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A MOOC For Career Success

Published: May 22, 2014

 Interviewing       Job Search       Networking       Resumes & Cover Letters       
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There are lots of online courses out there that could, theoretically, help you on your way to career success, especially if you’re looking to pick up new skills (in fact, I wrote about one of them here). Typically, though, there's a drawback—the skills you acquire after a few weeks of online study tend to be fairly rudimentary, and require practice and use before you can confidently sell yourself on them in the job search process. 

But what if there a MOOC that helped you to do just that—to take the skills and abilities you already have and use them to identify and land a position? That's the approach behind a new course being offered by Coursera, created by two instructors who are career specialists at the University of London. 

Beginning May 27th, the course tackles a different question every week of its six-week duration. Here is the full six-week program, courtesy of Coursera's decription of the program.  As you can see, it aims to take students on the journey from discovering what they want to some concrete steps for achieving those goals.

 

Week One: What do you want? – Self Awareness

  • What do you need from your career? Identifying and assessing careers values.
  • Self-discovery or self-creation – where does your true career identity reside?
  • Can you predict what will make you happy? Common problems in anticipating the future.

Week TwoWhat can you offer? – Skills Awareness

  • Can you speak the secret language of skills? Evidence your achievements in a meaningful way.
  • Making yourself instantly attractive. What skills are employers asking for?
  • How can you build your skills? Education and experience – what’s the best investment?

Week Three: Are you ready to find success? – Career Readiness

  • Are you open to opportunities? What behaviours increase your chances of getting lucky breaks?
  • Are you using the right methods? Which ways of finding opportunities are right for you?
  • Can you create your own job? Intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship.

Week Four: How do you express yourself? – Articulating Your Experiences

  • Are you using the right medium for the message? CVs, portfolios and other ways of selling yourself.
  • Your personal brand. What does your on-line profile say about you?
  • Can you decode job descriptions? A step-by-step process for preparing better applications

Week Five: What impact do you make? – Making a Good Impression in Person

  • Do interviews always have to be nerve-wracking? The secrets to interview confidence.
  • Can you deal with bad interviewers? Common interviewer weaknesses and how to use them.
  • Can you increase the chances that people will like you? Maximising first impressions.

Week Six: How do you build fruitful relationships? – Networking Online and in Person

  • Does networking actually work? The benefits of loose ties.
  • Are you using online media effectively? How LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can help your career.
  • Is networking just for job hunting? The social workplace and the power of relationships

 

Of course, not everyone will benefit from this kind of course. But if you're someone who isn't sure what to try next in your career, it may be just the approach you're looking for.

 

Read More: 

Coursera:Enhance Your Career and Employability Skills

Vault: Can a MOOC Boost Your Career? This One Can!

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