Today’s work environment makes it necessary for all job seekers to have a certain level of computer skills. It is, therefore, important that you acquire these skills before you start looking for that new career. Before you choose a computer course, you need to understand the different types of courses available.
Offline courses: The conventional courses in a classroom setting are similar to the ones you had during school. In this form, an instructor lectures a group of students and gives them assignments to complete.
The chief advantage of this type of course is that it follows a familiar method of teaching and learning and is therefore, quite accessible. Moreover, you may ask questions of the instructor during the classes. These types of courses are often available at local computer centres.
However, you also need to keep in mind that such a group often includes learners at different levels of expertise. This can slow down the pace of learning, especially if you are ahead of your classmates in terms of study.
Online instructor-based courses: The instructor led online courses work in a variety of ways, such as chat rooms, web seminars, telephone conversations and so on. If you like to work on your own but need a little motivation, this type of learning is well-suited for you.
One obvious advantage of online training courses is that you don’t need to go anywhere for the classes. You can incorporate the classes within your work schedule; this makes the courses more suitable for busy professionals.
The best thing about online courses is that you can choose one that is right for your level of expertise. For example, if you are looking forward to a job in online marketing, a basic computer training course will be of no use. You need to choose a digital marketing course to specialise in this field.
Online self-paced courses: This type of course is the exact opposite of the traditional classroom setup. If you opt for these courses, you may work at your own pace from your home or office.
For such courses, the institute only provides the study materials and the guidelines about the areas of study and the order in which you need to approach the matter. They only provide the basic guidance about the topics. Learning the concepts or methods depends on you entirely.
You need to keep in mind that a self-paced course can be a good option if you are motivated to learn. However, if you are not a self-driven person, you may never complete the task at hand.
Pay attention to your schedule to understand whether an offline or online computer course would better suit you. Keep in mind your preferences and learning style to decide whether an instructor led or a self-paced course would be more appropriate.
Check every detail about a course before you enrol in it to make sure that it will help you achieve your desired outcomes, improving your skill set and your chances on the job hunt.
Author Bio
Rose Hamilton is an IT consultant. She provides a close look at the different types of computer courses in Dublin. She also offers the advantages of each of these types and the things you need to consider before you choose any one of them.