The rate of unemployment in Africa is something to worry about, this is one of the reasons for the importance of professional courses. After graduation, many individuals are faced with the uncertainty of how to make the next move. But then, people are building successful careers in this Black Continent.
Professional courses could be studied right in the university, polytechnic, or even college of education. This is dependent on the course you studied. These professional courses seem to be the best bet in Africa because the majority of graduates with professional certificates do not have to climb a mountain before they can land a well-paying job.
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What about those who did not study any professional course? Does it mean they are doomed for life? Far from that!
If you are not lucky to find a job after graduation, you can create one for yourself. Self-employment is one of the fastest ways to climb the ladder to financial freedom in Africa. To be able to overcome the problem of unemployment or acquire more certificates to improve your qualifications, you can opt for a professional course. There are so many of them and they are more applicable and direct to a job. Certificates obtained from professional courses are highly regarded which makes it a good booster for the job you seek.
For job seekers and fresh graduates with little or no experience, professional courses can add some weight to your curriculum vitae (CV) and make up for the job requirements. Below are the top ten professional courses you can do in Africa after graduation:
Table of Contents
1. Centre for Law and Business Certification
The Centre for Law and Business Certification prepares individuals to become leaders and managers in business. With the certificate, you would be able to acquire practical experience in business law and general business context.
2. Certified Cost Engineering Consultants
As a graduate of engineering who wants to go into engineering consultancy, this course might be your next plug. This organization serves the profession globally and can be taken by technical or engineering graduates.
3. Financial Risk Management
This course is suitable for graduates of financial courses or related disciplines. Those who need to work in a financial institution can also grab the opportunity to enlarge their coasts. The certificate would not only boost your CV, it would also offer you better chances of being employed.
4. Institute of Management Technology
This certification is mainly for graduates who wish to acquire a short-term certificate in management. This is irrespective of your field of study; all you need is your degree or post-secondary certificate to be qualified to participate in the Institute of Management Technology.
5. Health Safety Environment
Safety has always been regarded as a number in all our dealings in life. Virtually every firm in the world needs safety professionals. This professional course is mostly recommended for both undergraduates and graduates of engineering and environmental sciences.
You could take advantage of this professional course to earn yourself a better position in the labor market.
6. Project Management Professionals (PMP)
Project Management Professionals is a professional course that could be taken by anyone, regardless of the person’s field. Be sure you are taking the course in an accredited institution so that your certificate can carry some weight.
7. Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM)
This institute was initially known as the Association for Practitioners and Personnel Management and was established as far back as 1968. The certificate is offered to intended personnel managers who underwent professional personnel management training programs.
8. Oil and Gas Safety and Health Management System
This is an important course in the oil and gas industry. Participants are taught how to manage occupational safety and health risks, risk management courses, the implementation process of occupational safety as well as safety and health management in the industry. Professionals whose ambition is to start a career in health and safety can jump on the train and get certified.
9. Petroleum Refining and Processing
Professionals in this category are equipped with strong skills in upstream and downstream operations as well as decision support in petroleum refining and processing. They would be able to adopt, combine, implement, and execute the right operations in any petroleum refinery. Additionally, the course would help them better understand the modern integrated petroleum refinery and crude oil generation and migration.
10. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has become a buzzword among IT professionals. As long as people use Google, Amazon, and other big shots in cloud technology, the course will remain relevant. If would want to set a pace in cloud computing and develop your career better, then, you better act fast.
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Reasons You Need Professional Development Courses
Some people always ask if professional development courses are important since they have their degrees or diplomas. More so, they could have gone straight to take their master’s degree and when there is no money or time for such a commitment, they feel stuck in life.
The truth is that the world is changing fast and there is an increased demand for specialized skills. You would not want to wake up one day and realize that you are no longer fit for your job or you could not make enough money to take a master’s program as you anticipated. A professional development course might be your saving grace in such a condition.
