When I was in college, I couldn’t wait to start earning. And that’s almost every girl ever, am I right? But, there’s a reason why the options for college freshers, in terms of job opportunities, aren’t as many as they would be for someone with relevant experience, as well as qualifications. This was something I realised only later when I entered the professional world. I became aware of the skill set I actually required to get ahead in my career. However, situations did not allow me to take a break from work to acquire these skills. So, I decided to take relevant short courses over a period of time that added to my CV that gave me an edge over my colleagues; all this, without compromising on a work-life balance. Wondering how you can do the same? Here are a few places and ideas that can help you get a head start on continuing to educate yourself whilst working at your career, at the same time.
1. StartUp India Initiative
If you want to start something of your own but don’t know where to begin and who to talk to, you should make good use of this initiative by the Indian government. This is a four-week online program where industry professionals prepare you to set up your own venture – right from getting the big idea out to attract the right people to invest in it.
Learn more about this program here.
2. Personality Development Courses
Many people feel that they lack confidence and charisma at work and miss out on opportunities due to it. Instead of despairing and envying your colleagues, wouldn’t you rather take help from the experts to bring out the best in you? Finishing schools and other institutes offer short-term personality development courses that groom a person for professional life and help them achieve more through better communication and presentation.
Pria Warrick Finishing Academy is one such institute. Know more about its courses here.
Our generation raves about this self-help book “How To Win Friends and Influence People” (Rs. 113). Give it a read and know just why!
3. Complete Your Formal Education Through IGNOU
Some of us drop out of higher education for exciting work opportunities and only realise the importance of a formal degree, later in our careers. If you weren’t able to complete your higher levels of education for whatever reasons and however long ago, you can do so now, in whichever course you like, from IGNOU. Keeping the hectic work schedule of professionals in mind, it maintains a flexible timetable for classes and exams that help the aspirants gain formal degrees without difficulty.
Know about all the many courses IGNOU has to offer here.
4. Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) By IIM, Bangalore.
The government of India has directed India’s pioneer institute of management to provide short term online courses and MicroMasters programs on topics ranging from core management subjects to advanced and specialized offerings. Students can even get certified for a small fee.
Take your career one step ahead, with an IIM certification backing you up. Know more about MOOC here.
5. Get A Grip On MS Office
It’s not the same as what your teacher taught you in school. There are so many ways in which MS office can cut down on the time taken to complete clerical work and manage daily functions. Improve your productivity at work with a crash course on MS Office. Trust us, it’ll help you like nothing else can.
Make good use of this software with Go Skills and Webucator.
We recommend you only use original software and keep away from pirated ones. Buy MS office (Rs 3,159) or try it out for free, for a month.
5. Enhance Your Digital skills
The world has shifted from print and electronic to digital and you need to keep up with the change in order to stay relevant. From social media management to digital marketing – there is a plethora of options out there to upgrade yourself with.
Find excellent courses on digital skills on platforms such as Digigyan, Simplilearn, and Talent Edge.
6. Train Yourself In Soft Skills
You may have the practical and analytical skills required to do your job. But, those aren’t enough to help you climb higher up the corporate ladder if you aren’t able to communicate with your seniors and co-workers efficiently. Soft skills and leadership skills are essential tools to be present in your professional armour.
You can develop soft skills with SkillDom and Skill Soft.
7. Learn How To Study Data
Every website uses cookies, asks for your personal details and tries to understand your preferences, your lifestyle and your budget. This consumer data is crucial for companies as it helps them design products and services that will fill the demand in the market. Knowledge is power and in the corporate world, knowing your consumer can make you the most powerful. So, now is as good as any time to start studying consumer data; especially if you plan to have an online business of your own some day.
Learn Data analytics with UpGrad and edX.
Maintaining a planner at work and writing all your tasks down is always a good idea. Start today with this daily planner (Rs. 489)
8. Quality And Project Management
There are certain techniques that project heads need to apply so that the given work is done within the deadlines and in the best possible manner for maximum productivity. To better fulfil the role of a leader, it is essential that everyone, irrespective of which industry they’re in, learns quality and project management skills.
Simplilearn and Qualitygurus run online classes on this.
GIFs: Giphy
