Accelerating today’s job market with Industry Certificates

Accelerating today’s job market with Industry Certificates 

Back in the Day

When I was in High School I remember reading a poster in the guidance counselors office stating to “work smarter, not harder” My mentors and peers were all parroting that college was a one way ticket to a good job and success. Work hard in school, get good grades and get a degree and the sky is the limit.

The old college “Try”

I had earned a scholarship to go to college. I did not want to waste this opportunity so I attended the local university.  I admit I floundered around taking many broad subject classes. I enjoyed the rigor of Sciences and graduated with a Bachelors in Environmental Science. Once out of college, I found it really hard to land a job in my field area of study. Many of my colleagues were having a hard time finding employment in our field of study too. We all had taken many classes but did not have the coveted “hands on experience” that employers wanted. Many of colleagues had families to support and went into different fields entirely.

An advanced way of learning

Today employers are still looking for trainability and real world experience. Studying for industry certificates allows for a flexible schedule that full time workers, parents and caregivers need to accommodate our time constraints. Never before have people been able to advance so quickly and switch careers by watching videos and studying online courses. YouTube, Udemy, Trailhead, and Career development programs such as Talent Stacker are all new ways to bring learning to the masses for FREE or very little cost as compared to a 4 year degree. Experts in their fields can now market curriculum to help students learn what they need to gain experience.

What educational or certificate paths are you exploring?