How Online Courses Can Boost Your Career Growth

One of the less well discussed of the effects of AI and automation is that the skill demands placed on employees are changing faster than ever. In other words, AI isn’t just eliminating jobs, it’s forcing a radical rethink of the skills people need to have in order to perform at work.  It’s no longer enough to be good at what you do to stay competitive; now, you need to also demonstrate that you’re willing to continuously work on yourself and acquire new skills.  Hey ho…

Anyway, one of the best ways you can do that is to attend online courses, which are gaining increasing popularity in the past few years.



So, in this ZandaX article, we’ll take a good look at why that’s the case, what skills you may need to develop, and how you can showcase them to your potential employers.

Why Online Courses Are Becoming Essential for Career Growth

Well, it’s because they offer benefits that in-person courses and traditional degrees don’t. More specifically, they give you greater control over what you want to study because they give you flexibility in organizing your schedule.  In other words, you’re not tied to a specific time slot in the way you would be with a classroom course, so you don’t have conflicts with your work hours. You can simply study after work without compromising your current career.

What’s more, online courses are much less expensive than traditional methods, which may come with high fees – and textbook costs, too. Yet, the value is still there; these courses often provide industry-specific training and prepare you for actual, practical application of what you learn.

But why should you even improve your skills in the first place? Well, according to a Future of Jobs report, 63% of respondents consider skill gaps to be the biggest barrier to business transformation, and 85% of employers prioritize upskilling their employees.

Obviously, employers want highly skilled workers who continually improve themselves. And having a certificate from an online course proves that you belong in this category.

Key Skills You Can Develop Through Online Courses

You can develop a range of skills with online courses; there are hundreds of available options for both types out there. (Take a look at the ZandaX Course Finder to see what we offer.)

Now let’s take a look at a few of those most in-demand.

Soft Skills

First, let’s quickly review some of the most valuable non-industry-specific skills:

• Leadership. Employers want to hire someone who takes initiative and knows how to motivate, inspire, and direct others, especially where managerial positions are concerned.
• Communication. Communication is relevant no matter what field you work in! Whatever your area of expertise – and your level – you need to be able to interact with others. And the better communicator you are, the smoother (and more productive) your experience at work.
• Public speaking. Public speaking is a surprisingly popular online course, because many people need to give presentations and reports, and the required skills – although they are relatively easy to acquire – don’t come naturally to many people.

Hard Skills

Here are a few hard skills that might make you more employable if you have them in your arsenal:

• Digital marketing. Digital marketing includes many disciplines, like SEO, social media advertising, and copywriting. All these are very useful if you’re searching for a job in this field, and they are all in high demand.
• Project management. Project managers are also highly employable, as practically every company needs a person to plan projects, execute tasks, manage resources, and manage time scales.
• Programming. Knowing how to code and develop software or apps opens lots of doors, so it’s hardly surprising that these skills are in such high demand. Once you’ve picked your area and languages, you’ll find there are lots of courses available.

How Online Courses Can Help Your Career Advancement

When it comes to career advancement, online courses will accelerate your progress by giving you an edge over other candidates. Simply including them in your resume shows potential employers both that you possess particular skills and that you’re willing to keep working on yourself.  This last point is especially important because nowadays, the demands of pretty well any industry or market change very quickly. As we all know too well, with the meteoric rise of AI and other changes in technology, many of the skills valued even just a year or two ago no longer have the same importance.

In fact, an IBM study shows that more than 120 million workers from the largest economies will likely need to be retrained to keep up with current demands. What’s more, the half-life of skills continues to shrink, so both companies and employees must find a way to stay relevant as time moves on.

Showcasing Your New Skills to Employers

But having built the necessary skills isn’t enough!  You now need to showcase them to employers to convince them that you’re the right person for the job.

Clearly the best – and simplest – way to do this is by including your online course certifications in your resume, in a dedicated section. This is very easy to do: simply list all the certificates you have, along with the names of the organizations that provided them, and their dates. If you need help with this part, it’s great to have a resource like a good resume builder at your disposal.

And don’t forget (because many people do…) to add your certificates and related skills to your profile on LinkedIn as well as any job sites you use. Most employers will check online profiles when selecting their candidates, so it’s important to keep them updated with your latest information.



Lastly, if you want to increase your chances further, think about building a portfolio that showcases a particular skill. For instance, if you’re a designer, show the results of the projects you’ve worked on. That way, employers can see your skills for themselves, not just rely on your claims.

Tips for Choosing the Right Online Courses

There are mind-numbing volumes of courses online, so it can be pretty overwhelming to try and choose the right one. However, the following tips should help you narrow down your options:

• Verify accreditation. Check whether the course you selected is accredited by a reputable organization. Those typically adhere to higher standards and may even count toward your college credits if you decide to enroll.
• Browse through the content. You must make sure that the course of your choice isn’t outdated, and that it provides relevant information. This is especially important when looking for an IT-related course, as this field is very dynamic.
• Compare pricing plans. If you’re trying to choose between several courses, check their pricing plans and see whether they fit your budget. Don’t focus on the price alone, though. Consider value more than simply cost.
• Read reviews. Other users’ opinions on and experiences with a course are a goldmine, so make sure to read them carefully. This is one of the best – and quickest – ways to find out if a specific course is a good investment.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, online courses are a great investment because they allow you to learn at your own pace and gain a competitive edge in the job market. Even if you’re already employed, their benefits are immense, because professional development can be rewarded by promotions, increased responsibilities and salary increases.

But always remember to use care when choosing any online course; they aren’t all equally useful, nor do they all provide good value for maney. Make sure to follow our tips – and consider your options carefully – before making your choice.

Because with the right courses (and qualifications) under your belt, you’ll be in for some truly life changing opportunities ahead!