If the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that there are more things to do online that you could have ever imagined. This ranges from shopping to gambling, and even to learning. Many people opted to use their time on lockdown to learn new skills or hone existing ones.
Now that the regulations are being loosened, they are free to apply for their dream job or start a business using what they learned during the long months they were forced to spend at home.
Adding new skills or improving on those you already have can make your career goals a reality. The advantage of taking e-learning classes is that you get to attend class when it suits you, even if that is at 4 am while the rest of the household is fast asleep. You can also adjust the pace of learning, which helps people with full schedules and multiple commitments.
Online courses also offer a multimedia approach, which suits more learners than the ‘chalk and talk’ methodology applied in conventional classroom learning environments. This means they complement more learning styles, making them versatile enough to cater to different learners’ needs.
These days, there are so many available online courses that it is hard to choose which one suits you best. However, if you are looking to gain some skills in hot demand in the job market, here are five you should consider:
Look to the future…
With constant advances in how we do things, it is little wonder that there is a massive demand for people who have the know-how to do the behind-the-scenes work that makes our daily lives so much easier.
Think about the apps you use most frequently and imagine that you could be the developer of one yourself. You will need coding skills for this, and such courses are abundant online for beginners and experts alike.
Chatbot technology is becoming an increasingly vital part of how companies interact with customers and suppliers. They relieve pressure from human employees by dealing with routine questions or routing inquiries to the relevant department.
However, if you have had a negative chatbot experience, you will know that there is still much to be learned about making chatbots more effective. This is the type of artificial intelligence (AI) learning you could do online.
The types of skills that technology-based courses offer lend themselves to finding a new job or starting a side hustle freelancing in your spare time. Either way, you will have a little extra spending money on hand at the end of every month.
A picture says a thousand words…
There is an increased demand for graphic designers because they work on websites, and there are few businesses around today that do not have a site. Graphic design work entails learning about different software and how to use it to maximum effect.
Photography was forever altered by the digital revolution, although knowing how to use it to best effect is a skill few amateur photographers have. As many companies require professional photographs for products on their websites and social media pages, there is a growing demand in this field.
Photography is a practical skill, best learned through doing, and many online courses take this view in how they present content and set out assignments. If you have a flair for the arts and want to combine it with a technological approach, this is the ideal field for upgrading your skills with e-learning.
Say what you mean…
Another useful skill you can learn online is a new language. Either it will be a case of starting from scratch or building on a rudimentary language you might have some knowledge of.
Either way, language e-learning courses are designed to help learners acquire new language skills, whether for conversational skills or to become a skilled interpreter or translator.
With a new language under your belt, it could be the best time to go overseas searching for work, once travel restrictions are lifted. This could offer you an entirely new world of opportunities. However, you will need to be patient with yourself. Learning a new language can be time-consuming, depending on what level of literacy you intend to achieve.
Put pen to paper
Perhaps you have been harboring a story inside your head for many years that needs to be told. Alternatively, writing blogs as a freelancer or becoming a ghostwriter could be your calling. Whatever your writing ambitions might be, there are e-learning opportunities that will help.
Any author will tell you that they honed their skills through practice, precisely what online writing courses provide. They can also help people who need to brush up on their English skills, whether they are first or second language speakers. The English language is a tough one to master as it is so complicated, so a little help in this department will never go amiss.
Sold to the highest bidder…
Business owners have realized that there is no denying the value of social media regarding marketing their goods and services. Digital marketing is a growing industry, and it is here to stay. Because few companies can afford to hire a full-time digital marketer, they rely on freelancers.
Digital marketing requires optimizing websites and social media pages to create an online presence and raise awareness of the company and its products.
Understanding social media and combining its technical aspects with written skills that will entice customers is vital for building an increased customer database and sales, and it is a combination of both art and science.
This entails using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques to create online visibility in search engine results pages and on social media while producing content that human readers find relevant and meaningful.
