Studying a course can be an option when you are unemployed to help boost your C.V. There are many available vouchers for online courses from companies like Groupon, so it can be very accessible as an option for those who are unemployed. So should you take an online course? Well, there are pros and cons to any path you take to improve your C.V. This article will explore the pros and cons of taking online courses and hopefully help you to decide if it is the right path for you.
Pros;
- It’s cheap and easy to do. Online courses, if obtained through a voucher website, can be very cheap (£20-£50 depending on the course). They are often easy to set up as it will only take a few minutes to set up your online account once you have bought your voucher. You may also receive email reminders when lectures are available and it is only a matter of being able to use a computer at that point. Most involve an online exam taken at the end of the course which is accessible from your online account and it can all be finished in a matter of weeks.
- It will expand your skill set. As you learn, you are obviously going to learn new skills and gain knowledge you wouldn’t otherwise have. This means your own intelligence and skill set will grow as you learn and help you to know a particular industry better than you did before. There is never any harm in having more knowledge than you did before, so it is definitely worth thinking about just for the benefit to your own personal knowledge.
- It shows you are willing to learn. Employers will want to know that you are willing to learn as you will often have to learn new skills as part of a new job. Having online courses on your C.V. can impress an employer just on the basis that you have actively made the effort to learn outside of any further education course or your qualifications from school.
- It shows you have been doing something in your unemployment. When you are unemployed, potential employers will often want to know what you have been doing while you aren’t working. Doing an online course shows that you have made an effort to do something academic/professional outside of working and that you are an active and interesting individual.
- It can help you get into the career you want to enter. If you haven’t studied a degree or course in your time in education within the field you want to enter you may find it very difficult to get onto your desired career path. An online course can give you a basis of knowledge for the industry and help you to get an entry level position in that career.
Cons;
- You have to take caution when choosing online educators. Not all online educators are academically certified and therefore your course might end up not meaning anything to your potential employer as it is not recognised by an academic body. Be careful when choosing an online course to investigate any certifications they claim to have and ensure that your course is legitimate.
- Courses require a time investment. Of course as part of an online course you will have to invest some time into your learning. This can be anything from one to several hours a week. If you are working part time or full time you need to consider your own workload and what your abilities are to make time for online courses.
- Courses can be difficult. You might find if you are entering a course in an industry for which you have no knowledge that the course is quite difficult. Remember that you will more than likely still have to pass an exam at the end of your course to receive your certificate, so make sure you are choosing a course in which you have confidence in your abilities to learn.
- They do cost money. Even if you can get a course at a discount, it is still going to cost you money to complete that course. Remember to factor in your own budget when choosing an online course and evaluate for yourself if the benefits of doing the course justify the cost.
- There is no guarantee they will impress an employer. While you can be fairly confident that most employers will be impressed by your willingness to learn, there is no guarantee that an employer will be impressed by an online course. There is a certain stigma attached to online courses which causes people to think that they are not valuable or certified. Ensure that if you do complete a course you are very open and honest about their accreditations and what you learned so that your potential employer knows you are not trying to ‘fast track’ your education or knowledge in the industry.
These are just some of the pros and cons for taking an online course. It really comes down to your own personal circumstance and what you feel will help you in improving your career and education. Online courses will, at the very least, give you knowledge and information you did not otherwise have and will be something you can add to your C.V. to show that you are a growing and adaptable individual.
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Hannah is a 23 year old marketing professional. She updates our social media profiles and manages our blog. Hannah has been with our company since September 2015 and has started her own business as a Freelance Marketer, Content Manager and Writer.