There are a lot of people who approach me to take my view on the range of certifications available online or offline. My take is the following
1. Why are you doing what you are doing? This means, why do you want to do the certification? The following could be the reasons
a. Forced by the company.
b. My friends/ colleagues are doing it.
c. It will be a part of the appraisal.
d. It was my dream to get that certificate.
e. Just for the sake of it.
My take on the above
a. If the company forces it, then check how will this certification help you to do your role better. Is the company paying for it? Be clear with the payment terms and conditions. No oral business.
b. You need to work on your personality. Are you a part of the rat race?
c. If it is a part of the appraisal, is it documented with evidence?
d. Sure, pursue your dream. Check how this will help you.
e. Yes, many of us do things just for the sake of it. And it is perfectly fine.
Two important things need to be considered
1. Knowing that we all have 24 hours is knowledge. How to invest our time and where is wisdom?
2. The money we earn is hard-earned. We have made efforts and sacrifices for the amount we earn. Invest wisely.
Below are a few aspects to be considered as per my experience
1. Offline courses add a huge value compared to online.
2. No big certifications from premium institutes help as they are theoretical. The difference between the theory and the application is exponential.
3. Be brutally honest as to how the course will help. Have quantified definition so you may measure the value of the course in six months.
Groundwork to do before taking any certification
1. Speak to the faculties of the course. If they are not available. Then a strict NO. Every person enrolling must have access to the faculty to clear doubts.
2. Check if the faculty will provide handholding post the course. Else, not worth it. You need to turn to someone when you get stuck while using the course curriculum in life.
3. Check out with people who may have done the course.
4. Go through the content.
5. Do not fall for free courses. Nothing is free. Pay for the value and you will have value for money.
6. Do only offline courses. Online courses are fine for a few thousand amount. The maximum could be Rs. 10000/- or $200. Beyond this, it is not worth it.
7. Do not fall for fancy jargon, or advertisements or marketing gimmicks from premier institutes. If they are not able to give you admission as per their CET then, why pay and get a certification?
8. Check the validity of the certification in your company. Especially, the certifications in areas such as HR, AI, Self-development, Marketing, and MBA.
9. Check out institutes even if they do not have fancy marketing. Go for value and be thorough as to how you want to use the course once complete.
10. A coaching model is a thousand times better than a one-time training investment.
Gratitude
Dr. Sonali Wagle
9892673400
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