Learning is not something that one can do overnight. Especially when it comes to developing new skills, the process of learning takes time, patience, and dedicated effort. Some people may find it overwhelming, given the complexity involved in today’s digital skills and lack of time to spend on upskilling. Fortunately, you can follow a good strategy to keep putting effort and maintain consistency in your studies by enrolling in online training programs. Once you complete such a course, you will get the desired results.
Traditionally, we could never imagine getting educated without going to a school or college. Fast forward to today, your learning is not limited to brick-and-mortar classrooms but has expanded globally, thanks to online learning portals. Sitting at your home, you can learn from the experts of a foreign university and gain the right skills for your career. Using the power of the internet and advancing technologies, physical classroom training is replicated in virtual classes via video conferencing. There are top-notch e-learning platforms that allow students to join a live virtual class mentored by an expert instructor and learn a subject.
Whether you are looking for K-12 education or professional training, you will find the appropriate online course for each and every subject. You can rely on an online Bootcamp whether you want to learn artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital marketing, data science, software development, project management, cybersecurity, cloud computing, or any other skill for that matter.
If you haven’t taken an online course before and want to weigh the pros and cons first, then this article is for you. We have listed some of the top reasons why online courses are your time and effort and how they are, in fact, helpful for your career.
Are Online Courses Worth it?
Indeed! Online courses are reliable and help you gain job-ready skills. Only the catch here is you have to find a reliable training provider. If you are caught in an ed-tech platform that only claims to deliver high-quality content but gives you a poor learning experience, then you will simply waste your time and money. When we researched for trustworthy e-learning platforms, we came across these names – Simplilearn, Udacity, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Codecademy. These training providers are reputed, and a certificate from them is recognized across companies.
Here’s why you will find online courses quite helpful.
Cutting-edge curriculum
A syllabus is one of the major factors you would consider before enrolling in a training program. When you look at the curriculum, you will come to know that online courses cover the most up-to-date information on a given subject. For example, if there is a new version of Python programming language released, then online courses would be fast to accommodate it. The same happens later in a book or physical classroom training. You will also become aware of the latest trends and best practices of the field that you are studying.
Learn from world-class instructors
Your physical classroom training is limited to the knowledge of your local trainer. However, through an online course, you will learn from an industry expert who is highly qualified and has rich domain experience. In fact, if a course is designed in partnership with a university, you will be taught directly through its faculty. For example, Simplilearn’s PG Program in Cloud Computing is designed in collaboration with Caltech CTME and offers masterclasses by experienced CTME instructors.
Gain practical knowledge
Physical Classroom training often focuses more on theoretical knowledge and doesn’t include practical sessions. Online courses, on the other hand, let you work on industry projects, case studies, graded assignments, and capstone projects, all of which will help you apply the skills developed during the course. Moreover, you are given access to virtual labs where you can do your project work. Such projects are also reviewed by subject matter experts and help learners gain the right feedback to improve themselves.
Career assistance
Though career assistance is not the core offering of any training course, many learners want this service as well. Physical classroom training hardly promises you any career guidance apart from the learning phase. However, reputed training providers also offer services like resume preparation, GitHub portfolio review, access to career fairs, interview preparation tips, mock tests, and how to get noticed by top employers. Such services attract learners as they take them a step closer to their dream job.
Learning support
Unlike physical classroom training, where a concept is explained only once, online courses involve recorded videos of the sessions conducted by the mentors. You can watch them any time for your future reference and understand the topic better. Moreover, some training providers offer round-the-clock learning support where you can chat with the mentors and get your doubts resolved. There are support forums as well where you can discuss your ideas with like-minded people.
Looking at all the benefits mentioned above, you may conclude that online courses are indeed helpful and can impart your valuable skills and knowledge. By enrolling in a reliable training course, you will not only upskill yourself but become ready for your dream job.