If you want to learn business as soon as possible, you can seek certain resources and adopt new mindsets to help you learn new skills quickly. However, the fastest way to learn business needs to correlate with your end goal. It’s not realistic to assume a short course is enough to serve as professional development, but if you just need to learn some basic skills for an upcoming project a short could could be adequately sufficient and short. Typically, the fastest way to learn business skills is to combine practical experience, guidance from professionals, collaboration and networking opportunities, and a positive, determined mindset. By considering your purpose for learning business, and reading below about all the different ways to learn business, you’ll be able to determine the best option for you.
Free Resources: The Basics
Free resources can be one of the fastest ways to learn essential business skills or to create a foundation to build upon later. They allow flexibility, are easily accessible, cost-effective, and provide practical insight and multiple perspectives. You can find free resources on platforms like YouTube where business professionals, training centers, and other credible organizations upload tutorials and short lectures on different business subjects and tools. Noble Desktop, for example, offers free samples of their classes so students can get a taste of what the full course may be like and so they can get a sense of what business classes they may want to explore. These resources are useful for total beginners and anyone looking to gain insight into the business field. With free resources, you can learn the absolute basics whether for an upcoming project or just to get started with your learning journey.
Other free resources at your disposal include in-person lectures and sessions at your local library. If this is not possible, you can always search online for websites and blogs that explain business concepts in more detail. You can also find chatrooms and discussion boards where business-minded individuals divulge their industry secrets, offer advice, and provide insight into what it’s like learning business concepts and working in the business field. Free resources are ultimately useful for beginners who want to learn more or even professionals who need to refresh their memories.
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Introductory Classes: Gain Familiarity with Business
Students who want a more traditional, interactive learning method can search for in-person and live online introductory courses. These provide a thorough education and an immersive experience while still being a quick and efficient way to acquire new skills. Introductory classes often focus on specific tools and technologies, such as Excel, Tableau, Adobe Creative Cloud applications, Microsoft Office, and Google Analytics. However, you can also find introductory classes on basic business principles, such as project management and data analytics. These classes typically last a few hours and can take place over an afternoon or can be spread out over a few days. This allows for more flexibility depending on your current schedule. Plus, since introductory courses are so short, they are offered more frequently, so you almost always have a chance to enroll when the time is right for you.
Introductory classes offer skills in the very basics, as the name suggests. They are an introduction to the subject and give you the skills needed to gain a solid foundation. These classes usually focus on technical aspects of a subject and provide more practical instruction, such as how to navigate the interface of useful business software. All in all, if you are looking to gain basic skills quickly, an introductory course is an ideal option.
Certificate Granting Programs: For Aspiring Professionals
If you want to go beyond the basics and learn as much as possible in as little time, you may consider a certificate course. Although this option isn’t necessarily the quickest, it is the best way to gain professional-level skills in a short period, particularly in comparison to other methods like university degree programs. Training centers like Noble Desktop offer certificates in business-related subjects like digital marketing, business analysis, project management, and web design. These programs are designed with job acquisition and professional development in mind, so students will learn essential business skills that suit their intended career path. The programs are practical and hands-on, providing students with practical experience that benefits them for the subsequent job search.
These courses provide an ideal blend of professional skill development and flexibility. They enable students to leave the course capable of applying their skills to the real world and offer a more focused approach than an introductory course. Because of this, a certificate course will typically avoid discussing business theory in the same way a degree program would, but they are also far less time-consuming. Certificate courses usually last a few weeks to a few months, depending on whether you choose a full-time or part-time option, whereas a degree could last anywhere from two to six years. If you want to learn business skills and begin the job search process as quickly as possible, the best option is to enroll in a certificate program.
On-Demand Courses: It Depends!
Business as a practice has been around since the dawn of civilization and has evolved substantially throughout the centuries. In ancient Greece, the main form of learning new skills was through oration, but these days, many turn to the internet to find information. A common way to learn foundational skills is through on-demand training providers. This learning format is asynchronous, meaning there is no direct guidance or feedback from an instructor. Instead, students learn at their convenience through pre-recorded lectures, tutorials, and reading materials. These courses are appealing to most as they offer flexibility, a casual learning experience, and a quick way to gain new skills. However, the pace at which you learn from an on-demand class directly correlates with the time and effort you put into studying and completing the coursework. An on-demand class could be relatively short if you focus and buckle down, or it could last throughout the allotted duration if you choose to pace yourself.
However, it is important to understand that on-demand classes are not designed for every aspiring business student. An on-demand class could be worthwhile if you want to learn a particular skill for an upcoming project and have very little time to spare, an on-demand class allows you to start learning immediately. Additionally, if you have previous experience with your on-demand class’s business subject, you will likely complete the course in less time and with less stress than a total beginner. A business professional may sign up for an on-demand course to learn new industry standards or become familiar with a software update. Plus, on-demand classes are not designed for professional development. You may end up wasting your time in an on-demand class if your goal is to gain an all-encompassing, thorough education on business. On-demand classes are a great way to acquire useful business skills and become more familiar with certain subjects and tools but are less likely to help you enter the business field.
Learn Business Skills with Noble Desktop
No matter your reason for learning business, Noble Desktop has a course to help you achieve that goal. Their Social Media Marketing Certificate teaches students how to apply marketing strategies on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Students will learn to create visually appealing and brand-identifiable content, develop a social media campaign, track marketing analytics, and connect with intended audiences. In addition to the 72 total hours of instruction, students will have access to career preparation, such as 1-on-1 mentoring, portfolio development, a free retake of the course, and a certificate of completion.
To learn more about the finance side of business, Noble Desktop’s 114-hour FinTech Bootcamp provides hands-on experience with FinTech tools and concepts like Python, SQL, financial analysis, data visualization, and machine learning. Designed to help students prepare for entry-level positions, students will develop their financial literacy and acquire data analytics skills. Students who enroll in this bootcamp can choose a free Python, data science, or machine learning class to serve as an elective and can access many similar benefits, such as 1-on-1 mentoring, portfolio development, a free retake, and a digital certificate.
Noble Desktop also has introduction courses that give students a foundation for their intended career path. The Project Management Level I course provides a practical understanding of project management and teaches students how to plan, execute, and oversee a project from start to finish. The instructor will guide students through the proposal process, starting with establishing timelines, creating budgets, and communicating with stakeholders. Students will monitor their success throughout and mitigate risk and error as needed. This course provides technical skills through hands-on experience rooted in a real-world situation. This course is only six hours and serves as an ideal way to get familiar with the project management field. Students will benefit from the project-based training and receive a free retake and certificate once the course has ended.