As a designer, you need to do your best to set yourself apart from your competition. Learning new skills and/or software is one way to do so. Not only will your resume reflect this, but your portfolio will too. The following are what I believe to be some of the benefits of going above and beyond.
So you went to design school. You have a badass portfolio filled with projects that you got an "A" on. You know the software like the back of your hand. You even have recommendations from your professors.
Now what?
I see this question asked on a daily basis by students who have recently, or are about to — graduate from design school. I'd like to share with you some useful advice that I have either learned by way of mentors and through my own experiences.