Great Online Courses for Remote Workers

Being a life-long learner can make a huge difference to your career. Picking up extra skills via online courses not only enables you to bring more abilities to the table, but it also shows employers that you’re passionate about growing, improving, and keeping up with the times.

Luckily, plenty of free or low-cost online options exist that allow telecommuters to conveniently fit courses into their schedule.

Here’s a sampling of some intriguing online courses from two of the Internet’s most popular and respected online learning sites:

Coursera

Whatever your interest, chances are Coursera has a class on it. True to its motto—“We envision a world where anyone, anywhere can transform their life by accessing the world’s best learning experience”—Coursera’s 2,000+ courses, taught by professors from 150 partner institutions, have attracted more than 25 million learners.

A few titles that may interest remote workers include:

1. Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator. Who couldn’t use assistance mastering this vital skill? In this course created by Yale University, students learn how to “make principled arguments that persuade others” and “see beneath the surface of apparent conflicts to uncover the underlying interests.” Opportunities to negotiate with other students using case studies help bring ideas to life.

2. Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential. Ready to use mental tools and insights to get out of ruts and do more than you ever imagined? Topics covered include career development throughout life, tackling procrastination, and keeping oneself open to change.

3. Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal & Professional Productivity. Setting goals, prioritizing, scheduling, delegating, and realizing the importance of the word “no” are among the techniques participants become well-versed in after completing this course from the University of California, Irvine.

edX

Another organization dedicated to high-quality education accessible to everyone, edX was founded in 2012 by Harvard University and MIT. Offerings run the gamut, including specialized tech and business topics.

Telecommuters may find these topics particularly appropriate:

1. Get Beyond Work-Life Balance. What sets successful flexible workers and managers apart? Explore how “you have the power as an individual, a team member, or a leader to make positive change.” A constant throughout the course is developing a personal work-life plan that applies the strategies taught to your own situation.

2. Reinvent Yourself: Unleash Your Creativity. “Sharpen your powers of observation, make surprising associations, expand your idea space, and even master how to think backwards.” This self-paced, five-step program taught by a renowned innovation expert can transform you into the type of outside-the-box thinker modern employers crave.

3. Communication Skills and Teamwork. The ability to write, speak, and collaborate will take you far in any industry. Whether you want to pen clearer messages, learn how to resolve conflict in a professional manner, or better use project-planning tools, this class can help every remote worker become a high-impact communicator.