Let’s start with an unexpected question: do you actually need a higher education? And before your answer turns into something philosophical, we should think about all spheres that pretend like they need a higher education. But, in reality, they just want you to spend four years of your life studying something ephemeral.
As you must have already guessed, we’re talking about almighty IT-sphere that so many youngsters are trying to dip their inexperienced toes in.
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Self-Education in IT Fields
Undoubtedly, many professions of the modern commerce-driven world require a higher education simply because you can do an endless harm without being a proud owner of a shiny card. Or, as your dean calls it, a diploma.
Doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers. The list can go on and on. If these people didn’t have to study at university, we would be terrified if we had to undergo a surgery or simply cross a bridge.
But what about IT? Many universities admit that they propose an outdated curriculum to students because when it comes to information technologies, a year can change the sphere drastically.
If you studied IT at a university (or you are still there), please don’t be disappointed. Our modern economy and workplace politics often pay attention to a college degree. It’s often believed that people who hold it have an edge over others.
But if you didn’t get a college degree in IT, it’s still totally fine. The guys from https://coolessay.net/ have come up with the list of helpful sources that can help you upgrade your knowledge of IT.
Whether you run an IT business, a SaaS business, or are simply interested in learning IT, here is a list of resources that can help you fill the gaps in your IT knowledge.
Coursera
It’s professional and cool. It has a wide range of options. Coursera is like Beyonce in the world of self-education. But it’s free, in most cases. So what’s not to love about Coursera, right? You have a plethora of online courses to choose from, starting from Psychology of Cat Memes and ending with your specific IT-field.
The only disadvantage that we managed to spot working with Coursera is that Humanities have a bit worse representation on the platform which claims to cover all branches of self-education. However, taking into consideration that we’re focusing on a different sphere, we’ll just let it slide.
EdX
We know we were talking about imperfection of a higher education when it comes to IT. And guess what we’re going to propose right now? A course from a university!
EdX isn’t just any course from any university. It has a collection of the most updated and IT-fashion-forward courses from the best and most prestigious universities and super powerful companies of the globe. Harvard, MIT, Microsoft… And why would we go on with this list if these three names already give you chills?
If you don’t want any courses from universities (though these are dream institutions of millions of youngsters), you can choose a course from any IT-mogul you like. You can use this opportunity as a self-education method and it will be an awesome sentence to write in your resume when you apply for a job at Google or Microsoft.
Codeacademy
The name of the platform might give you a hint or two about what you could possibly learn from these courses. 45 million people have already enjoyed studying at Codeacademy. And they are head-to-toes happy with it. So, why not give it a chance?
The best part about these courses is that they give you an opportunity to choose from dozens of options. For example, you want to learn how to code in PHP, CSS, API, HTML, or Ruby. All you have to do is get to the website, click, and start learning for free.
Yes, you got it right. Codeacademy is absolutely free for everybody.
After doing some research, we’ve figured out what is the main difference between this baby and many other IT-related online courses. After studying a programming language with Codeacademy, you actually know how to do it! You are good not only at theory, you can nail all practical tasks as well.
Skillcrush
Who doesn’t like creative names? When you see that a platform for self-education is called Skillcrush, you always put that barrel of your expectations higher. And trust us, Skillcrush can meet all your requirements. Do you want to become a web developer? Or you’ve already started your career but want to get a raise or update your knowledge and skills? This is what you have this impressive platform for!
It offers multiple levels, so you can adjust the level of “fancy” unfamiliar words which will be poured on you during the process of studying. JavaScript, jQuery, CSS, HTML, UX, web design, and much other cool stuff that can make the heart of every IT girl and boy melt are gathered there. Just keep calm and keep coding.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy will teach you not only how to acquire a certain skill, like web developing or coding, but it will also teach you how to sell it. Let’s just admit that you decided to join the club of IT-professionals not only because it’s so interesting and exciting but also because it’s prestigious and well-paid.
Internet users are absolutely in love with Khan Academy’s math course. So, in case you want to warm your thinking cap before heading into a more serious training, you can choose any course that will suit your spirit and outlook to see how this whole system works and then dive into the magnificent world of information technologies.
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Now you probably regret that you do not know about this marvelous creation of Bill Gates’ followers. Thank goodness, it exists and its ready to show you its awesome capabilities.
If you dream to work at Microsoft, going through this course is an absolute must for you. And it’s not only about a resume, as we’ve mentioned above. If your actual profession has nothing to do with Windows, database, or web development, you will still get attention from Microsoft’s HR-team.
It would mean that you cared enough to go through a course. And it will give you a noticeable edge over other candidates. Please be attentive and hard-working while learning, because if you do manage to nail that job interview, the guys from Microsoft will expect you to actually know a thing or two about the company.
