Online Learning Options to Advance Your Tech Career

By FOSSlife Team, 15 September, 2021

According to recent Gallup research, 48 percent of the American workforce is actively looking to change jobs, and employee disengagement is cited as the main reason for the shift.

In a previous Careers article, we looked at ways to make a successful career change, offering tips for upgrading your skills and getting certified to help keep you on track. This type of continuous learning can lead not only to new job opportunities but also to increased engagement and improved job satisfaction.

Here, we’ll look at various ways to approach continuous learning and provide resources to help you get started.

Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is the ongoing expansion of knowledge and skill sets, says Wesley Chai at TechTarget. In the workplace, the concept involves developing new skills and knowledge, while also reinforcing what has been previously learned, he notes.

Continuous learning can take many forms but is generally grouped into three main categories: formal, social, and self-directed. According to Valamis, these categories can be defined as follows:

Formal learning includes initiatives that are designed and implemented for a specific learning purpose or goal, such as:

University or college courses
E-learning courses and massive open online courses (MOOCs)
Training programs
Workshops

Social learning encompasses ways to increase knowledge or learn skills through interaction with others, including:

Discussion and collaboration on social media
Attending conferences
Participating in online communities, such as open source projects
Coaching and mentoring
On-the-job training

Self-directed learning involves improving your knowledge and understanding without a formal framework or goal. This can include:

Research and reading
Listening to podcasts or watching instructional videos
Experimentation and exploration

Many workplaces provide opportunities for continuous learning, but if you are seeking to improve your skills on your own, taking courses through an online learning platform can offer measurable improvement and progress toward your goal.

Online Learning Platforms

Gone are the days when you had to be present in a classroom to acquire an education, says Chandan Kumar. “Thanks to the online world, things have changed now and for good,” he says. “Now, all you need is a device and an internet connection to access massive sources of information and learn your desired skills.”

Online learning can also offer benefits over traditional classrooms, including:

Learning at your own pace
Cost effectiveness
Ongoing access to content
Frequently updated materials

Many online learning platforms offer both free and paid courses covering a wide array of topics, including programming, web development, cybersecurity, machine learning, cloud computing, and more.

The following online learning options are worth checking out whether you’re interested in learning new skills or continuing your education at your own pace: