An Introduction to Acquiring Skills Online
Are you skeptical about acquiring skills online? Are you interested to know how to take advantage of this online certifications trend? You are in the right place!
Although online learning has been practiced for decades, it is now the newest form of distance education. Covid 19 pandemic has turned the professional and personal world upside down, due to which online learning has paved the way for convenient and flexible education. People are taking advantage of it by acquiring skills online in the recorded number to help change their jobs, advance their careers and achieve personal goals.
The global e-learning market has seen massive annual growth even before the pandemic. The e-learning market is developing at an annual growth rate of 16% globally and is expected to reach $147.79 billion before 2025. As per statistics, more than 100 million students have enrolled in online courses worldwide. It is no surprise that this number will grow at a high rate in the future as online skills education reap a lot of unique benefits to learners. Regardless of where you are, you can take advantage of courses based on your interests that might have been inaccessible to you otherwise.
What do online courses Offer?
Online platforms provide a lot of hard and soft skills training with hands-on projects at the end of the course. The categories of the skills vary from platform to platform, but the basic model is the same everywhere. Some platforms offer university-affiliated skills training so that you know field experts are teaching you. The courses range from a few hours to a weekly commitment over several months. They often include video lectures, reading texts, and periodical assessments to measure your knowledge and grasp of the syllabus. Enrollment in the courses is free, but you must pay for the certificate proving that you have successfully finished the course.
How do I Select the Course?
Whether you are new to online skills training or have previously acquired it, there are always some tips and tricks to select the courses.
- Do not sign up for the course because it involves some prestigious instructors or is affiliated with a recognized university. Branding does not guarantee the quality of the content.
- Always look for user reviews (if the platform offers). You can indeed measure other learners’ satisfaction and enjoyment with the course.
- Some platforms offer a trial period before payment. In the first hour, you can mostly tell the quality content and engagement level. There is no need to continue on the disengaging path, and you can cancel it anytime.
- Pick a course of the right difficulty if you want to get the flow with the course. It should be anything outside your comfort zone that can keep your mind occupied. This way, your deep concentration will be worth it.
- If you want professional development with the certification, then you might check if your employer recognizes the accreditation of your chosen platform. Also, check the course description, which includes statistics from learners about professional benefits right from their experience.
What do I do after completing the course?
For starters, this may be the start of their online skills training which can groom their personality with much more confidence to learn more and motivation to take it further. For some of you, completing one course might be enough, but those who are enthusiastic about learning more will explore more skills courses. But whatever your goals are, online skill training is the perfect distraction from self-isolation in the era of a pandemic. You can maximize your networking, connect with new professionals and transform this period of distress into a time of self-development.
