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Should I take this online course to help me get job?

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Texasmoneyman300
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22 Jul 2023, 1:06 am

Hello again everybody,
I was with family and they told me that Google is offering a free course through Coursera on data analytics. I think it may be a 6 month course or so. I dont know if its free or not because online Youtube said it was about 40 dollars per month. My family thought I would be interested in it for a career since I like to research and stuff like that. Doing research is one of my hobbies.My family said it would be a good way for me to get a good paying entry-level job.

One of my family members says he knows someone who is a data consultant and he makes big money. I am not expecting to make big money right away but it would be nice to make more than a McJob. I was online and they said the average person is not likely to get a job from this program. Also they were saying that a 40 dollars per month online course giving most people good jobs would be too good to be true.

I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying. Although my family said I could be a self-employed data consultant someday and make the big bucks. I dont know if it want to do that even if it could be working IT is just not my passion but I still want to be able to afford a mortgage someday. I have no IT experience. I saw in the reviews that the course focused too much on the theory of data analytics and not so much the practical side.

Should I take this online course?Should I pay potentially over 200 dollars for this course. Do you think I can count on it to get me a good-paying entry-level job???



Lecia_Wynter
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24 Jul 2023, 9:47 am

Sounds like another downer story of Capitalism. Let me know when you want to vote for UBI.



blitzkrieg
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13 Sep 2023, 6:15 pm

Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
Hello again everybody,
I was with family and they told me that Google is offering a free course through Coursera on data analytics. I think it may be a 6 month course or so. I dont know if its free or not because online Youtube said it was about 40 dollars per month. My family thought I would be interested in it for a career since I like to research and stuff like that. Doing research is one of my hobbies.My family said it would be a good way for me to get a good paying entry-level job.

One of my family members says he knows someone who is a data consultant and he makes big money. I am not expecting to make big money right away but it would be nice to make more than a McJob. I was online and they said the average person is not likely to get a job from this program. Also they were saying that a 40 dollars per month online course giving most people good jobs would be too good to be true.

I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying. Although my family said I could be a self-employed data consultant someday and make the big bucks. I dont know if it want to do that even if it could be working IT is just not my passion but I still want to be able to afford a mortgage someday. I have no IT experience. I saw in the reviews that the course focused too much on the theory of data analytics and not so much the practical side.

Should I take this online course?Should I pay potentially over 200 dollars for this course. Do you think I can count on it to get me a good-paying entry-level job???


In a word, no.

Websites like Coursera aren't particularly well known to employers. The courses they offer are even less well rated than those from universities or other higher education institutions. And it is difficult enough to get a job with a bachelor's degree these days, in many places.



GeekyFreak
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15 Sep 2023, 2:06 am

Hey. I'm a holder of two degrees focusing on research with a data analyst cert from a top tech university and previous CIS classes. I know how to write code for AI using Python and a bunch of other neato things. Been unemployed for almost 10 months now.

I'm not saying don't take it. I absolutely love data! I'm saying don't expect to get even a min wage job on one data course alone.

Also learn from my experience, college is cheaper. In some places community college is free to a certain point. In the US grants and waivers can help too. Check em out!



Patrick22348
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16 Sep 2023, 3:35 pm

Alot of the time these courses are only relevant for people who have a background in a particular subject or people who are in another field who want to learn some basics of this and that. It is not as easy as just attending a course and getting a job in that field, in my opinion.


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blitzkrieg
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16 Sep 2023, 4:05 pm

Patrick22348 wrote:
Alot of the time these courses are only relevant for people who have a background in a particular subject or people who are in another field who want to learn some basics of this and that. It is not as easy as just attending a course and getting a job in that field, in my opinion.


I have to agree. Most employers probably aren't going to be like:

"Oh hey, this guy has a coursera course on his resume, let's hire him!"



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17 Sep 2023, 5:31 pm

Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.


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GeekyFreak
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17 Sep 2023, 7:58 pm

DoniiMann wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.


I agree. Computers and data aren't for the faint of heart. It is something I love but my last project had me in tears and not sleeping for days. I was dealing with a small data set of only 2000. I had research projects using US Census data and...well...I thought it was fun lol. Still cried in the bathroom from exhaustion.

Mind you data analysis may require learning multiple computer languages such as Python and SQL. Then, depending on what job you do, you have to learn even more in those programs like Matplotlib, PANDAS, and TensorFlow (AI/ML.)

Not trying to scare you but it is reality.



Texasmoneyman300
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17 Sep 2023, 8:39 pm

DoniiMann wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.

