We’re living in the best time. Whatever we want to learn, we can, just with a few clicks. There are millions of online courses, free and paid, that you can take while sitting in the comforts of your home.
But when you already have your degree, and professional path all set, why would you need online courses?
First of all, this post isn’t about online courses related to any specific profession. These are courses I think everybody should take & I’ll explain why!
Marketing
I think everybody should learn about marketing, whether you want to pursue it as a career or not. Why? Because, it’s everywhere. There are people who sit in conference rooms and decide what you’ll think about a product and a certain issue. Isn’t that too controlling? What about your free will?
Knowing about how marketing and marketers work will give you awareness on when you’re being influenced. It will still be hard to fight but at least, you know you’re being attacked now. Wouldn’t that be great?
Another reason why I think everybody should take marketing online courses is because you yourself use marketing every day, good or bad! Ever sat for a job interview? You were trying to sell yourself there. Ever went on a date? You were trying to impress somebody there. All of it gets easier and better with knowledge on marketing.
Now, don’t run and take those Facebook marketing and digital marketing courses. Yes, they can open up career opportunities, if you’re interested but the real marketing courses that help are actually about how marketing is done and what’s the psychology behind marketing. How do great marketers take decisions? Start studying such courses and see the change. Thank me later!
2. Photography
Should you take photography courses to click better instagram photos? Well, you can but life isn’t all about the popular social media platforms. It’s about YOU!
And you’ll do so much better in your life if you can appreciate things around you. Have you ever been able to truly appreciate the nature? Or that painting hanging on your wall? Or any form of visual art?
Think about it! Think hard. Chances are it’s a no for you won’t even know how to truly appreciate art and you won’t notice it ever. How can I say that? Because, you just don’t. Then, how did I find out? Because of my work as a marketer. I would pick some really good photos and promote only to find out those were not so good. And then, one day, I put up a terrible looking photo and it gets great engagement. And then, it kept happening. Conclusion? Whether a photo is good or bad depends on who’s looking at it.
A person who doesn’t know anything about photography would most likely be wrong on which photo is good or bad. That’s photography!
3. Self Confidence
It’s a cruel world out there. Kindness is at a record low and if you’re going to step out, afraid and reluctant, you’ll be stomped down beneath the feet of millions of bullies. How to fight them?
Build up self confidence. You can read lots and lots of self help books to build self confidence. But at the same time, you can opt for self help online courses, to help you be more confident in your own skin.
This will impact everything in your life – your career, your relationship, your mental state! Everything.
4. Time Management
If one thing science hasn’t been able to do yet, it’s time travel. Or maybe they have done it already but are hiding the technology from normal people like us!
Until that becomes public and everybody can use time travel, we’ll have to do with time management. Using those minutes wisely and getting the most done. Enjoying the life to the fullest while doing everything else humans need to do these days to sustain.
Time management is very hard. Ask me! I have so many things I want to do and I even try to do them but often fail. Improving my time management skills to even a fraction made a big impact on my life. Try it!
5. Public Speaking
Lastly, let’s talk of a task many fear. Why do you even need public speaking? Well, public speaking isn’t always about giving a speech to a room full of people. Standing up and expressing yourself in a group of four is also public speaking. These days, talking to a camera to put a youtube video is also public speaking.
And it’s not just about self confidence. It’s about so many things – voice modulation, proper punctuation, pronunciation and yada yada!
Online courses on public speaking would teach you all that.
Education in today’s world is messed up! We’re nurtured to hate it. With useless subjects and horrible underpaid teachers, we don’t have much affinity towards learning. But it’s time to grow up and realise how important education is and invest time and money into it.
Have I take all these courses myself? Well, not exactly. I do keep at least one online course going on, currently I’m using lyndaa.com for that and read a lot of books and blogs covering all these topics. I’m suggesting these as I believe taking a structured course really makes a difference when blogs can be written by anybody, posing as an expert and books are too many!
So, try these out and tell me if they make a difference to your life too!