Five in-demand short-term courses to upskill yourself in 2023

In today’s highly competitive employment sector, it has become strenuous to get the job of your dreams, or any job for that matter. One problem here is that everyone has earned the same bachelor’s or master’s degree as you. Some might have even scored better than you. So, how can you fly past your contemporaries? And let’s face the truth — a charming personality, solid references, and the cliched phrase “do you know who my father is” might get you the job but won’t help you sustain or thrive in it. To consistently experience growth in your career, you need a strong skill set. As improvements in technology, automation and rapid digitalisation have almost erased the existence of age-old manual jobs and operating techniques, it only makes sense to upskill yourself to stay relevant in this ever-so-evolving job market. In simple words, upskilling will allow you to unleash a new potential in you and widen your spectrum of knowledge. According to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), 40-50% of workers will require upskilling and reskilling by 2025 due to widespread adoption of automation. While these predictions were made in 2020, the actual impact of these seem to be surfacing now. To avoid such adversities, it’s better not to wait any longer and start preparing yourself for the challenges ahead. However, we also understand that with all the educational and learning institutes suggesting a myriad of short-term online and offline courses for upskilling, selecting the right one can be mentally exhausting. Fret not. We have compiled a list of some of the most in-demand professional courses that can boost your career prospects and make your career future-proof. Continue to read to get a brief idea about each one of them.

If a brand's target audience spends more than two hours a day on social media, it is best to connect with them digitally. Regardless of the industry, the need for digital marketing is growing. Adding skills associated with this field can equip you with a high paying job.

Search engine marketing, email marketing, mobile marketing, web analytics, branding, and conversion optimisation are some of the disciplines covered in this course. It is possible to learn a set of technologically advanced marketing skills and tools, but also work on various cases and projects under the guidance of industry veterans, thanks to online learning platforms. 3-6 months is the average duration of a certificate programme.

After the completion of this course, you can work for job roles like social media manager, digital manager, SEO manager, SEM manager and content manager. According to experts, you can expect an average salary of Rs 6 lakh per annum for these managerial roles, and it can go up to Rs 18 lakh per annum with time and experience.2)Machine learning: In the current environment, where the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing by the day, machine learning is undoubtedly a course to invest your time and energy in. The concept of machine learning emphasises on the computer’s ability to learn and improve by itself, without any human intervention. Sounds mind-boggling, right? Now, think about possessing the skills, knowledge, and algorithms that can make a machine operate just like humans. And mind you, once you master this science , you will become an asset to every prospective employer in this field.During this 6-month course, you will be given a thorough understanding of software engineering and system designing, information extraction, data modeling, computer science programming and fundamentals, applied mathematics, machine learning algorithms, neural networks, natural language processing, and more. This course can provide roles like machine learning engineer, data scientist, AI engineer, cybersecurity analyst, natural language processing (NLP) scientist, robotics engineer and software developer. To end your curiosity, the average salary of a machine engineer in India ranges from Rs 3-20 lakh per annum, depending on the factors such as your experience, the city you are working in and the company you are working for.

Businesses nowadays are engaged in cut-throat competition for survival, so they all need Search Engine Optimisation specialists to improve their marketing game. Increasing rankings and visibility, boosting web traffic, and improving the user experience are some of the things that can be achieved with the help of search engine Optimisation. There is a lot of demand forseo specialists in India, but not a lot of talent. A short-term course inseo can be a great starting point if you want to acquire an exquisite skill.

If you do a certification course in search engine marketing from an accredited learning platform, you will be able to excel in skills such as link building, website administration, and problem-solving. You will be ready to enter the markets in a very short period if you take this course.

After specialising in the above-mentioned skills, you can pick profiles such as SEO trainers, SEO managers, SEO consultants, SEO strategists, SEO analysts and SEO directors. In India, SEO managers, strategists and consultants can earn up to Rs 7 lakh per annum, whereas SEO directors can take home Rs 9-18 lakh a year.

If you're looking for an unconventional profile in the IT sector, ethical hacking is a good choice. The government and private entities use ethical hackers. The hackers make a lot of money for their skills. More than half of Indian organizations have vacant cybersecurity positions according to a report. The last few years have seen a lot of cyber- attacks. If you pursue this role, you have a better chance of being hired by an IT giant.

A short-term ethical hacking course can equip you with skills such as website hacking, ethical hacking, website security, information collecting, penetration testing, countermeasures, and mobile as well as wireless hacking. And, you can expect to become competent in this field within three months of engaging in a well-crafted hacking course. Now the pay structure. An entry-level hacker can earn Rs 4 lakh, mid-level around Rs 7.5 lakh, and senior and highly skilled professionals can haul in up to Rs 25 lakh per annum. The future of a career in ethical hacking sure looks bright.

There is an enormous demand for data scientists around the globe, but not many are aware of what data scientists do. Data science combines mathematical models, machine learning tools and artificial intelligence to simplify it for you. 463 exabyte of data will be created by the year 2025. The demand for data scientists will increase in the future.

By completing a 6-month course in data science, you can obtain skills like machine learning, data visualisation, critical thinking, data wrangling and database management, cloud computing, structured query language (SQL), and technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Through data science, you can easily get into various sectors, including banking and finance, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and e-commerce and retail. Regardless of the field, an entry-level data scientist can earn Rs 5-6 lakh per annum, whereas the average annual compensation for a senior scientist/analyst is Rs 21 lakh per annum.

There is a way forward.

A three-year college degree is not sufficient to get you a high-paying job in the current high-tech environment. You must specialise in an area of interest. A specialisation through a short-term course or certification can assist you in acquiring the needed futuristic skills. Renowned online learning platforms like Upgrad, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and Google Digital Garage offer an array of short-term courses to help you advance your career. However, we suggest that you do some research on your own to select the most suitable course as well as the learning platform.