What Are the Best Ways to Learn New Career Skills?

Whether you’re a young professional or need to learn new skills after years of work, nearly everyone can benefit from learning new career skills.

You don’t have to go back to college to develop skills that will improve your resume and get you better results at work. You can further your education from your home or office with these options.

Online Courses

Online courses let you learn the skills you’re interested in from the comfort of your home or office. You can usually do them at any time that is convenient for you.

Some courses offer a certification that you can display on your website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile. Before you sign up and pay for a course, check to see if this is something it offers if a certification is important to you.

Courses are available in a few ways. One of the most traditional methods is by taking a class through a university that has online learning. This option doesn’t give you certifications, but it can be helpful if you simply need to learn a new skill.

Another option is through an expert in the field. Many experts sell online courses to share their knowledge. If you choose this route, select someone with positive testimonials and proof of knowledge so that you don’t get scammed. While many experts out there offer courses that can be excellent resources, not everyone is trustworthy or worthy of paying to take a class from.

Finally, some websites offer a collection of courses. These websites include resources like Skillshare, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Coursea, and Lynda. Some offer a subscription fee and allow you to take as many courses as you want while others let you pay individually for the classes you want to take. The subscription model can be helpful for people who want to learn lots of new skills, and the individual purchase option is helpful if you’re looking for instruction on a specific skill.

Bootcamps

If online classes aren’t the best fit for you or the skills you want to learn, consider a skills bootcamp. Bootcamps are particularly common for technical skills and are an excellent way to pick up new career skills quickly. Some people can even get jobs after a bootcamp with no other training or formal education.

Bootcamps offer a lot of advantages. They’re ideal for people who need to learn new skills as technology has advanced or for people who want to switch careers. Bootcamps can expand your professional network if you form connections with the instructor, fellow students, and even alumni to build more connections in the field. Some bootcamps also offer certifications that you can add to your resume.

These programs are generally short, from a few weeks to a few months, and they’re almost always more affordable than a semester of college. Many of these are held in person, but you can also find online boot camps for certain skills.

Before you pick a bootcamp, check the job placement rate, any career services they offer, and if it teaches up-to-date knowledge.

With the help of these resources, you can learn new skills for a small cost in time and money.