Very few of us love the idea of being out of work and having to find a new job. There is stress and worry attached to a job search that we must overcome in order to successfully find that perfect position.
One way to boost self-confidence is to learn a new skill or information that can be added to the resume. And therein lies the MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses – that allow individuals to learn online at any time.
Distance education, the ability to teach others who are not in the same room – or country! – has become a growing segment of many top universities. Some MOOCs use traditional course materials such as video lectures from in-person courses. Other MOOCs provide interactive methods such as forums and chat rooms that allow discourse between students and professors.
In a July 2015 online article, Newsweek provided a list of MOOCs that could be completed in 10 weeks or less and cost nothing (http://www.newsweek.com/career/43-free-career-advancing-courses-you-can-take-and-actually-finish-summer).
This list included courses in programming, design, communication, writing, languages, and entrepreneurship. The courses were provided by reputable organizations such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Coursera, and ALISON.
There are online courses and certification programs that will cost money. And some courses offered may not be what you are seeking to learn. However, opportunities to learn from MIT and Stanford professors for free are worth checking out.
Below I have listed several links to check out MOOCs and the opportunities they present.
https://www.mooc-list.com/
https://alison.com/
https://www.edx.org/
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
https://www.coursera.org/
Do a little research to identify a course that fits your needs. Then spend some time improving your skill set while you search for jobs and network. When you can speak knowledgeably to the prospective employer about a subject, your self-confidence will soar!