something for everyone. They can learn by watching videos, listening to audio and reading articles. Methods of assessment include quizzes, tests and assignments, although they'll need to upgrade and meet the course requirements for a certificate.
Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest university in the United States. It offers a range of free online courses in a variety of subjects. Once finished, there’s an option to receive a verified course certificate for a fee.
MOOC offers an impressive range of free online courses available for anyone to enrol.
5. Reading and audiobooks
Reading is a brilliant opportunity for your child to find out more about their curriculum subjects, favourite areas of interest, idols, topics they enjoy that aren't covered at school, and pretty much anything else on the planet, including fiction. If your child isn’t a great reader, no matter, they can listen to audiobooks instead.
Whether they read around their set texts, in a subject they're not studying but find interesting, fiction, biographies or personal development books, they must be able to explain what they've discovered and how it has affected them. There's little point mentioning they've read something in an application or interview if they have nothing to say about it. Your child is looking to demonstrate that they can read, digest and summarise information, form an opinion and express themselves. These are all transferable skills, vital in the workplace and very useful in further study. It doesn’t matter whether they liked the book or not; it’s how they say it that matters.
Wider reading
Many universities like to see evidence of wider reading in personal statements, as it demonstrates passion and interest for a subject. If your child is applying to university next year, encourage them to explore books, articles and online courses on topics that relate to their chosen degree subject.
6. Explore virtual work opportunities
The number of virtual work placements has expanded in recent years and they've proved so successful they look here to stay. A virtual work placement can help your child gain valuable work experience, develop key skills and create networks in the industries they're interested in.
Virtual placements mean location won't hold your teen back from trying a job they'd like, giving them access to a wider range of opportunities. To learn more about virtual work experience and which companies offer it, read our guide.
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