How are you working on your professional abilities these days? Right now, everything is changing so fast. The skills you need to grow professionally are constantly changing, and fitting coursework into a busy schedule can be a challenge. Sometimes it makes more sense to get structured training and certifications to show off your skills, and remote learning is a great way to go.
Going to school is time consuming and expensive, right? It doesn’t have to be.
There are remote options that allow you to upskill on your own time. Since there are no brick and mortar establishments involved, you will get so much bang for your buck from wherever and whenever you want. We know it can seem like the only way to get ahead is enrolling in a full or part-time traditional in-person classroom, but with advancements in technology and lessons learned as work shifts to the home office, it’s definitely possible to get a quality education in a remote environment.
There are some major benefits to keeping things remote. Here are some tips to make the most of it and continue your professional growth on your terms.
Managing your time
You are in charge of your time, which is priceless. When you enroll in a traditional, in-person learning experience, there are a lot of things that you’ll get to enjoy, but making your own schedule is not one of them.
With remote learning, you have so many options when it comes to how you engage in your courses. You can watch recorded courses when it’s convenient for you, or you can join live events across time zones to match your schedule.
Of course, part of this freedom and flexibility means you must be able to effectively manage your time. We suggest creating a weekly or monthly calendar for yourself, with dedicated blocks of time to focus on specific aspects of your professional development. It can be a hard habit to adopt, but without the structure of a schedule from a job or university, you may find yourself falling behind on your goals. Create the schedule for yourself and stick to it to make sure you keep moving forward.
Time management is also critical for when you learn best. Whether you like to wake up early and knock your courses out of the way, or you’re a night owl who absorbs information best when the sun’s gone down, with remote classes you know you can find a group of people who learn in the same way. Plus, with remote, you get to connect with people all over the world.
Setting up your workspace
Remote learning might invite thoughts of sleeping in and watching videos passively while in your bed. Don’t do that! It’s really important to set up a work/study space that is devoted to the time you spend learning. Psychologically, if you work or study where you sleep, it will make it hard for your brain to separate work and rest, which leads to restless sleep and unfocused days!
We suggest creating an office area somewhere in your home, or even choosing a local coffee shop or coworking space to create a clear boundary between work or study and relaxation. Don’t burn yourself out! Put on some music or a podcast that helps you concentrate and get down to business in your happy work space.
Be sure to invest a little in a comfortable chair if you’re going to be at the computer for a long time, and set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and walk around throughout the day. We know it can be easy to get super into whatever you’re working on and time may fly, but physical movement is very important. Don’t get stuck at your desk.
Connecting with your classmates
We know socializing is a big part of going to school on campus. But online connections can be just as valuable, if not more. Imagine connecting with a classmate in Portugal or the United Kingdom during class, and going on to meet them in person when the course is completed! You’ll be networking with people all over the world, and the connections will allow you to make big bold moves when you’ve completed your studies.
Ironhack bootcamps come with plenty of group and partnered tasks that will have you working closely with other Ironhackers who have a similar mindset to your own. Plus, when you attend an Ironhack bootcamp, the career enhancing skills you will learn are going to position you for international work. You’ll be training for the real world needs that come with the skills you’ll be acquiring. Tech jobs are increasingly remote, so studying remotely makes sense if this is the career track you want to pursue.
Pick one thing and stick with it
Focus, focus, focus! When learning remotely, focusing can sometimes be difficult. You may get distracted by friends and family, and life in general. With the freedom you’ll have schedule-wise, it can be very easy to try to take on a lot of new skills or projects. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can develop a solid understanding of one topic without putting in the time and dedicated effort.
Unfortunately, that usually leads to nothing getting done well. We suggest you take on one main new project or skill at a time. That way you can truly master whatever it is you are studying. Then move on to the next thing. Basically, don’t try to learn data analytics, Korean, and the guitar all at once without prioritizing! Pick your battles or you’ll only end up getting confused, and probably won’t become an expert in any of the three. Focusing on a single main skill will help you retain information much more effectively!
Give learning from anywhere a try!
With just a few adjustments, you truly can learn important career-growing skills from anywhere in the world. If you can manage your time effectively and create a dedicated space for your learning and growth, you’ll be able to benefit from international colleagues and networks, and hone your focus.
You will be taking a great step forward to building your career in the technology industry. Whether it is programming or design, there is definitely a masterclass for you. Just be sure to consider these tips to get the most out of your learning experience! Remember that you can always join an in-person bootcamp, but learning online is truly just as effective.
Ironhack is guiding people who want to learn from on-demand masterclasses to upskill in the technology sector and land their dream job. Our Learn From Anywhere series is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the online learning opportunity.
Try out a series of online masterclasses that we’ve handpicked to introduce you to the tech world… from wherever you are! Whether you’re comfortably nestled in your own home, on your lunch break at work, or deep in the Amazonian rainforest (OK, maybe that one’s a stretch) pick up the fundamentals of:
Or if you’re really committed, take the leap into tech with our fully remote tech bootcamps. Level up and land the job of your dreams. All you need is the Wifi and the will to try!
