Online learning has become the most popular higher education alternative, and experience has shown it can be as efficient as traditional face-to-face education – in some ways more so.
Let’s discuss how and why online courses can be the best option to achieve your professional goals.
- Online courses target the specific skills you need
The benefit of learning online is that you can learn virtually anything, virtually. Learning online, you can pinpoint whatever competencies you’d like to add to your tool belt. You graduate from your online program with skills that your industry actively and specifically seeks. This will make you stand out to an HR manager, employer, or when pitching and working as a freelancer.
At OpenClassrooms, we reverse-engineer our curriculum, looking first at the specifics roles we teach toward, and building our coursework to prepare students for the job.
- Relatively quick
Online courses can be completed at your own pace and fit into your schedule. This means that you can add diplomas, certificates and competencies to your resume/CV without already having on-the-job experience.
The best online courses require you to learn by doing. That is how the OpenClassrooms project-based pedagogical method operates. Your coursework is collated into your professional portfolio, which saves months, if not years, of relevant experience to impress a prospective employer or client.
- Convenience
Online courses reflect all the benefits of modern business.
No commuting or relocating is required; you can study from your home, any local venue that suits you, or whilst traveling the world if need be. The access to online study can be particularly helpful if you live in a rural area, where otherwise your higher education options would be limited. If you are a parent, studying online can bring education within reach preventing you from needing to hire extra childcare or making life overly complicated.
Your schedule can be as flexible as you require: around current work, family, health, or walking the dog.
- Cost
There’s no escaping the fact that online programs are less expensive compared to brick and mortar institutions.
But there are further hidden savings that you may not immediately factor in, for example; not needing to travel, no requirement for accommodation, and most of all, you can study whilst still working and earning.
- Support of a mentor and wider community
One of the biggest fears people have about studying online is that they will feel lonesome and lack the support of a community. OpenClassrooms has worked really hard to solve this problem.
Each student studying toward an OpenClassrooms Career Path receives support and guidance from a dedicated professional in their field. Mentorship is an integral part of the OpenClassrooms experience.
Your mentor will meet with you every week for one-on-one video chats. This is not common for online learning, and is a real asset to help you stay on track, and grow beyond the course materials.
Additionally, all OpenClassrooms Career Path students, alumni and mentors have access to an online network that lets them chat daily about coursework, industry topics, job search, networking, and more. On this platform, you can find yourself a study-buddy and even organize local meetups to study together.
Remember this
Not all online learning programs are made equal. Make sure to pick a program that teaches the right skill sets you need for your professional goal and that also provides the right level of support to ensure your success.
If you are interested to see what programs we offer at OpenClassrooms, come on over to our Career Paths page.
Email us: hello@openclassrooms.com
Book a call: calendly.com/openclassroomsen/bookacall
Be social: www.facebook.com/openclassrooms/
Call us: +44 1617 681880 or +1 (929) 376 0101
