So, you’ve gone through the hassle of registering and starting an online course for whatever reason you decided, and you persisted through the challenging or dull parts. We have some helpful advice for you on what you can do now that your online course is over.
1. Celebrate Yourself
No matter why you chose to enroll in the online course, it's important to celebrate yourself. Post about your accomplishments, tell people about the core things you were able to learn, and if you have plans that you like to actualize, influenced by the online course, add that too.
Outside of that, you could also treat yourself to something nice. If you are a foodie like me, buy yourself something delicious to celebrate your accomplishment. You deserve it!
2. Don’t Pressure Yourself (Yet)
I know it’s easy to want to go straight to work now that you’ve learnt the basics or a lot from the online course that you took, but you mustn’t pressure yourself into anything, at least not after you’ve just completed the course.
Breathe for a moment and focus. Reflect on the things you were able to learn. Ask yourself why you decided to take and complete that course, and align your plans towards reaching your initial goals. I promise you that taking baby steps won’t hurt your feet at all.
3. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Let’s face it, we as individuals probably don’t just want to work; we also want to be an influence. We want to be known by our industry or at least by our future employers that we are the ones that can get the job done.
We want to be recognized for our skills and rewarded for our efforts because we’ve worked hard. But that’s only possible when we’ve taken enough time to practice what we’ve learnt.
“Practice makes perfect.”
Want to show the world proof of your skills? Now’s the time to put in the work by practising until the results show.
4. Get Connected
This is 2022, and trust me when I say that no one gets to the top alone; in fact, no one builds alone. In practically any industry, there are at least ten online communities where people may exchange ideas, information, or opportunities. Join the communities or follow people you think could add value to your progression. Follow people that have gone ahead of you in the field of your study, and reach out to them for tips, resources and opportunities.
Ask questions. Learn more about how your industry is in the work environment. Join sessions (offline/online) or twitter spaces. Engage with people in similar fields. Reach out to the people, lecturers, facilitators, organisers or colleagues that handled and took the course with you. Try to be vulnerable sometimes; relatability gets people closer, and it allows you to be open to criticism, which helps you improve. You don’t have to struggle all by yourself.
5. Apply for Internships or Jobs
So soon? No, remember, we are supposed to take things one step at a time. Celebrated yourself? Pressure down and steady? Practised a lot yet? Made some new friends or learnt a lot from the communities or people you’ve followed? Yes? That’s awesome. It’s time to apply for that internship. Yes, please apply for that job. You get to learn better because now there’s pressure, external pressure.
There are also several activities to attempt and people around to help you understand your tasks better. Don’t feel intimidated. Puff out your chest. You’ve got the skills that deserve a position at the companies you can apply to, and even if you get rejected, don’t give up. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
6. Keep Going
Keep learning, continue building connections, and take breaks when you should. Learn more about your field and take more advanced courses. Follow up with communities and engage people. Find a new hobby and rest when your body tells you. Only a well-rested and healthy mind can dream big.
7. Continue to Believe in Yourself
A bit cheesy, I know, but it’s essential for us to always believe in ourselves. No one can do for you what you should do for yourself, and that’s why it’s you that has to be your biggest fan.
Believe in your efforts, skills, experiences, and achievements. Not to brag, but to constantly be confident and to remove any doubts or noise that may surface. Believe you belong there. Fail a thousand times, and make it work one more time. You’ve got this!
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