Continuing Education Certificates

CChN

Toying with the idea of adding to my bachelors degree:

A lot of my local universities offer continuing education certificates that can be completed on a part-time basis. For instance, Business Management Fundamentals, Risk Management, etc. Problem is, 6 core + 2 elective courses adds up pretty quick when you consider the fact that each course runs for $300 - $600.

Does anyone have any experience with these part-time programs? Any stories on how a continuing education certificate has directly advanced your career?

PC509

I'd like to know the same. I'm working on a certificate of completion (for credit courses, but similar) for Computer Security to compliment my AAS degree and other certifications.

I think it should be a huge positive, as it shows you are improving your skills and knowledge.

skrpune

I've had some interest in continuing education credits/classes that I had listed on my resume, which were for soft skills & were offered through the staffing company that handled human resources stuff for the company I worked for. They were day-long training sessions with exercises & group activities & quizzes to be sure we "passed" and we got little certificates at the end of the day. Not sure if that's like what your local university is offering, or if they're offering more extensive training - are you talking about several week long sessions where you get a certificate of completion in XYZ subject?

Thankfully, I didn't have to pay for any of the training I took and honestly, I probably would never have taken these classes if I did have to shell out the cash for them. But company who offered me a job (which I subsequently turned down for various reasons) told me that they use the same classes and that they'd pretty much guarantee me a management-track position after a year or so because I'd already taken all that training. So take that for what it's worth.

The classes I took (offered through the "Administaff University Program") were: giving recognition; priority management; launching & refueling your team; discovering individual styles of communication; influencing for win/win outcomes; moving from conflict to collaboration; giving & receiving constructive feedback. It earned me 21 continuing professional educational credits, or 2.45 continuing education credits. Not sure what that translates to in the real educational world, other than some touchy-feely stuff and showing folks that I have some training on how to interact with other real life humans.