What to Look out for in a Short Course
So you’ve decided to pick up a new skill, or improve your existing qualifications with a short course. You browse the JobsCentral Learning portal, and come face-to-face with a dilemma: with so many short courses out there, which one should you pick?
Before you simply close your eyes and point at random, here are some considerations you need to think over when picking a course:
Time Commitment
Even though “short” is part of the name of “short course”, it is still a time commitment you have to be prepared for. Take note of course duration and location, as well as assessment criteria and what sort of participation is necessary. If the travel time is significant or if the course lasts too long, then you might want to consider other options.
Accreditation
If the course is intended to help you move forward in your career (or even net you a raise or a promotion), accreditation matters greatly. Make sure the courses you’re looking at are well-recognised and the certification legitimate. You can ask around your colleagues or on LinkedIN to see if a course is worth the time.
Skill Level
Are you a beginner in the field, looking for an introduction to a new skill? Or do you already have an established portfolio in this arena and want to polish it? Your position and skill level will dictate what kind of course you want to sign up for. Make sure to read the course description carefully to ensure you don’t sign up for the wrong thing!
Refund Policies
We all go in with the best of intentions when we try to do something new, but sometimes we just can’t follow through till the end. You might have other commitments that come out, or you might just find out that you just aren’t interested in the course. Whatever the case is, it’s best to find out what the refund policies are just so that you know what to do when you need to end the course prematurely.
As they say: knowledge is power. It’s only when you know about the course you want to take, that makes it worth taking. So get learning now!
