There are a host of online courses available to help people level up in their careers or learn new skills entirely. But, to fully take advantage of online courses, you need to have your priorities in order and know exactly what you want to accomplish.
Some courses are offered for free, but there are also many that cost money. As you review available online courses and determine the ones worth taking, you may have to consider both finances and time constraints. Consider these four categories when choosing online courses:
Seeking Online Courses For Career Growth
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Online courses that can help professionals do their job better are among the most valuable courses that you could take.
It's easy to work in a role for a long time, but not grow in it. You can't let that happen! If your career isn't growing, it's dying.
In order to make yourself an indispensable employee, it's important to keep up with industry trends and constantly take inventory of the skills you need to do your job exceptionally well. Some companies will even pay for their employees to take courses or certification programs if the employee can prove it will help them do their job better and ultimately benefit the company.
As far as choosing the right online courses, it helps to write out the specific areas where you're looking to upskill, and then research which courses check off the most boxes. LinkedIn Learning has a diverse course selection and the website Coursera has an extensive library of courses.
Beyond doing your job better and making yourself an indispensable employee, there's a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with always trying to get better.
Gaining Skills To Make A Career Change
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Breaking into a new industry as a result of a career change or layoff is never easy. One of the first major steps a person has to do is an assessment of professional skills. This is where professionals determine what skills they have that are transferable to the new industry, and what skills they're lacking.
For example, a journalist looking to make a transition into marketing has important communication and writing skills that will transfer well into the industry, but would probably benefit greatly from a course or certification program in online marketing.
Just because a professional completes a course or certification doesn't mean they're qualified for the new industry. But, it may put them in a better position to secure a job interview, and it at least shows potential employers a willingness to learn.
If you were laid off and are unsure about your next career move, Work It Daily has free career quizzes that could point you in the right direction.
Gaining Extra Skills To Be A More Well-Rounded Professional
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Taking courses to gain extra skill sets or to pursue an additional passion is a very advantageous position for professionals.
We all have interests beyond our careers, and sometimes our careers turn us on to additional interests. For example, a doctor with a passion for graphic design may take courses about how to develop a freelance business on the side.
One of the best steps any professional can do is to get ahead of the curve and anticipate skills that they may need in the future. Taking this type of initiative will not only impress your employer but may also help you learn more about yourself as a professional to either excel at your current career or chart a new career course.
Taking Courses For Personal Enjoyment
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Not every online course that you take has to be career-related. Sometimes it's good to just take a course for fun or personal satisfaction. The number of courses available online runs the gamut. You can learn a new language, sit in on online lectures from university professors, discover basic life hacks, and hear from prominent people about their success stories.
Expanding your knowledge base can make you a more well-rounded and happier person. This translates well into all aspects of your life.
Online career courses are only a piece of the puzzle. The path to true career growth is putting together a plan for success, and Work It Daily can help!
At Work It Daily, we have a saying: "If you're not growing, you're dying." For context, we're talking about your career. You must constantly work on your career to grow as a professional so you can stay relevant and employable. Professional development should always be on your mind as a business-of-one. But what you do to grow as a professional might change over time. What you focus on developing this year might be completely different from what you focused on last year.
We recently asked our leading executives what word defines their professional development focus for 2023.
Here are their responses...
John Schembari, Senior Education Executive
Investment. How do we invest participants in the professional development that they receive? Far too often, professional development is a one-size-fits-all, lowest common denominator, sit-and-get rather than an opportunity for participants to review relevant data, define personal and collective areas for growth, prioritize initiatives (1-3) that will target the growth area, and then analyze impact. Therefore, I'm not a fan of "one and done" trainings but, rather, a huge proponent of ongoing PD in the form of revolving professional learning communities (PLCs) and affinity networks.
John Schembari is a current K-12 teacher/school leader academic improvement coach and former school building and district administrator. He loves to draw, travel, swing dance, and read nonfiction.
Carla Biasi, Personal Stylist
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Creativity!
