Upskilling is an important part of Professional Growth. Unless you upskill and upgrade, you may find yourself obsolete in a profession that you think you are good at. If that is not reason enough, upskilling brings you close to like minded people who may share common career aspirations thereby allowing you to network and know where you stand.
Without being too tough on oneself, it is safe to say that upskilling is an absolute necessity. In the times of the pandemic, when you find yourself being able to manage some free time, it should be one of your goals to know more about your area of work.
The internet is full of online courses, webinars and classes that promise to deliver the best and that adds to the confusion of picking the right course. Here are five tips for you to chose the right course for you.
Check what You want
It is essential to understand that you should upgrade. However, upgrading with any course with no value would not be the wisest thing to do. Read and get informed about the kind of courses that will add value to your profile. Do a comparison analysis and we suggest an excel sheet with all information so that you can make the right decision. Knowing exactly how a course can help is the most important aspect of choosing your course.
Accreditation, Faculty and Certification
Whilst value of the course to your profile remains the utmost factor, check for the kind of faculty who will be running the course. Check the construct of the course and see if it has an accreditation to any apex body. For eg, if you are in HR and want to pursue Coaching, it is a good idea to look for courses that are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Always opt for a course that gives you a certificate at the end of the course.
Budget
A very important aspect would of course be the course cost and your budget to fulfil the same. The best way is to have a comparative analysis to check why a so called premier course is pegged at a certain cost. Is it because of the faculty or an opportunity that is unique to the course or for the uniqueness of the course.
Growth Path after the Course
Studying or Learning never goes waste. Having said that when there is investment in the form of money and time, it is always good to know how the course will add value for your career progression. Is this a course that will propel you to a path where your newly acquired skills will be important? Or is it a course that gives you more insight on your already existing skills.
Networking opportunity.
Pick a course which is run interactively. Classroom teaching is passé and not interesting any more. A course that is conducted with higher interactions, more research and activities leads to being visible amongst the peer group. These are networking opportunities at a professional level opening up doors for interactions with people from backgrounds different from yours.
Undergoing an apt course has become slightly difficult than before as online education and learning has suddenly catapulted. Finding a differential in the course of your choice is based completely on your specific need, the research you carry out and the value it will add to your professional growth. Choose well! Choose wisely!