You’ve just enrolled in an OpenClassrooms Career Path (or you are thinking about it) and you’d like to know what to expect. You’ve come to the right place. Let’s dig in, to learn about how OpenClassrooms Career Paths work.  

How you will learn

At OpenClassrooms, you’ll acquire all the skills you need to be operational for in-demand roles in your chosen field. This is thanks to our dynamic, project-based, experiential approach.   

Throughout the program, about 80% of your time will be spent working on projects with the help of a mentor. Only 20% of your time will be dedicated to your courses. Courses or classes are made up of videos of varying lengths, written lessons, and brief quizzes to keep you engaged.

The courses provide the background and technique required to successfully execute a project. However, following each course is not mandatory. Your “attendance” does not get factored into the evaluation of your projects. Beginners are advised to follow each course. But those with prior experience are welcome to skip courses as desired.

What counts most is the quality of your projects and presentations as well as your sessions with your mentor.  

What is an OpenClassrooms project?

Our projects provide a highly practical way to learn. They simulate realistic scenarios one would encounter in the workplace and enable students to learn the specific skills necessary for the job.

For example, if you are on a Front-End Web Development Career Path, you’ll build a series of websites, among other projects. If you are studying to be a data analyst, one task will be to create a dashboard for a fictional client – making sense of company data. For a UX design student, one of the projects requires students to prototype an app.

Experience is the best teacher.

This old proverb says it perfectly. With OpenClassrooms, you learn by doing. This way, you’ll learn skills that you can immediately use within a real professional setting.

How you are evaluated

While your mentor supports you through your coursework, each project is evaluated by other mentors who can be more objective. Often, you will have to present your project to another mentor – developing your presentation and communication skills for a future professional setting.

Some programs also include peer evaluation where fellow students can give their feedback on your work and you can give feedback on theirs.

At the end of your program, a jury of mentors look over all your projects to assess your mastery of each required skill to award your diploma.

Here for you every step of the way

When studying online with OpenClassrooms you are not alone. This fact is one of the perks that makes us stand out from all other online learning platforms.

Your dedicated mentor

Each student is assigned a dedicated mentor with whom they meet via video chat for weekly, one-on-one, hour-long sessions.  Hand-picked by OpenClassrooms for their professional experience in each field of study, our mentor motivate and support students throughout their diploma program.

They will help you identify goals and achieve effective time management. Mentors help keep you motivated. They will guide you through the curriculum, helping you surmount challenges related to your projects and give you deeper insight into your industry.

Whenever I had a technical question, my mentor Marie, was there to help me. Not only that; she kept me thinking positively whenever I started to question myself. When I overcame a hurdle, she’d often say: “You see? You did it!” Having that human connection with your mentor is priceless.

Clemence, OpenClassrooms Front-End Development Graduate, now works as a developer for a company in the transport industry.

You don’t have to look at the program as one big to-do: everything is broken up into sections, which makes it easier to know how much time to put into each project. Setting objectives each week is also very important. That’s done together with your mentor, making success more attainable.

Sylvia, OpenClassrooms Project Manager in Multimedia Development, now works as a freelance developer.

Your Workplace community

Our internal, OC community network, ‘Workplace’ is accessible to our Premium Plus, Career Path students. This community platform looks similar to Facebook and is used by students, graduates, mentors and the OpenClassrooms team to discuss course content, projects, jobs and related topics, just like being on a campus.

This community enables you to get answers and perspectives between meetings with your mentor. You can get feedback on your projects or talk with others about your industry.  You can even organize group study sessions with other students that live near you.

Your Student Advisors

The OpenClassrooms Student Advisors are here to help you throughout the duration of your program. They help you decide which Career Path fits your professional goals, they assist you with any technical or other issues throughout your program, and they are ever-present on Workplace providing tips and perspective. looking for funding

If you need to change your mentor, the student advisors can help with that. If you need a confirmation of attendance or copy of your diploma – as them.  The student advisors are here for one reason: to make your OpenClassrooms journey as smooth as possible.  

Your Job Search Coach

Once you have earned your diploma, a career coach is available to help you find a job, free of charge, for two months.

The aim: To help you find a job that you like, as quickly as possible.

How? They’ll help you with your applications, cover letters, portfolios, CV/resume’s, linkedIn profiles, and more. They will advise you on best practices for how to best position yourself for any role. They’ll even help you prepare for interviews and may have contacts in the industry that you could use.

Looking for your first job is challenging….Even during this time however, I wasn’t alone. Openclassrooms gave me a coach that helped with my search. Now I have my first professional contract and I’ll continue my studies until I’ve got my diploma.

Aurélien, OpenClassrooms Front-End Web Development Student and freelance developer.

 

My career change is going really well, and if there’s one thing I would say to anyone who has any doubts or thinks about giving up: Never EVER give up! You’re effort will pay off in the end. For some it may take longer than others, but the end result is always positive.

 

Nicholas, former OpenClassrooms Junior Web Development graduate.

 

In conclusion

We hope this article addressed any questions you have about what to expect from your OpenClassrooms Career Path. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you are an existing student, head on over to Workplace and post a question.

If you have not yet enrolled, email our student advisors at hello@openclassrooms to book a call.