Summary:
Online education has become very popular for many students. It can allow people to obtain a certificate, diploma or even a degree at their own convenience. Yet, despite this many will still not be able to take advantage of it. Why? It's because most online educational programs are very expensive. Even a certificate can cost you hundreds of dollars. And degrees or diplomas will cost you thousands. This is not good for individuals who need career training yet have lower budgets...
Online education has become very popular for many students. It can allow people to obtain a certificate, diploma or even a degree at their own convenience. Yet, despite this many will still not be able to take advantage of it. Why? It's because most online educational programs are very expensive. Even a certificate can cost you hundreds of dollars. And degrees or diplomas will cost you thousands. This is not good for individuals who need career training yet have lower budgets. However, hope is not lost since there are many companies offering free online training for various occupational skills.
Why would a company offer free online training to Internet surfers? The answer to this question depends on the company's motives. For example, http://Freeskills.com offers a membership program where visitors get access to hundreds of their training tutorials. They offer a temporary type of free online training to allow people to try their service before actually buying. Other companies, (such as http://E-learningcenter.com), offer free online training for e-mail marketing purposes. In order to have access to their free online training programs, you must provide your name and email address. This subscribes you to their newsletter, which will advertise products or services that may be of interest to you. Then there are the companies or individuals who make free online training content for their websites. They get their revenue from pay-per-click networks they may be a part of. The hope is that by reading their engaging content, you will be on the site long enough to click on one of their ads, allowing them to earn a commission.
Depending on the type of free online training program you decide to use, you may even get a certificate showing you successfully completed your training. This is the case with http://Freeskills.com, though keep in mind their free online training is temporary, (as you will have to pay $149 a year for long-term access). If you are fortunate enough to be able to get a certificate from a free online training program, make sure to make mention of it on your resume under a 'Certifications' section. If not you can still make mention of the knowledge you gained from free online training, though you will have to put it in the 'Skills' or 'Qualifications' section.
To find free online training programs, it's best if you type in the skill you're looking to learn plus the phrase "free online training" into a search engine. Be aware that some sites claiming to offer free online training programs may only have a tutorial that is one or two pages. While this may still help you, it's best if you can get something more extensive. Format-wise free online training can come in a separate interactive program, a PDF file or a regular web page. Free online training that is more thorough will be given through a separate program, (which usually can be downloaded from the company's website).
In conclusion, if you do not have the money to invest in a normal online course, consider taking advantage of a free online training program. Sure, it may not be as impressive as a certificate, diploma or degree from an accredited institution, but it can still serve as an excellent resume builder.