Five Fun and Interesting Ways to Learn New Work Skills Online
With technology and society evolving as rapidly as it is today, the need for new job skills is now larger than ever. From robotics to office management, there is no industry where the impacts of a changing world can’t be felt. For so many in the situation of seeking employment in this market, having as many valuable job skills as possible ensures you are a marketable commodity when attempting to woo prospective employers.
The same technology that is driving these changes is also making it easier than ever to acquire new work skills. In order to guide you toward a more prosperous and efficient future, let’s look at five fun and interesting ways that you can learn new work skills from the privacy of your home.
Udemy
One of the most popular open-source educational platforms on the web, Udemy has made it easy for anybody to acquire new skills for work and beyond. Whether you’re wanting to learn more about interior design or need to learn a new programming language, there is a good chance that you’ll find classes on Udemy that supply these valuable lessons.
The platform offers opportunities for both instructors and students alike, meaning that you can just as easily teach a course through the website as you can learn something new. Because the platform requires minimal overhead and maintenance – along with the competitive nature of it – you’ll be able to snag expert training sessions for a mere fraction of the price you’d pay in a more traditional setting (many courses on Udemy cost as little as $15).
With lifetime access to the platform with any purchase and mobile accessibility, you’ll literally be able to learn anytime, anywhere. The fun and easy method by which people learn through Udemy makes it one of the most appealing outlets for work skill training.
In-House Classrooms
Many businesses and brands are proactive in teaching their employees new skill-sets. You may even work for a business where workers are incentivized to pursue additional training with a combination of better pay, select perks and preference in job promotions.
Many of these businesses offer online, in-house training sessions via virtual classrooms that help employees learn new skill-sets while they’re on the job. Rather than spending your free time at home pursuing these endeavors, you can instead focus on acquiring more training while at work. Through solutions like WizIQ, businesses can host on-the-job training sessions that can be used in real time or after the fact via recorded sessions.
It is worth asking your human resources department or manager about whether these training opportunities exist. If so, then you may be able to invest in your knowledge base while simultaneously getting paid to learn new tasks that’ll make you a stronger job candidate for future opportunities.
YouTube
The internet has made access to information absolutely paramount in today’s society. While people were once willing to pay big bucks for even the most basic training sessions, the flow of information and the competitive nature of the internet has made it easy to learn even more advanced subjects without paying a dime. One of the biggest culprits behind this shift is YouTube.
The world’s premier video platform for more than a decade, YouTube offers videos covering just about any topic or event you can imagine. One of the most popular types of videos on the platform is tutorials and how-tos, making it easier than ever for people to acquire new skill sets and learn more about various topics.
A simple search along the lines of “how to [topic/skill]” will likely yield dozens, hundreds or even thousands of helpful videos that walk you through the basics: you’ll even find videos on how to make YouTube videos! For people seeking to acquire new skill-sets that can be used in the workforce, YouTube is one of the most powerful solutions available. Because it’s free, it is also one of the most popular.
Online Internships
The most marketable form of work skills is that which involves direct experience with the industry or skill-set. Because of this, an increasing number of people are seeking out opportunities as apprentices or interns with one or more companies via the internet.
Internships are usually unpaid opportunities that provide critical experience and on-the-job training, meaning that you’ll be able to not only get a feel of things in a direct sense, but you’ll also be able to leverage that into future employment. With more businesses than ever seeking recruits who have prior experience in their specific fields, online internships make it possible for you to get your foot in the door more easily.
While online classrooms and video tutorials can help you get a feel for things in a given industry or skill, direct experience is often the most crucial form of job training. You’ll have the chance to see if you really want to pursue more training in a particular field, with first-hand experience that can be both fun and interesting.
Online College
If you want to pursue a new skill-set for either a current or future career, then you may decide to pursue formal education through a college or university. Thankfully, most institutions now offer online instruction and education in lieu of attending a physical campus.
While certainly the most expensive option on this list, online college through an accredited university provides just as much of an experience at mastering a new skill as attending physical classes. You’ll gain all of the information necessary in order to pursue a new job or promotion, but you’ll be able to pursue this training on your own time and terms.
We now live in a world where we can do, learn and experience virtually anything through the power of the internet. With respect to job and skill training, it is now easier than ever to acquire knowledge and experience for future opportunities. Through these fun and interesting methods, you’ll never stop loving to learn and will be able to master any skill-set from home, work or on-the-go.