siliconindia | | MAY 20229Educationothers, your friends, colleagues, or someone who have participated in the program and found value in it? Have you purchased other training from the organization in the past and, if so, was it worthwhile? Proceed only after getting a desirable answer from the above-mentioned queries. Remember that the name of the certification isn't all that matters, but it does carry some weight. A no-name program that means nothing to employers is less compelling than one that has an established, positive reputation.Finally, if the marketing materials are heavy on the sales-pitch and low on concrete learning objectives and testimonials from past students, be cautious. Many organizations can talk a good game, but then offer little to back it up.Nowadays, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are highly popular. MOOC is a course of study made available over the Internet without charge to a very large number of people, is increasing at a rapid rate. Course completion rates on MOOCs have been a massive subject of debate in online learning circles, with the average completion rate currently hovering around 15 percent. This rate increases dramatically, though, where students opt to pay for a verified certificate. In a study from Harvard and MIT, students who took this option were found to have a 59 percent course completion rate compared to only 5 percent when students enrolled in MOOCs without paying for a verified certificate. With this in mind, if you are serious about acquiring a certain set of skills with MOOCs and are unsure you have the necessary drive to complete the full course, then getting a verified certificate is worth it.ConclusionThis article is not meant to portray that online certifications are not worth your time and money. Yes, they are worthy, but as an individual, you have to stay alert with the requirements that you want to fulfil through the certification. Even this is true that while many jobs require one or more certifications, lots of professionals have forged perfectly fine careers without them. There are a lot of different things to consider before jumping into a professional certification program; do your research and don't get swayed by lofty promises. Don't let the complicated world of certificates impede you from pursuing what you want.
< Page 8 | Page 10 >