Upskilling

It’s been the motto ever since the dreaded R-factor hit us a few years ago. However, it is not only a result of recessionary times, it is also simply the way most job-descriptions have been transformed into a sort of ?jack-of-all-trades?. Here’s a few suggestions for courses that you may find useful in order to stay ahead in the upskilling rat-race. Each course has been selected with the idea that it fits into someone’s professional life without causing too much discombobulation.

Blogshop// Dates and prices vary?These are the freshest workshops on the scene. Based mainly in the US, these workshops recently visited London where they were hugely successful. They teach design skills around blogging and particularly photography in order to improve a persoal blog or even a brand’s online style and presence. Employees can ask their employer to put them forward for it and you can request your city to host a Blogshop event. We’ve been hounding them to get to Dublin so watch this space.

Digital Marketing Diploma Bootcamp //August// – 1,495?Offered by The Irish Times and The Irish Internet Association, this is an intensive course that promises to teach you everything you may feel you lack confidence in when it comes to marketing your brand online. It covers social media, online advertising, SEO training and PR. Runs every Friday all day.

Influencing and Persuading // September 4^th and October 30^th // €395?An unusual though no less useful course, focuses on the rather crucial issues of ?influence and persuasion? for people in business. Another course offered by The Irish Times and The Irish Internet Association, this is a one-day course that offers eye-opening advice on how to bring people over to your point of view and how to overcome objections.

HNC in Web Design (1yr Part-time two evenings a week) // September 20^th //? €2,950?The course taught through Dublin Institute of Design gives a solid understanding of web design through both theory and real world practice. There is continual assessment throughout along with long-term project work.

Assertiveness Skills // September 2^nd and November 9^th ?// – 625?This course presented by The Irish Times, focuses in on the difficulty of getting one’s points and views across. It provides tools for how to assess a difficult situation whilst simultaneously going into strategies and models by which to deal with criticism, conflict and anger.

Roisin Agnew @Roxeenna