Well I have been trying to pursue a career in the oilfield which is something I would be happy to do for a long time but nobody will give me the time of day.I just have to pursue it on the side with my dad because nobody will hire me.I am also interested in a preaching career but I prolly would not get hired because I am single and unmarried.



Patrick22348
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17 Sep 2023, 9:06 pm

Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
DoniiMann wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.

Well I have been trying to pursue a career in the oilfield which is something I would be happy to do for a long time but nobody will give me the time of day.I just have to pursue it on the side with my dad because nobody will hire me.I am also interested in a preaching career but I prolly would not get hired because I am single and unmarried.


Its actually f****d up how hard it is to get employment


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GeekyFreak
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18 Sep 2023, 1:20 am

Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
DoniiMann wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.

Well I have been trying to pursue a career in the oilfield which is something I would be happy to do for a long time but nobody will give me the time of day.I just have to pursue it on the side with my dad because nobody will hire me.I am also interested in a preaching career but I prolly would not get hired because I am single and unmarried.


Which position did you try in the oil field? Its more of an industry than an actual field. Sort of like how retail and medical are industries but B2B sales and oncology would be fields.



Texasmoneyman300
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18 Sep 2023, 2:57 am

GeekyFreak wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
DoniiMann wrote:
Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
I dont really have any passion to work in the field of data I am just trying to get a career going. Also I dont really have any desire to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life even if it is well-paying.


Seems to me that a career is devoting to a specific field of employment for the long term, developing your skills and work experience in that field. That's the opposite of survival jobs where you take anything available.

Careers are a great idea for people on the spectrum... IF it's in a field you're interested in. If you're not interested, then maybe a survival job might be better. At least you won't be committing long term to something you don't like.

My advice is to pursue a career in something you would like to do for a long time. Something you're happy to develop.

Well I have been trying to pursue a career in the oilfield which is something I would be happy to do for a long time but nobody will give me the time of day.I just have to pursue it on the side with my dad because nobody will hire me.I am also interested in a preaching career but I prolly would not get hired because I am single and unmarried.


Which position did you try in the oil field? Its more of an industry than an actual field. Sort of like how retail and medical are industries but B2B sales and oncology would be fields.

People around Texas use the term oilfield interchangebly with the word "oil industry" or oil business. I have a small independent oil production company with my dad but its microsopic in size.I would like to expand it at some point.I tried to get on with any role that required a degree but I never could and I got told by a job coach that the blue collar oilfield jobs wont hire me because I am disabled.My goal is to get my own leases and get a lot more wells even if they are old stripper wells but nobody will give me and my dad the time of day.



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18 Sep 2023, 4:54 am

What is the best way to acquire in-demand skills?

If sites like Coursera and Udemy aren't sufficient, what is?


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GeekyFreak
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18 Sep 2023, 12:11 pm

Texasmoneyman300 wrote:
People around Texas use the term oilfield interchangebly with the word "oil industry" or oil business. I have a small independent oil production company with my dad but its microsopic in size.I would like to expand it at some point.I tried to get on with any role that required a degree but I never could and I got told by a job coach that the blue collar oilfield jobs wont hire me because I am disabled.My goal is to get my own leases and get a lot more wells even if they are old stripper wells but nobody will give me and my dad the time of day.


Get a new job coach.

That would be discrimination. If you can physically and mentally work in the field, they will hire you. Although there is some debate on whether we should be disclosing disabilities to HR on the EEO forms.

If you want to expand your family business, get a business degree. It also covers some data analysis as well, but nowhere near as in depth. It also means that if clean energy overtakes oil in your lifetime, you won't be totally screwed.

But also ask yourself, is it what YOU want to do? I mean you came in here asking about a course in a stressful field you weren't even interested in. Are you actually interested in business and oil or just not sure where to go?



GeekyFreak
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18 Sep 2023, 12:15 pm

Tim_Tex wrote:
What is the best way to acquire in-demand skills?

If sites like Coursera and Udemy aren't sufficient, what is?


1) ID the in demand skills YOU are interested in. No point in getting a skill for a job that makes you want to cease to exist.

2) Go to an actual school. Some community colleges teach trades as well as degrees. Places like Coursera are more if you're already in/ have a background but want to get more in depth about a specific topic.

The community I went to had all sorts of trades and certifications including:
plumbing
CNA
RVT
automotive
electrical
mortuary
networking



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18 Sep 2023, 11:11 pm

Are there ChatGPT or prompt engineering certifications available?


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