Why College Students Should Take Professional Courses in School

Why College Students Should Take Professional Courses in School

Professional courses are recognized qualifications awarded by professional bodies within a particular relevant industry. These courses are usually a follow up to a degree or its equivalent qualification though not in all instances. There are different professional courses available in Nigeria and they include;

• Institute Of Chartered Accountants Certification (ATS/ICAN) – Register Here
• Cisco Certified Network Associate and Cisco Certified Network Provider (CCNA/CCNP) – Register Here
• Oracle Certification Programs – Register Here
• Hubspot Design Certification Course – Register Here
• Google AdWords Certification – Register Here
• Project Management Professional
• Chartered Financial Analyst and Financial Risk Management (CFA/FRM) – Register Here
• Professional in Human Resource International (PHRi) – Register Here
• Digital Marketing Certification – Register Here

These are just a few professional courses that you could take irrespective of your discipline in the university. Now to the main question of the day;

Why take a professional course?

Professional courses are practical

Professional courses give you an insight on what to expect when you have a job. They help to improve your skills and prepare you to handle a job properly. Because they are practical, you have a firsthand experience on how to carry out the duties that would be expected of you and this could go a long way to help you in the labor market. These courses help to put a lot of the things you have been taught into practice and this puts you above a lot of your colleagues in school.

Flexible learning opportunities

Schools that offer professional courses for undergraduates know that you are a student and you have a schedule, this has made them structure the learning process and make it more flexible so you can meet up. There has been a rise in online platforms for learning that offers tutorials at your own pace and time. This enables you to acquire the needed skill while still attending school and pursuing your course of choice.

Keeping up with trends

The world is evolving and the pattern of business is ever changing. In order to stay ahead, people need to continuously learn and keep up with these changes. Trainings that are very useful and available in these times include social media management, digital marketing tools, and Google analytics. As these have become important knowledge to arm yourself with for almost any job available in this present day, it is important to constantly learn and stay informed if you plan to excel in your chosen field.

Helps to improve your resume

These courses are offered by institutions that set the standard in a particular industry. Getting a certificate from one of those institutions not only sets you apart instantly but improves you resume as you gain more skills and knowledge. Most employers would want to know what professional courses you have taken so as to determine if you are suitable for a job you are applying for. Having certification in a course that improves your output could not only make you a good choice but might even improve your chances of earning more.

Makes switching careers easy

If you feel like you don’t connect with what you are studying in school or you have no interest in it and you may want to try out something more exciting, a professional course is the right choice for you. You would gain practical knowledge in the field you are interested in and get skills that you can apply in the chosen industry.

Avenue to network

It is not only students that take professional courses, some people already in the industry take these courses to keep up with tends, improve their CVs or get better at what they do. Taking a professional course is an opportunity to meet people and network. It boosts your chances of getting in touch with people in an organization you are interested in and helps you to get business contact which you might need when you get out of school.

From all the points mentioned above, it shows that it is necessary to take a professional course to have a chance in the labor market. Every year, about 500,000 graduates go into the labor market (quartzafrica.com). With such a large number plus the number of unemployed, there are simply not enough jobs for everyone. It becomes a case of “may the best man win” (not factoring in nepotism and connections). Equipping yourself with one of these certificates gives you some sort of leverage over your peers.