Studying with OpenClassrooms gives you the technical and soft skills that not only put you on par with graduates from traditional education institutions but also give you a tactical leg up.
While you may worry that graduates from brick-and-mortar schools have an advantage over you, the exact opposite may be true. You simply need to know how to prepare your approach for job applications; this includes your CV, cover letter and interview technique (all things we help you with during your program).
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should never feel intimidated by other candidates and what graduating from OpenClassrooms says about you to potential recruiters…
You’re motivated and determined
Studying online is not easy. You need to have the will and determination to succeed. With distractions such as YouTube, Facebook, and Netflix competing for your attention, staying focused is a feat.
Additionally, having studied at OpenClassrooms proves that you’re able to produce work of an exceptionally high standard. You’ll be learning the very latest skills and techniques that your chosen domain requires. You’ll have to talk about and defend your work in front of experts, as well as learn how to work within a group. All of this requires hard work and serious commitment, something any recruiter will look for in a candidate.
Prove it to recruiters:
Remind the recruiter that studying online requires a lot of tenacity, proactivity and autonomy. You can illustrate your point by saying something like “it wasn’t always easy to do, but I set myself objectives every day and I stuck to them”.
This kind of experience and approach to study demonstrates that:
- You are good at thinking ahead. “I know what I want and I know how to achieve it.”
- You see things through to the end. “When I start out to achieve a goal, I stick through it to the end.”
Both of these qualities show determination and perseverance, two things that are extremely sought after by recruiters.
You are job-ready
No surprises here, but recruiters are looking for candidates who are ready to hit the ground running and get working on projects as quickly as possible.
By studying with OpenClassrooms, you’ll have learned how to do your new job by doing, meaning that you’re ready to start work from the moment you arrive. While you may not know how to do everything, you’ll have a good idea about how to approach most tasks and generally have at least the basics to get started in anything your employer asks you to do.
You’ll already have a good idea about the reality of what it takes to work in your new role thanks to your time with your mentor. Your mentor sessions will have given you a sneak peek into what the role really entails, what you should expect and what will be expected of you. All of this will help ensure that you are well prepared for your interview and your new job.
Prove it to recruiters:
Quite simply by explaining, portfolio in hand, that you learned everything you know through practice. Your work will speak for itself. It’s solid proof that you’re ready to start immediately. It’s a real advantage that you’ll have over many other candidates. When a recruiter asks if you’re able to perform a given task, you can show them an example of when you’ve already done it.
You are an autonomous problem solver
During your time with OpenClassrooms, you are given fixed times to speak to your mentor, outside of which you are encouraged to continue with your projects by yourself. This method has been designed specifically to develop autonomy.
Learning in this way will teach you how to research. You’ll become adept at finding useful resources on the internet and also how to find pertinent information by going back through your previous lessons.
Proving that you’re able to work by yourself is like a golden ticket in interviews. Recruiters are immediately able to see that you are able to find solutions to problems. That you can work autonomously without having to bother other teams or managers for small matters. This will give you a huge advantage over many other entry-level candidates who often have to be taken by the hand for weeks or even months within a new job.
Prove it to recruiters:
During your interview, talk about how you overcame a problem and go through the resources you used in order to find a solution. Explain how proactivity was part of the learning method and that it has taught you how to solve issues on your own.
You know how to organize, complete and sell a project
Another quite significant tool in your box is that you know how to complete a project from beginning to end, both individually and as part of a team. Students in universities and colleges will have access to their various departments as well as each other when working on projects.
For OpenClassrooms students however, more things will depend on you alone. Here’s a list of some of the skills you’ll have acquired by learning through the OpenClassrooms method, all of which are highly sought after by recruiters:
- How to understand the objective of a project so you can better respond to that objective
- Take the lead so you can organize the workload
- Determine a schedule for the project and stick to it
- Work as part of a team
- How to work with a professional already in the industry
- How to present your projects to strangers
Prove it to recruiters:
Explain how your study was organized around the completion of projects at OpenClassrooms. Most importantly, discuss the projects that enabled you to learn particular skills. It will show that you really have the knowledge and skills to succeed within the role.
You are a good learner
Studying with OpenClassrooms proves that you’re more than capable of learning new things – especially if you’re changing your career path.
You know advanced techniques of how to learn new and complex skills: how to get hold of the information you need to make a project succeed and what steps to take even when the course is over. This is something that is incredibly useful in almost all types of job, and so is a real strength to be emphasized during your interview.
Prove it to recruiters:
Show them that you are aware how important it is to keep learning throughout your career, and even better, tell them what resources you’re currently using in order to learn new skills.
Ask them if you’ll be receiving continued training on the job or if there are opportunities to learn from colleagues. Tell them that you’d like to improve your knowledge or skills in a particular area, and suggest ways that you might be able to build on them.
Own it!
Are you now thinking, “Wait a minute! Thanks to my OpenClassrooms program, I actually have tons of qualities that recruiters are looking for!”
Studying online and specifically at OpenClassrooms shows that you know how to get things done, you’re a self-starter, motivated, ready to get to work and capable of learning new skills.
All of these things make you someone with a huge amount of potential. So don’t doubt yourself. Go and represent yourself confidently in interviews. You’ve earned it.
Want to work more on your transferable skills?
Follow these three courses that are useful at any point in your career:
