“You’re only as old as the wo(man) that you feel.”
-Groucho Marx
Some people presume that skills advancement is age-delicate and only applies to those beginning their professions or searching for a promotion. But this is only a half-truth. It is always a good idea to nurture your skills or those commonly found in your profession – if not simply to keep you on top of your game but also continually refresh your mind by keeping it active and sharp.
[inline_course_ad]
Why Should I Study Further?
Type ‘self-improvement’ into Google and you will find over 10 pages filled with sites and pages showing you different methods. In order to get fit, you simply (or not so simply) eat healthy foods and exercise. If you want to gain physical strength, you train and lift weights. If you want to improve your memory, you have to ensure you get enough sleep and intentionally learn something new.
But what do you do in order to better and grow your career? Education is an influential step in staying competitive and improving your skills. Whether you are starting out in your career or wishing to build on the years of experience you have accumulated, studying further helps you move forward and offers:
- -Greater Employment and Financial Opportunities
- -Increased Opportunities to Pursue Your Passion
- -Improved Self-Confidence and Well-Being
- -Developed Self-Discipline
- -Improved Networking and Communication
How Will Online Short Courses Help My Career?
1. It makes for a better interview.
Employers and recruiters use interviews to determine the value you can add to the organisation, and most importantly, look at what sets you apart from the other candidates. It is not every day that an interviewer sees an online short course on the CV of a potential employee.
Adding relevant coursework to your resume will help you stand out. It also invites conversation, so prepare to answer a few questions. You may be asked:
- -What inspired you to enroll for this online course?
- -What did you gain from your experience?
- -What can you do now that you could not do prior?
2. It displays a relevant set of skills.
Applicants often find it difficult to articulate what they bring to the table and how they can be an asset to the company. Having the ability to confidently speak about the skillset you have developed will help steer the interview in the right direction.
3. It shows character.
Choosing to further your studies in order to enhance your professional education not only helps develop critical skills but it is also a sign of good, diligent character.
Making the commitment and completing an online short course is admirable. It shows that you have the drive and determination, discipline, intellectual maturity, interest and inclination to learn. Interviewers appreciate an applicant’s willingness to go the extra mile as this shows passion, and passion represents principle.
Be mindful of the fact that this is only applicable if you have completed the course. This will make for easy conversation on what you have learnt and its relevance to the job spec.
Online Learning VS Traditional Classes
If you are reading this, it is possible that you are toying with the idea of committing to an online short course. Perhaps you feel that you may not have enough experience with this method of acquiring a skill. Perhaps the idea of receiving an education from a digital platform is unfamiliar to you. Despite this, there are amazing benefits to learning outside the classroom.
Traditional learning involves a teacher communicating with and giving instruction to students in a brick-and-cement facility. These students come together in physical classrooms or lecture rooms during a set timeframe to learn specific topics. It also has features such as:
- Face-to-face: This makes it easier to pick up on nuances that would not be detectable online.
- Good routine: Following a schedule.
- Teaches social skills: Traditional classes allow you to meet people from different backgrounds. This makes way for social opportunities that are not available online.
Online learning is exactly that: the students’ or participants’ learning takes place on an online platform. The convener will upload information or course content on the learning software and students will engage with it from a digital perspective.
Online short courses, as opposed to the traditional method of learning, has their advantages:
- Curation: Online learning offers robust libraries of content, organised in a manner that will make it easier for the participant to find what they are looking for.
- Flexible schedule & environment: With online studying, you are able to choose and customise your learning environment to what works best for you.
Greater choice of course topics: Online learning is for your own convenience. This means that you no longer have to worry about class location dictating what you will learn next. Online short courses focus on your topics of interest while offering a wide variety of courses or programs from which to choose.
