In the past two years, we’ve heard thousands of your stories on how Coursera’s courses have helped you advance your career. Many of you have been promoted, nailed interviews, or simply state feeling more confident in your current role because of the skills gained from our partners’ courses. To help you navigate Coursera’s myriad of offerings, we’re starting a new blog series called “Coursera for Your Career”, which will feature course recommendations that map to common and popular career paths. Enrolling in one of these courses – or even pursuing a Verified Certificate and featuring it on your achievement on your LinkedIn profile – can help you to proactively develop an edge in your career.
The first path we’re focusing on in the “Coursera for Your Career” series is the Business and Marketing field. Knowledge in these topics is useful for nearly anyone, as they help the millions of Courserians that work (or want to work) in a these fields. So whether you are in your first job or starting your own company, you will work better and smarter with lessons learned in these top-notch courses:
1. Introduction to Finance, University of Michigan
“I thought I knew finance until I took your class”, one learner old Professor Gautam Kaul about this course. Blending theoretical knowledge with practical applications, this course gives learners a well-rounded understanding of finance that can be applied to any career. Register Introduction to Financehere for the next session, which begins June 2nd.
2. Content Strategy for Professionals: Engaging Audiences for Your Organization, Northwestern University
Today, businesses can pursue new and prospective audiences on an increasing number of digital channels. Yet, in such a noisy environment, it’s not enough just to reach audiences, but to engage them with relevant, compelling and timely content that they will value and use in their daily lives. This practical course from Northwestern University’s Media Management Center can help you understand and craft effective content strategies to deepen user engagement within your own line of work. The next session starts in October 2014 – add yourself to the Watchlist and mark your calendars now!
3. Foundations of Business Strategy, University of Virginia
Whether you’re an aspiring manager, entrepreneur, analyst or consultant, you’ll find applied value in learning about the underlying theory and frameworks that make up a successful business strategy. This course taps interesting real world case studies (from massive brands like Disney and Apple to small industries like a microbrew business) to illustrate concepts and strategies about how an organization can position itself favorable in diverse and competitive environments. Register here for the next session, which starts June 16th!
4. Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship, University of Maryland
One of the most popular entrepreneurship courses offered on our platform, learners say this course allows them to understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur and how to develop the skills necessary to achieve their entrepreneurial goals. If you’re working on a business idea and need guidance, this is the perfect fit for you. Register for the next session starting May 19th.
5. An Introduction to Financial Accounting, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business
Not everyone that works in business studied accounting in school, but many jobs require a basic understanding of corporate financial information. Take this course to develop technical skills needed to analyze financial statements, transactions, and investments. One Coursera student told us this course allowed him to better analyze corporate quarterly reports and evaluate companies with which he works. (By the way, Wharton put their entire 1st year MBA Foundation Series on Coursera – see all the offerings here.)
6. Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies, Case Western Reserve University.
Think Silicon Valley is the only place for entrepreneurs? Think again. This course demonstrates how other cities that might seem unassuming, particularly Cleveland, are proving to be ideal places for self-starters. In addition to running on Coursera’s online-based experience, this course is also offered through our Learning Hubs program in Greece! The U.S. Embassy in Athens partnered with the ALBA Graduate Business School at the American College of Greece and business incubator Metavallon are offering additional Greek course content and in-person meet ups in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion and Ioannina. (Learn more about our global community program Learning Hubs.) This course is running now, so feel free to join the current course to browse content, add yourself to the Watchlist to participate in the next session!
What lessons or skills learned on Coursera helped you in your career?
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