By Andrew Eason, Management Intern, Career and Professional Development Services
Are you interested in learning more about your field but don’t have the time or funds to pick up an additional major/minor/certificate? Luckily, there are plenty of additional educational tools and programs to help you build the skills needed to break into your dream industry!
Sometimes referred to as micro-credentials, these are skill-building opportunities/online courses that can cover a concept as broad as “machine learning” or something more specific, such as individual computer software. Upon completion, you are typically rewarded with a digital certificate which can be added to your resume to prove that you have competency in a skill set outside your bachelor/post baccalaureate degree.
Keep in mind these three things when searching for programs:
- Some have very high price tags, so it's important to evaluate if the program is necessary for your career goals. You can also see if ASU or your department has options for discounted or even free programming.
- Check the validity of these programs, and only take advantage of those from reputable companies/organizations.
- Some employers do not recognize these as educational degrees, so you may need to further articulate their benefits on your application materials/in an interview.
Here are some sites that offer these micro-credentialing programs ranging from education to digital technology:
If you feel like these options are too expensive or you only want a quick lesson, here are a few other websites that also have great online learning capabilities:
Be sure to look at professional associations within your industry to see if they are hosting virtual conferences/webinars/courses. You can also check out the events tab in Handshake to see the different virtual conferences and webinars from our office or other employers coming to ASU.
If you need any assistance in finding more opportunities or finding additional ways to build your skill set online, feel free to schedule an appointment with our Career and Industry Specialists.