By Alex Hargreaves
Career Development has been defined as a lifelong process of managing your learning, work, leisure and transitions in order to move toward a constantly evolving and improving future. It basically means making a commitment to yourself to not let your graduation date be your end of learning date (even though it may be tempting to chuck in the towel and get complacent).
Career Development is learning new skills and ideas throughout every stage of your career and your life in general. People who value Career Development tend to get promoted easier and have less trouble adapting to changes in the work place. It’s not a bad habit to get into!
Sometimes, career development can be a costly pursuit, with some singular skill courses costing thousands of dollars, and a Masters degree costing onward of $25,000. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Nowadays, more and more organizations are learning the value of making lifelong learning possible for people no matter what funds are available in their bank account. Many courses and seminars are now being made available to people for a cheap price or even for free. In some cases, if you know the skill you are wanting to learn will benefit your career but you can’t afford to enrol in the class, your employer may pay for you to learn.
Digital marketing is a skill that is increasingly in demand and seemingly not well known to many people. Google have attempted the bridge the gap by introducing a free Digital Marketing Training course that you can take online to become a certificate Google digital marketer. Take the course now and get a free certificate to add to your resume – not bad Google!
Another great place to go for online learning is Udemy. Udemy have so many online courses you could almost choose to learn any new skill! From The Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, to Online Japanese Language to Artificial Intelligence crash course, there really is no skill left untaught. Most courses on Udemy range from free – $150, so they are very affordable. As they are online, you can take them at your own pace after purchase.
Here at Griffith, we have an Open Course selection which are courses that you can take online for free! There are some very interesting courses on offer, including ‘Maternity Care’, which is great for new mums, dads, aunts and uncles, as well as ‘Exploring Economics and your Generation’ and ‘Realizing Career Potential and Rethinking Disability’. More courses are added all the time and all are very relevant to our student cohort and what is currently happening in the world. Check them out and build upon your knowledge now!
If you prefer face to face learning, be sure to have a look at what events are being hosted in your local library. My local library often has authors and journalists deliver workshops on writing and public speaking. They also occasionally have inspirational speakers talk about how they have managed to overcome hardship and adversity in their lives. Libraries often also run courses for learning digital software, resume writing and learning how to use the internet for seniors. It’s free to attend any of these events.
TAFE QLD currently have short courses where you can learn a skill face to face in a short period of time. They have some really interesting courses, including ‘Interpret and Apply Medical Terminology Appropriately’, ‘Justice of the Peace qualification’, ‘Cabin Crew Induction’ and many more! These courses can be completed in a matter of weeks and are a good investment if the career you’re interested in requires a niche skill that you currently lack. Unfortunately, any face to face courses run by a tertiary institution always incur a heavy price tag. It’s usually more cost effective to choose online.
Be sure to also check out our Careers and Employment beginning of Trimester seminars, with ‘Finding a Part Time Job’ and ‘Mystery Career Chat’ both being held during o-week at the start of every trimester. We also run seminars including ‘Mock Job Interview’, ‘Resume Revival’, ‘Landing a job in Australia, for International Students’ and LinkedIn Crash Course!’. These courses are all free to attend for current students and run mid-trimester. See Careerboard events to register.
Continuous learning is highly valued by employers in the current job market, as processes and procedures are constantly evolving to adapt to technological advancements and employees need to always be ready to embrace these new changes. Start looking for courses that interest you and will bring you closer to your career goals now!
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 