5 ways how online certification courses work as a catalyst in the professional growth of students
Online learning is arguably one of the greatest revolutions of the 21st century. Unlike the chalk and board method, online certificate courses are cost-effective, accessible and save a lot of time. Additionally, they allow you to hone your existing skills, and gain new skills for professional success.
Online certification programs deliver a brilliant return of investment, both in terms of resources and time. While a college may take three to five years for completion of a course, online certification programs run no longer than a few weeks to 6 months, depending on the course.
Contrary to traditional courses, e-learning focuses on skill sets than achieving a degree. It helps students learn industry-related skills by involving them in projects to get hands-on experience of what they are learning. In addition, online certification courses teach soft skills, such as effective communication, collaboration, teamwork, creativity, empathy and more for overall personality development.
Let’s look at some of the ways online certification course aids professional growth:
- Develops soft and hard skills
Hard skills are essentially technical skills such as web development, Java, digital marketing etc. which is essential to specific job profiles. Depending on the field of study, online certification courses allows you to gain these skills which might be really important for the career opportunity you want to pursue.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are non-technical skills that support your hard skills, and help you build positive relationships in an organization. Employers are always on the hunt for people who demonstrate soft skills such as integrity, creativity, grit, perseverance, empathy, effective communication, teamwork and a lot more.
Online certification courses specifically focus on soft skill development so that you learn the extra skills which you might not ordinarily learn in traditional teaching.
- Management of time
E-learning does not involve a fixed time schedule which leaves you at the mercy of managing your own time, and staying consistent with your schedule. Unlike schools, where there is a mentor who pushes you to achieve better, eLearning leaves you to fend for yourself, and take ownership of your time and goals. Students who value their investment take the course seriously, and try to receive as much as they can from it.
Therefore, online training not only provides important skill set but other important qualities such as time management, multitasking, being dedicated and punctual among many others. Other than technical skill sets, these skills are very important to remain a good employee.
- Networking
Traditional education doesn’t emphasize on the importance of networking, but in the real world, it matters more than anything else. Through online courses, you get to meet a diverse network of people – from students to professionals which might help incubate your career. Meeting a fellow educational professional or a student might help in fostering a sense of community and development of new approaches to learning.
- Interpersonal skills
The online training modules provide various resources to improve upon interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are said to be strongly associated with emotional intelligence. Employers often seek people with strong interpersonal skills to achieve better company-wide results. They actively look for people who can collaborate better, communicate effectively and display the work ethic and commitment whenever required. Online certification courses focus on them specifically along with theoretical knowledge for comprehensive personal growth.
- Puts the theory in practice
Most of the online certification course feature assignments, code challenges and quizzes that tests you every step of the way. It’s important to have a practical understanding of what you’re learning, so that you’re able to perform it on the job. To sharpen your practical knowledge, online courses include industrial visits and other related projects to assess what you’ve learned in theory.
E-learning ensures that you not only go through audio-visual lectures but implement what you’ve learned in day-to-day life. The learning helps you sharpen your practical skills, and prepares you for a professional environment ahead which is inevitable to face.
- Higher earning potential
Online certification programs add a badge of achievement to your resume which opens the door for higher earning potential for people seeking employment. A certificate in a specific domain from a reputed institution adds weight to the resume, and considered an equivalent to a traditional college degree. Thus, without investing much – time and resources, you’re able to receive knowledge, and at the same time, get paid higher than your counterparts for the skills you’ve learnt.
upGrad offers many online certification courses that help you gain these skills. Some of the courses are listed below:
- PG certification in Digital Marketing and Communication
- Product Management certificate program
- MBA (Executive), Specialisation in business analytics
- PG program in management
- Digital Marketing Career Launcher program
Conclusion
With its never-ending benefits, eLearning is slowly taking over traditional formats of education, and would soon take over completely. Getting enrolled in such training would help to accelerate your professional growth, help develop soft skills, and polish your technical skills to land the job that you exactly want.