This article dives into the new virtual work experience programs available, online learning courses and the importance of learning in public.
The world is changing rapidly.
Teams are becoming distributed, working-from-home in professional industries is more common, employers need more flexible business models.
All the change can be overwhelming, especially for people looking to change careers or start one. One of the most important things, I think, is getting hands-on experience in a job.
But with the work-from-home movement and change underway in many industries, there are challenges with this.
In this article, I’ll show you exactly how possible it is for you to stand out from the crowd, with little more than an investment of your time and effort.
Virtual work experience
I’m working on putting together a careers course on Rask Education which attempts to help people find innovative ways to find a new pathway, land their dream job or transition to a new industry.
So I was thrilled to interview Tom Brunskill, the CEO of Forage, on The Australian Finance Podcast recently. Forage (formerly Inside Sherpa) was thinking outside of the box, long before coronavirus forced them to. They identified the major issue that job seekers have of gaining work experience, especially if they can’t afford to take time to commit to an unpaid physical experience.
I’m sure you’ve come across this before.
You’re applying for an entry-level role that requires 3-5 years of experience in a very similar position and a dozen highly advanced skill-sets.
Even work experience, internships and graduate programs sometimes ask for experience…I mean, honestly, isn’t getting experience from those roles the point.
But Forage gives you a way to undertake free virtual work experience programs at your own place, at an array of global firms.
It’s the kinda company that you look at and go ‘gee, why didn’t I think of that’.
So whether you want to spend a day learning about mergers & acquisitions at Goldman Sachs, train to work at a Y Combinator startup, design a bridge with John Holland or learn about criminal law with Leo Cussen, there’s something for everyone on Forage.
I love the idea of small-scale career experiments before diving into the deep end, and virtual work experiences seem like a perfect way to do that.
It’s the same way I think about my finances, small but regular steps in the right direction.
Awesome online educational courses
Another way to help yourself stand out from the crowd is by up-skilling yourself, with the *literally* hundreds of thousands of online courses, bootcamps and academies available online.
I’ve included some notable ones to start you off with below, but there is an infinite capacity for you to learn anything online nowadays if you put your mind to it. I even recommend developing your own curriculum if you’re really serious about mastering a topic.
Online learning platforms
- Khan Academy
- Coursera
- FutureLearn
- Udemy
- Udacity
- SkillShare
- And how could I forget, the purposeful use of YouTube
Online bootcamp providers
- General Assembly
- Lambda Code School
- On Deck
- Treehouse
- Write of Passage
- Google Training
- Discover Praxis
Rask Education money & finance courses
Please forgive me, I couldn’t help but plug our 5-star (and free) financial education courses in here. I’ve linked a few of my favourites below if you’re keen on taking control of your time and money.
- Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) Mega Course
- Beginner Shares Online Course
- Money & Budgeting: The Complete Guide
- Beginner ETF Investing Course
Are you learning in public?
One of my favourite lessons from following different entrepreneurs and startups on Twitter is how important it is to build in public. I believe this can be applied just as well to learning.
Share what you’re learning in public.
You might think no one’s watching or caring, but it’s just as important for you to synthesise and record your learning and insights as it is to build your digital presence.
When a potential employer comes across your digital profile, do you want to demonstrate to them that you’re a life-long learner?
Do you want to show them that you enjoy learning and can apply the key concepts to other projects?
Do you want to show them that you’re proactive about your career and life, and willing to share that with others?
If you answer yes to the above questions (and I hope you do), the next time you learn something interesting, take an online course or watch an engaging webinar, share your notable takeaways online.
Whether that be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Medium, Quora, Reddit or your blog, pick a platform you feel comfortable with, and just give it a shot!
Tune into our episode with Tom to learn more about the ideas discussed in this article!
