Upskill with online courses from your bubble

While we have spoken about some things to do during lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the importance of getting rest and looking after yourself, some people like to do things. This is a great time for hobbies but, equally, it’s a great opportunity to improve your skills, helping your career and work life.

The great thing about this idea is that it can all be done online! From online tutorials to full courses with certificates to show off, there are options for everyone, no matter what you’re looking for.

Where to find quality online courses

While you can find instructions and how-to guides across the Internet - even YouTube has plenty of these - the quality can be questionable. Who are these people, and why should you listen to them?

For hobbies, or to answer simple questions, they might do just fine but for something more structured, where you can walk away feeling like you have improved your skills or learnt something new you can use, there are several resources that you should look into.

One example is Coursera, which offers a huge range of courses and even online degrees. Some of these materials can be accessed for free, allowing you to learn from experts before deciding whether to pay for the assessment and subsequent qualification or certificate.

You should also check Lynda.com, also known as LinkedIn Learning. Similarly to Coursera, you’ll find a huge range of online courses and tutorials to work through, and all taught by industry professionals. Some are free while others have a cost to them, but the certification you get is an added bonus to your improved skills and knowledge.

Top tip: use your library card for premium content on Lynda.com

While the premium content is definitely valuable, not everyone may want to pay a subscription fee to access it, but there is another way.

With a valid library card, you can access the premium content for free! Log in with your library card details and set up an account so you can access some of the best courses Lynda.com has available.

Library card holders from around the world can do this, but to make sure your card is valid, check with your local library for more details. Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton library card holders are definitely included, and many more around New Zealand may be, too, so it’s worth looking into. 

Connect to your LinkedIn account

If you do opt to complete some of the courses on Lynda.com, or LinkedIn Learning, you can show this by connecting your account to your LinkedIn profile. This is a great way to show off your new skills and where they came from, which builds your reputation and appeal to employers.

We’re not saying spend all your time during lockdown on these kinds of courses - getting some rest is important, too - but if you’re looking for a way to kill some time and keep your mind and skills sharp, this might be the way forward.

Have you been completing any courses during lockdown? Let us know how you’ve been getting on through our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!