By Veronika Earlier, people used to debate regarding how valuable online training programs are and if they can improve the career prospects of an employee or not. Today, however, many have switched to online training programs; and one of the major reasons for this growing trend is the COVID-19 pandemic. These unprecedented times have compelled the business leaders to rethink their strategies and come up with innovative solutions to transform their offline operations online. As such, the demand for professionals having digital skills increased, and many sought online training programs to learn these skills in a short time.
E-learning has already been a popular mode of learning among professionals and online courses were taken to prepare for industry-recognized certifications. Some of the preferred training programs were PMP training, TOGAF course, AWS certification training, and so on. Navigating through job portals like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Naukri, you would come to know that companies are looking for digital skills so as to hire professionals in areas like digital marketing, data science, cloud computing, virtual reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
If you are just starting your career or looking for a switch, online courses can help you develop all the necessary skills. They offer so many benefits that you wouldn’t think twice before enrolling in one of them. This article discusses the top ten reasons to opt for job-oriented training programs.
So, let’s dive in!
Ten Reasons Why You Should Enroll in Online Courses
Below mentioned reasons are dedicated to professionals and students alike. Go through them to make a wise step for your career.
1.Demonstrates your skills
Employers consider online courses and certifications to understand that the candidates are serious about the role they are applying for and prefer them over non-certified candidates. So, your chances of getting hired increase and you get to stay ahead of the competition. Even during interviews, you can explain what industry-oriented projects you worked on and show that you are capable of working in a given role.
2.Your salary isn’t stagnant anymore
Professionals at mid-level of experience often go through a time in their job where their salary doesn’t increase much annually. At this time, they can go through an online course to gain new skills and show your organization that you are upgrading yourself. This step can help give you that pay raise you demand.
3.Change your career domain
Many professionals are not happy working in the domain they choose first. Over time, the work may seem monotonous or may not remain relevant in the future. Taking online training programs help individuals learn new skills and get comfortable with the new domain. While switching, as they do not have experience in the new field, a certification is considered by employers to know that an individual will be the right fit for the job. In fact, many training providers also offer job assistance programs to grow their networking opportunities and face interviews.
4.Online courses are different from academic courses
One of the major reasons why professionals prefer online courses is because they easily fit into their already occupied schedule. In contrast to the academic courses, they need not spend an entire year studying, go to any physical location to attend classes, or take a break from their job. Online course material is often divided into short video modules and can be followed at a convenient pace. All they need to attend classes is a computer with a stable internet connection.
5.The instructors have years of industry experience
Your education is not limited to the locally available trainers who may not be experienced enough. E-learning gives you a chance to learn from world-class trainers with the comfort of sitting at home. Whatever field you are interested in, the online courses are mentored by highly-qualified instructors who know the industry best practices and what skills employers actually seek in a particular role.
6.Online courses are often budget-friendly
Compared to academic courses, online training programs are more cost-effective. Even students, who are hesitant to spend some extra bucks learning outside their graduation curriculum, have the option of taking Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by renowned universities. It is, however, recommended to go for paid online courses as it has been observed that MOOCs have a lower course completion rate comparatively.
7.Connect with like-minded people
Online classes are attended by professionals across the world. So, if you don’t have any prior experience in the new field, you will get an opportunity to interact with your online classmates and participate in discussion programs to understand how they started off. It also allows you to grow your networking opportunities, improve your communication skills, and you may end up interacting with someone who can help you in your new job hunt.
8.More control over what you learn
Academic courses have a vast syllabus and not the entire content might be useful in your job. Online training providers offer separate courses based on different in-demand skills. For example, if you wish to learn data science, you don’t have to learn both Python and R, any one can be learned based on what your organization uses. So, you’ll find separate courses on data science with python and data science with R, and you’ll end up learning only what is required for your project.
9.Helps in filling the widening skills gap
Technological advancements are happening at a fast pace but university programs aren’t able to upgrade their curriculum and offer graduates all the in-demand skills required for an entry-level job. Online courses, on the other hand, know the company requirements and upgrade their study materials frequently to incorporate any technological changes and train the learners accordingly to be prepared for the job.
10. Helps you prepare for industry-recognized certification exams
There are many certifications acknowledged globally like PMP, TOGAF, ITIL 4 Foundation, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt which are quite beneficial for a professional’s career. However, their associated exams are often difficult to pass through self-study. Training providers also offer courses related to these certifications and train you to pass the exams in a single try.
We are living in a digital world, and those who develop in-demand skills would only survive in the dynamic job market. The time is ripe to enroll in a reliable training course today and reap its benefits in the long run.
james