However, you don’t need to be out of a job or financially handicapped before you can get yourself equipped with the relevant skills needed for you to climb the next ladder. A professional development course is a learning technique that would equip you with the skills necessary to perform a task that could help your career decision. You could also take it if you are already on the job and need to improve your existing skills.
Not to worry, professional courses are accredited by professional bodies and are usually offered at a low cost. The payment plan is also flexible, giving you room to pay at a pace comfortable to you so far you can finish the payment before the end of the course.
So, why should you study a professional course?
1. It is practical
A professional course is very specific training that is both practical and targeted at improving your skills. It is best taken when you are already in the industry or have plans to move towards that professional direction. The things you learn in the course could benefit your day-to-day activities around your job or even your life.
This will also help you to learn emerging trends in the industry. Your memories are also refreshed on the things you might have forgotten, especially, things you learned while in school.
2. Professional courses help to improve your CV.
The professional bodies that organize these professional courses are usually the big fish in the industry that set the industrial standards. When you gain more knowledge and skills about your job, you will be able to improve and build your capabilities.
Furthermore, your CV will do more talking about you before you are even invited for an interview. Most employers choose those graduates who undertook one or two professional courses over those who did not. This also comes in handy when it is time for promotions. With the improvement of your skills, you could negotiate for a salary raise or even go for a job that recognizes your worth.
3. Easy change of career
You can easily change your career when armed with a professional course. If your current career is tedious and you do not see yourself thriving in it in the future. Or maybe, your current job does not fit what you would love to be addressed as you might want to shift gears and move towards another direction.
Considering a professional development course may give you the chance to do all that. You would be better equipped with relevant skills that would help you make the right decision and adapt faster to the new career.
Options to Consider When Selecting a Professional Course
When considering a professional course, there should be guiding principles to help you go for what you need and not what you want. You do not need to go for a marketable course or course that is popular. If it has no business with what you need to become in the future, it has no business with your current situation. A professional development course that is not suitable for your career is not needed by you. Below will guide your decision on the right course to go for:
1. Consider your career goals
With a professional development course, your career should leap over the top. You will need to consider the specific goals your career decision would help you achieve – career change, promotion or just acquiring more skills. With this, you should be able to know the right course to go for and the institution that would help you achieve that.
2. Consider your area of specialization
By now, you have known your career goals. You do not choose a professional course before your career path. This is one mistake some people make and it often leads to tons of regrets. It will be better to take it up when you are already in the job because it will guide your decision on what you need. Nevertheless, you could also make the choice even after you discover that you are on the wrong path and want to make a U-turn. As a fresh graduate who is already aware of what career path to follow, you can take up a professional course in that field and keep forging ahead.
3. Consider the content of the course.
Stake a good look at the curriculum or scheme of work of the course you are going for. Do they tally with your choice of course? Are what you are going to learn able to help you in your future? Will you be able to execute the skills in your daily job requirements? If the answer is no, then, you might consider a change of mind. In a nutshell, analyze if what you want to learn is going to be relevant in your career. Also, you need to know if they are trending topics and would be relevant in the market.
4. Consider your level of knowledge
Professional courses should be able to fill the knowledge gap. You are not taking a course to acquire a certificate for what you already know; you need it to upgrade your skills. Therefore, you can analyze your course content to see if they are relevant to you.
5. Consider your learning flexibility
If you are working, for instance, you would need a program that would allow you to combine it with your work schedule. Ensure that your time is flexible enough to accommodate every other commitment you have. You could also talk to the course providers to see if you could be permitted to study at your own pace. In addition, the course should not be too long as you need an adequate length of time to earn the skills you need at the right time.
Conclusion
When your skills are developed, you will have more options available to you. Professional courses help you to achieve that. Your knowledge would be widened and you would stay abreast of the current trends in the market. It should not be a one-off something; you can take it from time to time as the case may be. Nowadays, some of these professional bodies are going online. So, it might be easier for you to take the course of your choice, even while working.
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