Traditional courses are great, but don’t you think it would be great if you could learn something really quick? Well, that is what short courses are for! Flexible, swift and a sparkle in your CV — short courses can be the game changer in your career.

If you are deliberating over taking up a short course, read this blog to know exactly what they are and how they can influence your career.

Reasons to take up a short course

There are numerous reasons you should consider a short course. Check out a few of these reasons:

  • A quick way to learn: if you want to learn something new in a short period, then taking up a short course in that field is the best option. You can also take up such courses online, as they are easily accessible and flexible. These courses also allow you to work full-time or part-time.
  • Advantage at the workplace: taking up a short course while working will show your employers that you are taking an initiative to learn and improve yourself. This could even help you in landing a promotion or a hike in salary.
  • Flexibility: short courses give you the freedom to study anywhere and anytime as per your schedule. These courses can be taken up any time and can be adjusted around your work hours.
  • Career development: these courses will provide you with work-related skills that will help in furthering your career and will also help you to:
  • Obtain specialised skills related to your profession;
  • Enhance your resume;
  • Keep abreast with the latest trends in your profession;
  • Establishes connections: studying short courses will help you in interacting with compatible individuals and people from multiple backgrounds. This would help you in establishing connections, which could be of assistance to you in your professional life in the future.
  • Broadens your scope: If you have some free time at hand, taking up a short course can be a good way to make use of that time. You could learn something new or obtain a new skill that will help in furthering your career. Overall, taking up a short course will help in expanding your horizons.
  • Costs less than a university degree: applying for a certified short course is an excellent method to learn something new and it would not cost you as much as a university degree. Hence, you will obtain quality education through easy certification programmes at a fraction of the cost of a university degree.
  • Helps in realising if you want to work in a specific field: you might want to change your professional field, but do not want to take the plunge as you believe it is risky. In such cases, you could take up a short course in the field you are interested in, and see if you enjoy studying about it. If that is the case, then changing your field would not seem to be a big risk. 

How do short courses help you in an alternate career?

If you want to work in an alternate career, taking up short courses in that field will help you to:

  • Gain practical skills and certifications that will give you a foot in the door to an alternate career;
  • The knowledge obtained from the course along with your existing skills can help in establishing your career in another field;
  • Formalise the skills you gained at work as it helps in attracting offers from different professional fields;
  • Seeing you pursue short courses to increase your knowledge, your existing employer may just help you to obtain a job in your dream professional field;
  • Form professional connections that may get you a job in the field you want to work in.

How to balance your full-time job with a short course?

Take a look at some tips that will help you to balance your full-time job while doing a short course:

  • Pick the correct course: while choosing a course, it is important that you keep your nine to five job in mind. This is because you would have to study around these timings. Ensure that the course you pick is interesting and gives you enough opportunity to obtain new skills and knowledge.
  • Prepare a schedule: since you would be juggling full-time work and a part-time course, it is extremely important for you to prepare a study plan, and then strictly adhere to it. Additionally, set reminders for completing assignments and projects that you may be required to do. Ensure you also allocate some time for leisure otherwise you can get stressed.
  • Inform your supervisor: while you are doing a short course, it is beneficial to inform your employers about the same. In these cases, they may help you with the course, and not pile on additional work on your shoulders; hence, avoiding unnecessary pressure.
  • Take regular breaks: take regular breaks and spend time doing something you enjoy.
  • Concentrate on the task at hand: another important aspect is to concentrate on the task that you are currently performing. For example, if you are in office, then focus solely on your work. Ignore any distractions and pay attention to the created schedule.
  • Employ recognised and proven productivity methods: being productive is an important aspect of balancing your full-time work and the short course. To ensure this, you can employ proven productivity methods such as Franklin Covey, Getting Things Done (GTD), and The Eisenhower Matrix.

Entry requirements for short courses

Take a look at the eligibility requirements for short courses in the UK:

  • You must be at least 18 years old;
  • Some specific short-term courses may require prior knowledge;
  • A minimum of four GCSEs (C and above) for UK applicants;
  • A score of 5.5 in IELTS (with scoring at least a 5.0 in each of the components — speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

List of short courses to enhance your career opportunities

Short courses help you in understanding the basic principles of different professional fields. These courses help you in learning new techniques that boost your CV or help you in enhancing your knowledge base. There are various types of short courses that you can opt for, such as:

  • Hair and beauty courses;
  • Job-oriented courses;
  • Courses pertaining to hobbies;
  • Accounting courses;
  • Tourism courses;
  • History courses.

London College of Contemporary Arts offers short-term courses in Graphic Design and Fashion Business.

If you want to study short courses in London, then LCCA is the way to go about it!

This article was written by Varun Mehta and edited by Anisa Choudhary.