Now more than ever, IT professionals need to complement their technical expertise with soft skills and business acumen to remain on top of an ultra-competitive talent market. Well, we’ve put together a shortlist of free online business courses to help you do exactly that.
Time to level up.
Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market – edX
A little entrepreneurial spirit never hurt anyone. Even if you are a hardcore tech guy working deep within a big company’s IT department; having a better picture of how technology products go from inception to market can help you a great deal in the long-term.
This course by Harvard’s Laboratory for Innovation Science and the University of California San Diego; is part of our online business courses shortlist because of the good overview it will provide you. Especially in how business basics and critical thinking can be applied to commercialising new technologies.
Power Dressing in the Zoom Era – Future Learn
The title says it all. Since remote work has become the norm, mastering traditional ways of communicating is no longer enough. In this free, two-hour course, you will learn how to improve the image you project online.
What’s best to wear in video interviews? How can you polish your personal and business brands so that they are aligned and represent you the best possible way? How about non-verbal communication.
Introduction to Finance and Accounting Specialization – Coursera
You’ve heard it before. There’s no budget for this project at the moment. This will have to wait until the next financial year. Well, it’s about time you learn what such statements entail. If your idea of accounting boils down to household maintenance and personal budgeting; then you should probably work on developing your financial literacy.
A solid understanding of how organisations get and administer money is a must for anyone in business. Whether they are a manager or an IT specialist. This Wharton School of Business course provides a good overview of the subject.
Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution – Coursera
Have you ever gotten yourself in an awkward situation by unknowingly saying something odd to someone with a different cultural background than yours? Unless you have been living under a tree your entire life, you probably have. In an increasingly global business world, being aware of cultural divides and how to breach them is a must.
This quick course by the University of California Irvine serves as a great introduction to intercultural communication; and also about the resolution of the conflicts it creates.
Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business – Future Learn
In many ways, contract making is an art. Negotiation, risk assessment and market intelligence all play an important role in ensuring the drafting and signature of win-win business agreements. If you are an IT freelancer or have had to sign service agreements as part of your everyday job, you know what this is all about.
This course covers all you should take into account when approaching contracts for the first time, or how to improve your contract-making capabilities if you already have some experience. Offered by the University of Southampton, the course is backed by UK government & World Commerce & Contracting.
