How to Build or Advance Your Career with Online Learning

It is a fast-moving world we are living in; innovations change our lives. They impact on how we work and hire, and also, introduce us to new technologies or applications to work with. In this era of the internet, information is abundant. If you have the time and a will to learn, it is easier than ever to educate yourself from the comfort of your home. Let's discuss some online learning platforms that are geared towards professionals, not only to help advance their existing skills, but to learn new ones. Let’s dive in.
 

Skillshare

Skillshare is one of the prominent websites where you can learn from an enormous collection of over 27 000 classes. The classes are divided into three categories:

• Thrive (Lifestyle, Productivity) 
• Build (Business Analytics, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Management, Marketing)
• Create (Animation, Film & Video, Graphic Design, Music, Creative Writing, Photography, Web Development, and more)

Skillshare focuses on project-based learning. Most of the Skillshare courses are divided into two parts: first, a video presentation (30-60 minutes), and then a class project.

Certificates: Though Skillshare courses are excellent, they provide no certificates. If you have a premium membership, you can join live sessions and workshops where teachers will participate in the conversation.

Pricing: There is a free version that gives you access to 2 000 classes, however, to unlock all the classes, you need a premium membership which costs $32/month. Skillshare offers a 30-day free trial.

Website: www.skillshare.com

Coursera

With a massive library consisting of 4 300+ courses, the online learning platform Coursera provides degree-level courses with accreditation. Teachers for the courses come from prestigious companies and universities, including Stanford, Yale, and Princeton. 

Each course can take from 4 to 6 weeks, however, you can complete it faster. There are classes offered in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, French, German, Korean, Vietnamese, and more. Arts & Humanities, Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Technology, Health, Math and Logic, and Personal Development are some of the course themes. The subjects are taught in courses including business, computer science, data science, information technology, health, math and logic, and personal development. 

Certificates: If you want to start a new job or improve your performance, you can enroll in one of the Professional Certificates programs. Professional Certificates are a collection of courses; however, the Certificate of Completion will be given out by the organization (University, or company) that created the course. 

Lastly, in Coursera, online degree programs, like bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees, are offered by renowned, authorized colleges and universities. The biggest benefit of earning your degree online is that it is far less expensive than programs offered on campus. Plus, you can finish your degree quicker by studying at your own pace.

Pricing: There are different kinds of membership offered by Coursera. Feel free to check here. They offer a 7-day free trial after the subscription. 

Website: www.coursera.org

Udemy

Another well-known online learning platform is Udemy, which aspires to transform and democratize the educational system. It is the greatest when it comes to content because it has a large library with more than 150 000 courses. You may increase your knowledge and abilities in any possible subject with Udemy.

The 13 areas that makeup Udemy's course catalog are Business, Marketing, IT & Software, Office Productivity, Music, Personal Development, Teaching & Academics, Design, Lifestyle, Photography, Health & Fitness. The levels instruction available for the courses are: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The fact that classes are offered in additional languages besides English, such as Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, German, and Spanish, is something I appreciate.

Although Udemy is not an accredited institution, completing a paid course will provide you with a certificate of completion. Each Udemy course comprises video instructions; the average course length is 5 hours, while some are just 30 minutes long. In addition, certain courses may also include assignments, quizzes, practice exams, coding exercises, and other extra materials. Any course on Udemy may be downloaded and viewed whenever you want.

Pricing: Udemy doesn't provide unlimited membership plans as Skillshare does; instead, you must pay for each course separately, which is clearly a disadvantage. The cost of the courses is affordable, nevertheless, starting at just $9. Additionally, you have 30 days to request a refund if you are dissatisfied with a course you have purchased. Sadly, Udemy offers no free trials.

Website: www.udemy.com

MasterClass 

Everyone is buzzing about the online education portal called MasterClass. The fact that well-known specialists and celebrities are instructing the courses sets it apart from other courses. You may pick up acting lessons from Natalie Portman, filmmaking lessons from Martin Scorsese, singing lessons from Christina Aguilera, cooking lessons from Gordon Ramsay, writing lessons from Dan Brown, etc. 

For creatives interested in personal growth and looking for inspiration from the top experts in the area, MasterClass is an excellent resource. The classes are divided into nine categories: Film & TV, Culinary Arts, Writing, Music & Entertainment, Sports & Games, Business, Photography & Fashion, Business, Politics & Society, Lifestyle, and Science & Technology. Each lesson in a course typically lasts 10 minutes and has an average of 20 lessons. Workbooks, homework, and community service projects are all included in the classes. To ask questions, receive comments, and interact with other students, you may also participate in conversations. Since there are no due dates, you can study at your own speed. A smartphone app may be used to download all the videos for offline watching. However, there is no completion certificates provided from MasterClass.

Pricing: You have unlimited access to all classes for $15 per month. No free trials are offered by MasterClass.

Website: www.masterclass.com

Udacity

When it comes to online education and learning, Udacity embodies innovation. Your prospects of finding employment after completing one of Udacity's Nanodegree programs increase dramatically. Although Udacity is not an accredited university, the skills they teach are modern, in demand, and actively sought after by companies. Business executives who need to quickly learn about difficult ideas like artificial intelligence and execute them in their organizations can also enroll in executive programs at Udacity.

Pricing: Udacity is expensive when compared to other online learning platforms. A Nanodegree program typically costs between $1 200 to $2 400. If you pay several months in advance, you can save money. Executive programs are priced at about $1 500 per month, and they come with project assessments from leading business executives, technical mentor assistance, a personal career counselor, and a learning plan that lets you proceed at your own speed.

Website: www.udacity.com

Conclusion

The best tip for starting off is to just pick a course on any platform and start learning, gradually figuring out which platform are you comfortable with. Another friendly piece of advice will be taking notes on whatever course you learn from, it may help you to find information quickly when you need it. You have all of our best wishes, happy learning.