Nothing can beat the experience you gain on the job, but a short course can help you to attain or fine-tune the skills necessary for landing your dream job or receiving a promotion. Don’t reject the idea just because you are no longer in university. Short, work-related courses can help anyone on the career ladder propel their prospects and get a competitive edge in their CVs.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Entrepreneurship 101
Whether or not you’re planning to start your own company, a few lessons in entrepreneurship can be extremely valuable to your career progression. Having the skills to nurture a unique idea and bring this idea to life will impress any boss or hiring manager.
Even an introductory course will give you a broad overview of how entrepreneurial organisations are structured and will teach you how to spot and seize opportunities. Plus, studying the pathways, struggles, and breakthroughs of successful businesses and entrepreneurs will give you a fresh perspective on your own trajectory.
2. Successful negotiation
It’s important to remember that it’s not just sales professionals who need to know how to negotiate. The skillful art of persuasion comes in handy in many different scenarios, from finalising business contracts and vendor agreements to getting your proposal approved and discussing your new salary.
Getting a few lessons to up your negotiation techniques will not only help you to find the right mindset for successful discussions but will also introduce you to different negotiation stages. Understanding the dynamics, the timing, and the psychological process of negotiating will enable you to maximise your potential and career.
3. Fundamentals of project management
Did your last project go as smoothly as planned? If your answer is no, then you should consider upskilling in this area. Even if you don’t manage projects on a daily basis, the communication and management skills related to this project management are applicable to any type of work, allowing you to boost your productivity and general skill level.
A course on the fundamentals of project management will shape up more than learning how to stick to deadlines, but will teach you how to approach projects of any scale, efficiently manage project stakeholders, forecast potential constraints, and identify alternative solutions.
4. Business writing workshop
Being able to write well is one of the most important skills in the business world. Great ideas are only worth something if you are able to communicate them clearly and efficiently. Precise writing does not only convey a sense of professionalism, but will also help avoid unnecessary miscommunication, making your time that much more productive.
A basic business writing workshop can turn you into a better communicator, teaching you how to structure your thoughts, spot grammar mistakes, and craft detailed proposals that have a better chance of getting approved.