I want to find fun ways to engage my followers and bring more of my personality to my communications. It will make me think more out of the box and focus my content. And I'm really looking forward to connecting with viewers.
Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women's boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a women’s specialty brand.
Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive
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My professional development word for 2023 is “articulate.”
By definition, articulate means expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively.
In everything we do, we must find the words to articulate our intentions with vigor to make ourselves believable.
The first question in any job interview will be, “Tell me about yourself.” You will be asked to do this. Your answer will set the tone for the rest of the interview. Many job seekers get stumped on this question. You must be able to “articulate” a persuasive and illuminating response.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, and you may have an excellent visual presentation. But with that graphic, you must be able to “articulate” communicatively and understandably what the visual is trying to show the audience.
In 2023, I will work on my “articulation” skills.
Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M - $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.
Mark Taylor, Product & Operations Executive
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“Commitment.” Doing the best I can at any one moment, striving to be “better,” and letting go of those things I can’t control.
Why? Well, I’m forever on the hunt for practical methods of becoming more effective. As such, I recently watched Stutz on Netflix. It’s a documentary directed by Jonah Hill about his therapist, Phil Stutz.
Phil, and fellow practitioner Barry Michels, have written two books: The Tools and Coming Alive. I started reading the latter recently.
There are a number of nuggets in the book that have made me sit up and take notice, not least this quote:
“The reason you can’t commit to anything is because it hurts you too much if it fails. Success means putting everything on the line and, if it doesn’t work out, doing it again. And again. No blaming. No excuses.”
So, here’s to true “commitment” and "success" in 2023...
Mark Taylor has 20+ years of risk, technology, and product management experience working in global and regional financial services firms in the UK and the U.S. He's managed teams of 40+, successfully addressed 100+ regulatory issues, and has saved companies $15M+.
Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist
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Connection is my development focus for 2023!
Our workplaces play a significant role in our lives. Work affects both our physical and mental well-being in good ways and bad. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the relationship between work and well-being into clearer focus. According to the Surgeon General 2022, Workplace Mental Health and Well-being report, one of the biggest challenges we faced in 2022 (and onwards) is connection and community.
Connection is essential for human well-being. Connection is a basic human need, and people who feel a strong sense of connection to others are happier, healthier, and more resilient!
One of the ways that connection is important is that it helps to combat loneliness and isolation. When we feel connected to others, we feel less alone and more supported. This can be especially important in times of stress or difficulty, as it can provide a sense of security and comfort.
Connectedness also allows us to feel seen, heard, and valued. When we share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others, and they respond with understanding and empathy, it can help us to feel understood and accepted. This can be especially important for people who may feel marginalized or excluded in some way.
Especially important to me, connection plays a critical role in our ability to learn and grow. When we are connected to others, we have the opportunity to gain new perspectives and insights, and to learn from the experiences of others. This can help us to develop new skills, knowledge, and understanding, which can be valuable for personal and professional growth.
Finally, it is a key factor in our ability to experience joy, love, and belonging. When we feel connected to others, we can experience deep and meaningful relationships that bring us a sense of fulfillment and purpose. This can be especially important for people who may be struggling to find meaning or purpose in their lives.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the "red thread."
Debra Shannon, IT Executive
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My 2023 focus is intentionality. In the past, I’ve tried to do everything but realized that I couldn’t do it all despite my best efforts. There’s a quote by Andrew Benintendi: “You’re going to struggle. You’re going to do well. You can’t really let the past or the day before – whether you had a good day or bad day – dictate the day you have that certain day.” A few things happened during the pandemic that made this really hit home for me. Everything happens for a reason and only worry about what you can control.
There will always be more personal/professional opportunities than I can physically do. I’ve learned that I need to be purposeful and prioritize and continually re-prioritize what is and isn’t important—each day is important. I can’t do it all and that’s ok (and I'm getting better at admitting that). I’m going to continue to be more intentional in what to plan and accomplish.
Debra Shannon is an IT executive who is also a CPA, CIA, and CISA. Her passion is turning chaos into calm. With her unique blend of experience in technology, project management, and auditing, she can break down complex business problems, identify practical solutions, and lead executive teams and business partners to embrace the value of technology changes.
Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive
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For 2023, I'm focused on abundance. An abundance of five professional areas: connections, fulfillment, wealth, success, and happiness. I've worked to clearly define what this means for me across each of these five areas. For an abundance of professional connections, I'm looking to grow my social media network by 40% in 2023, as an example. I've laid out a detailed plan as to what it will take to achieve. To grow my social media network by 40%, I will post 2-3 times a week on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram and connect with 100+ new people per week. I will track weekly, making it easier to measure my ongoing progress and success.
I also find it important to state the intentionality of my word, abundance, daily if I can, to stay focused, motivated, and driven toward my goal, which increases the likelihood of achieving it.
I know some things will come easy, but for other things, depending on how big they are, I will have to work at them. I will have to fight the busyness, distraction, intimidation, and fear that will show up. The key will be to stay persistent and motivated to remain committed. But my goal is to focus on the result of abundance.
Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.
Proactivity, as defined by organizational behavior, is “anticipatory, change-oriented, and self-initiated behavior in situations, rather than just reacting." When a person is proactive, they are acting in advance of a future event. Proactive employees typically don't need to be asked to do something, and will usually require less-detailed instructions.
Proactive behavior is applicable to either one's own role or to "extra role" responsibilities. Within one's own role, for example, a person may find a more efficient way to complete one or more of their responsibilities. Extra role responsibilities (i.e., those tasks outside of your stated job description) speak to an employee's organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The proactive employee would, for example, initiate an offer to help their co-workers before they are asked to assist by either their colleagues or their manager.
The steps you can take to become more proactive at work apply to both your formal role and your part of the scope of the OCB within your team, your department, and your overall organization.
There are variations on the theme; however, the following behaviors are a common foundation for proactivity within all of the theories:
Organize | Take Stock | Be Positive
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Proactivity requires that you be organized. That includes your mindset, your space, and, of course, your schedule! Organizing your time helps you approach tasks more efficiently and allows you to be more open to opportunities. This scheduling needs to include "downtime" for those activities that keep your life in balance.
A positive attitude is right up there on any list. Approaching tasks from a positive perspective encourages you to look for the best in every situation. It helps you become the employee who is "ready, willing, and able," who can always be counted on. A team player who is reliable and available will become the go-to person, the problem solver.
Take stock of your current responsibilities:
What are your tasks?
What are the priorities?
What can be consolidated, eliminated, or shortened?
What can you do to stay ahead of less urgent tasks?
How do you solve problems?
Can you prevent problems by planning ahead and developing alternative processes in anticipation?
What are the things you still need to know?
Can you automate any of your tasks to make them more effective and less time-consuming?
Communicate | Connect | Network
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Find a role model by observing the leaders in your company. When possible, spend time with them to gain insight from their behaviors. Try out their techniques. Some will work for you, others will not. You'll need to fine-tune what you acquire so that you are able to build your own repertoire.
Let others know that you want to be more involved. You'll need to create your own opportunities. Don't wait to be asked—present your ideas to your management team.
Goals | Persistence | Excellence
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Set goals for yourself. Write them down! List everything that you want to accomplish. Set deadlines! Once you have the end in mind, you can achieve your desired outcome. A series of small goals leading up to the completion of a large goal keeps tasks from becoming insurmountable.
Stay the course on how you want to accomplish your goals. This may require overcoming your fears and rising above obstacles or setbacks. You'll need to step outside of your comfort zone and become increasingly resilient.
Strive for excellence from start to finish. Commit yourself to always presenting your best work—your completed project with no loose ends. Be passionate about what you do. Give it your all. No matter what role you are assigned, you will be more effective when you put your full energy and effort into it.
Celebrate! | Be Flexible!
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Celebrate your successes, big and small, as you move along your path to becoming more proactive!
Be flexible! You can't plan for every outcome, so being able to react to the unexpected is an important trait for the proactive person. It is about the awareness of the existence of choices, regardless of the situation or the context.
