Continuous Improvement is for YOU, too: 5 Reasons to Earn an Online Certificate!

Continuous Improvement means purposefully and strategically applying a method to create an ongoing improvement services, products or processes through incremental or breakthrough improvements - and it isn't just for businesses! It is for YOU, too!

The idea of continuous improvement can seem daunting, or even too conceptual if we don't see it for what it really means: striving to become better. When we apply this idea to our own selves, professionally or personally, we can start to focus on key areas where we think we could well, simply, be better. Have you been wondering how to dive into creative design? Or take over social media management? Have you found yourself struggling to understand employee well-being, or data analytics? Are you trying to enhance your presentations and public speaking?

Take the daunting out of it and give yourself a way to turn continuous improvement into a career goal! One of the most effective ways to improve a skill or add knowledge is to take one of many free, online certificate courses. Many of us probably breathed a huge sigh of relief as we turned in that last final for that last class of our last degree - "never again!" we told ourselves. Oh, but what we didn't realize then was that we - everyone - has an innate yearning to keep learning, exploring with our brains, producing something new. That is why I encourage you to consider taking a certificate course! Here are some benefits of taking one:

WHY Earn a Certificate?

Enhance your earning potential, Increase your job security, and become more competitive in the workforce

The most obvious reasons are tied to your additional skillset, updated technical or best practice abilities, and the opportunity to show your current or future employers your new knowledge. However, you are also showing that you are a life-long learner, that you strive to become a better version of yourself, that you care about adding to your skills, and that you aren't afraid of (or, that you confront your fears of) trying something new. These are also incredibly important traits to show companies.

Additionally, if you own your own business, the skills you learn and can apply can exponentially pay off in profit as you leverage key skills to grow, improve, or pivot your business.

Increase your job satisfaction

There are many different factors that play a part in feeling satisfied in your career, including achieving a sense of autonomy in your role, having opportunities for advancement, feeling that your work has meaning and aligns with your passions or interests (often one complements the other). Completing a certificate can help you seek job opportunities that incorporate skills or subjects you enjoy.

Boost your self-confidence and find additional fulfillment

Remember how it felt to master that first simple song on the piano as a child? Or to make varsity soccer in high school? Or to ace that exam in college? People are naturally born to strive for success, and when we earn some, we feel proud, capable, and confident. This self-efficacy is a key to feeling like we can pursue hard things, that we can aim high, and that we can reach our goals! With these feelings, we will actually create a self-fullfilling prophesy of feeling fulfilled and confident, and have the courage to keep improving. And it feels great!

Become a positive role model

Whether you are a parent, older sibling or cousin, mentor, first-gen student leading the way for your family, volunteering to serve others, or simply part of a supportive team, you can show others you care about that they can learn, grow, succeed, and improve too. Learning a new skill can be scary not just at the start, but all the way through and YOU could be the person to encourage others to do the same to improve their lives.

Have fun, exercise your curiosity, and feel refreshed!

Everyone needs a release now and then. Learning something new, especially when it was OUR decision to learn it, is very refreshing. It gives us the chance to explore and use our natural curiosity, which is vital for our mental well-being. The more we can ask questions, seek out interesting information, see our work in progress, and enjoy doing something positive for ourselves, the better we will feel.

7 Online Certificate Ideas

Ready to see what's out there? Here are 7 online certificates ideas!

Hubspot Academy - HubSpot Academy is the worldwide leader in free online training for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service professionals. We specialize in comprehensive certifications, singular topic courses, and bite-sized lessons for professionals looking to grow their career and business.

Udemy - Choose from over 210,000 online video courses with new additions published every month including Python, Excel, Web Development, JavaScript, Data Science, Amazon AWS, and Drawing.

MOOC - Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free online courses available for anyone to enroll. MOOCs provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills, advance your career and deliver quality educational experiences at scale. As of now, there are 3,000+ courses!

Yale Online - Yale offers online learning opportunities for a vast and global audience. You don’t have to be a Yale student to have access to a Yale education. From online courses to on-campus experiences, there are a range of learning opportunities available for degree and non-degree seekers. Courses range the whole gammot from law to marketing to philosophy to child study.

Grow with Google - Google Career Certificates are free training, tools, and events to help you grow your skills, career, or business. Again, a whole range of interst areas, from cyber security, to data analytics, to project management, to UX design.

Ready to talk career ideas? Contact Claravia!