We are living in a world that is constantly evolving in terms of technology. And this is at a magnificent pace. When you were kids, the mobile phones were just for calling and messages. But look at your phone now! It is a smartphone. It does all the operations of a computer. You evolved yourself to suit the make the most out of the available technology. You need to do the same for your job skills too. you can no longer say that you are simply computer proficient. That is no more an advantage. Rather you need to be highly skilled in the tools used in that job. Like if you are an architect, you need to be proficient in AutoCAD, Revit, and Photoshop. And, with time, you need to add more skills. But that is never the end. You need to constantly evolve your skill set even while being in the job. This gives rise to the multi-dimensional issue of relocation, lost job opportunity and obviously a little of financial instability. Online education comes to your rescue at such times.
You can get yourself certified in different areas even while being in the current job and without relocating by using the online courses. All the prominent universities are now investing heavily in MOOCs. So no matter if you left your education mid-way or need to get yourself acquainted with the new technology, online courses are your saviour. With the better internet connectivity, no one of you will face any issue in using these courses.
Utilizing the Online Courses for Skill Enhancement
- Understand your Requirement: Don’t get yourself enrolled in some course just because everyone is doing or it sounds very nice. Every online educational site gives a complete list of the syllabus. Go through it. And, pay attention to what it actually teaches. If you find it suitable, then only go ahead. Otherwise, it will be just a wastage of time. Online educational sites offer you the best of the universities without the problems of traditional classroom teaching. You can access the course anytime and anywhere. So, search for the best course and from the best university.
- Give Time and 100% Efforts: Online courses are not a child’s play. They are very exhaustive. But then, they do equip you with a world-class skill set. Get yourself enrolled in a course only when you are sure of devoting all your time and devotion to it. Read the course material, give tests honestly and go through the video tutorials. I have mentioned that you need to give tests honestly because you can actually go back to the course material and check the answer. But what purpose will it serve? It is not the course which someone forced you to do. You are doing it for your own benefit. So, be honest. Also, participate I the group discussions and talk with your fellow students. Most of the MOOCs give this platform to all the students. This will give you a multi-dimensional insight into the subject matter. Practice, practice and practice the course material.
- Go for Certification: Although all the course material is usually free on these websites, they don’t offer certification. To get that, you need to pay a fee. This fee is nominal when compared to the actual fee of the university. Moreover, with a certification, you can show that to your current and future employers too. this will give you better opportunities. So, if you can afford, select the certified courses. Just take, for example, the website Edx. This site offers five kinds of programs. You can go for the Micromasters program, professional certificate, online masters degree, global freshman academy and x series program. And most of these are highly specialized programs. You will be amazed to see the number of programs offered by Microsoft. Just imagine the importance of Microsoft certification for an IT guy. It is regarded as one of the best. So, after coming back from the office, he/she can do this and then get better opportunities. If you are an engineering student, you can do these and just look at the offers in your placement drive. So, it is always better to go for the certification. It will be proof of your skill set and also your endeavour to go few steps forward to learning something new.
- Communicate with the Fellow Students: Most of the online learning sites have an online forum for their students. Here, they discuss their problems, show their course-related work, assignments and share views. When you spend time on this forum, you realize how others are using it for skill enhancement. Try to answer the queries posted by others. Read the answers and look at their point of view. Ask questions and share your problems. This way, you will feel more like a traditional classroom. This is important not because it makes you feel good but because it is an opportunity for you to interact with students from all over the world. The issues that they are facing might be new for you but who knows when you yourself face them? So, you will learn how to tackle the issues with different approaches. This will increase your understanding and give you all-around insight into the subject matter.
- Upgrade your Digital Literacy: Online courses work on the simple formula of high digital literacy. So, if you are not so fluent with the co puters and software, then spend time on learning that. Then only you will be able to completely grasp the subject matter. If you wish to learn the coding language python, then you do need to learn how to install that software on your system and run it. Most of the time, all these are provided by the site but it is you who needs to install that. Also, highly specialized courses need you to be aware of the different computer functions. So, being digitally literate with a high percentage is a must.
- Use what you Learn: Always use whatever you learn. While learning, try to use that technology or the function in the real-life scenario. If you are an engineering student and learning about some coding language, then try to make your assignment in that language. If you are employed in a big data analytics firm and learning in-depth about ScrumMaster, then try to apply that in your work. This way, you will grow more fluency in the use. Also, you will be able to detect the issues you face which you can discuss in the course forum.
- Mention the Certification in your LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn is the best job search engine right now. The best part of this site is that it recognizes the importance of online learning. You can actually put a link of your online certificate in your profile here. so, once you learn a new skill, don’t forget to mention it in your profile. It will not only let your employers know about your proficiency but will also make your application rank higher.
- Revise: Do not forget to revise the course material even after finishing it and receiving the certification. Constant brushing up is always needed. Otherwise, you tend to forget and may get embarrassed if your employer asks about it. Keep yourself updated with the developments in that field. If you find some more advanced course in that field, go for it. It will deepen your understanding of the subject. And, as we have said, constant skill up gradation is the demand of the time. So it is better to be prepared than planning endlessly. We hope you will invest your time and resources in online education for your skill enhancement. We are providing you with a list of the top websites and universities that offer different courses in online mode. Look for the one that suits you the most and goes for it.
List of Some of the Top Educational Websites
- https://www.edx.org/
- https://online.stanford.edu/courses
- https://lagunita.stanford.edu/courses
- https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
- https://www.coursera.org/
- http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/?ucam-ref=global-header
- https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/online-courses
- https://mva.microsoft.com/
- https://www.khanacademy.org/
- https://www.udemy.com/
we hope you find the curse of your choice and need in any of these websites. This is just a comprehensive list. There are a lot more websites and universities offering MOOC. So, no need to get disappointed if you don’t find what you need in any of the above-mentioned websites. Just give it a good search on the internet and you will get what you need. We wish you a skilful career with constant enthusiasm for learning.
