These days, everyone has a case of the MOOCs. From Stanford University to MIT, the world’s elite universities are all signing on to offer free Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs) to anybody with Internet access.
And the diversity and number of courses offered is growing at an exponential pace. They range from more traditional academic offerings such as art history, marine biology or Spanish, to more “vocational” offerings such as marketing, finance, computer programming or graphic design.
Many have hailed MOOCs as the future of education and have lauded them for their ability to democratize learning. But others are more skeptical. For instance, the sheer number of students taking a MOOC at one time makes it impossible for any interaction with an instructor. This creates many problems, including how to grade for non-technical subjects or how to account for cheating.
Despite these issues, there’s still plenty to be excited about. You can pick up a new skill from a top university without having to worry about how to pay for it or fit it into your schedule.
But will a MOOC ultimately help you find a better job? If you play your cards right, yes.
Define Your Goals
The number of courses offered at any given time can be mind-boggling. The best way to approach this new frontier of online learning is to define what you hope to achieve and proceed from there.
Are you hoping to increase your desirability as a job candidate by learning a new skill? Or perhaps you’re looking to shift gears entirely by learning a new trade. Once you’ve narrowed down your goals, you can determine which classes will help you best achieve them.
For instance, you might be interested in learning how to create mobile apps, but if you’re a beginner you may need to take some prerequisite courses in computer programming first.
Just remember to pace yourself. Many students of MOOCs are often surprised to find that they’re just as rigorous as any traditional University course. Make a commitment and stick to it. According to a study by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, only four percent of people who register for MOOCs actually finish them. So if you do finish, this puts you in very good standing.
Begin Your Search
Although there are numerous providers of MOOCs, three platforms currently dominate: Coursera, edX and Udacity. Not only do they have the largest catalogue of courses from a wide range of educational institutions, they also offer more types of classes and credentials than they did a couple of years ago.
It’s good to know what each platform excels at. Currently, Udacity focuses almost exclusively on computer science, programming and math.
On the other hand, Coursera and edX offer a more balanced selection, with edX slightly skewed to the sciences, technology and medicine, and Coursera slanted towards professional development for teachers. Both, however, offer plenty courses in the humanities, arts, social sciences and public health.
If you’re looking for a specific course of study, you might want to use a MOOC search engine such as MOOCSE and Class Central (which has some pretty nice filtering capabilities).
Showcase What You’ve Learned
After you’ve completed your class, sit down and review the new skills you’ve acquired and figure out how to best frame them. List both the obvious and less obvious skills.
For instance, a class in how to build a start-up not only teaches you about business models and customer development, but also marketing, customer service and financing. Even a more “traditional” course such as art history can be relevant to a non-arts job if you spin it correctly.
Add the completed course to your resume and LinkedIn page under the heading “Professional Development.” While you shouldn’t send an employer a copy of your certificate of completion, you could indicate that it’s available upon request. Even better, LinkedIn will automatically display badges from completed MOOCs on your profile.
Are Employers Impressed?
MOOCs are still so new it’s hard to say what kind of impact they’ll have. Many employers have never even heard of them. However, it never hurts to show you’ve learned a new skill, especially if it’s directly applicable to the job you’re applying for.
Not all MOOCs are created equal in terms of value. There’s been a real shift from credentials to portfolios in recent years. Employers want to see evidence of real-world experience, not evidence of classes. Therefore, it’s important to make your case on how your new skills can specifically benefit their company.
MOOCs will not take the place of a professional degree, but they can augment it in more practical and effective ways. Best of all, completing one shows your commitment to upgrading your skills and knowledge and staying current in your field. You’re in an elite group: those who have what it takes to take on a MOOC!
