10 Free Digital Resources to Upskill Yourself from Home

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Written by Nicole Estwick, Careers Consultant at UCL Careers.

With everyday routines changed for the foreseeable future, plans may have taken an unexpected turn, whether that is through alterations to upcoming jobs and internships or simply completing more of your work remotely.

However, there are a number of resources you can access to progress your career planning and upskill yourself from the comfort of home. Some are designed to enable you to develop knowledge or gain technical expertise in a completely new area, whilst others may help you to improve on existing skills.

In this post, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best resources you can access right now in preparation for your future career:

1. LinkedIn Learning

In recent years, LinkedIn has become a vital tool for individuals looking to build their career, whether that’s through securing their first professional role after graduation or progressing onto more senior positions. Alongside the opportunity to search for jobs, network and connect with professionals, LinkedIn also offers a brilliant online learning resource called LinkedIn Learning.

The LinkedIn Learning platform offers over 6,000 courses in a range of areas including Project Management, Leadership and Problem Solving and as a UCL Student these are free to access online. On completion of any LinkedIn learning course you also have the opportunity to gain a certificate which can be added to your personal profile showcasing your credentials to potential employers.

Need an introduction to LinkedIn? Start off with the Learning LinkedIn for students course which provides a step by step overview of the platform.

2. FutureLearn

FutureLearn has an extensive catalogue of courses on everything from business and media to literature and history. Its courses offer a chance to learn a condensed version of a particular subject in a similar format to a university module.

Alongside subject specific content, they also have a range of tips on work and study where you can learn how to develop research projects, write essays, and look into how to apply for opportunities and master job interviews.

3. Code Academy

You may have not have considered coding before, but it’s increasingly becoming a highly sought after skill across a number of roles. Based on your reasons for wanting to learn how to code – whether it’s for web development, programming or data science – Code Academy has tailored courses to set you on the right path. The majority of their free courses take less than ½ day to complete, and there is also an option to take on more advanced courses if you are looking to build on your existing coding experience.

4. Google Digital Garage

With digital connectivity being at the core of so many businesses, Google Digital Garage is on hand to equip individuals with the essential skills required for working in a digitised world.

Across a range of videos, webinars and online articles, the platform offers teaching on how to build your presence on the internet – so that you can effectively shape what potential employers see about you online– and for those looking to move into self-employment or start their own business there is guidance on how to build your business online, make the most of digital advertising, and get to grips with the basics of social media and data insights.

5. Skillshare

For those seeking to develop their creative skills, Skillshare offers online learning focused on classes tailored for individuals with interests in topics including design, photography and video-making.

Users can opt for free or paid classes to learn a skill in their area of interest with over 1,500 classes available as part of their basic service.

6. Alison

Alison is another online platform which offers free online courses taught by world-leading experts in their particular field. From soft skills such as time management and productivity, to industry-based skills such as digital photography and web design, they have a broad variety of courses most of which have an average complete time of 2-3 hours. On completion, you will receive a professional certification or in some cases you can even go on to secure a diploma in your chosen area.

7. Duolingo

With the job market becoming increasingly globalised, being able to speak more than one language is another specialist skill growing in demand from employers.

To boost your skills in this area, try Duolingo– an app that offers an opportunity to learn or improve on your language skills in as little as 5 minutes per day. It is also a valuable resource to have if you are looking at international work experience or preparing to study abroad as part of your degree.

8. Open university:

The Open University has been highly regarded from its inception for its online learning. Whether you are looking for subject specific content or courses on skills such as leadership, building relationships or commercial awareness, they have a range of free courses designed across introductory, intermediate and advanced levels so you can follow along at a pace that is right for you.

9. Coursera

Coursera is a platform created by US academics where you can receive access to on-demand video lectures, exercises, and community discussion forums supported by leading universities and companies including Stanford, Yale, Google and Amazon.

During this period, Coursera have expanded the range of free courses available in their catalogue. More details of this can be found here

10. Springboard Data Analysis

Data is a core function of business operations and so data analysis is becoming an increasingly important skill employers are looking for. Springboard provides an opportunity to develop skills in this area through their curriculum which covers topics including statistics, data visualisation and analysing data sets, alongside machine learning and computer programming. It’s a valuable resource for developing technical skills if you are looking to pursue a career in data or a related field.

These are just a selection of some of the digital resources that are just a few clicks away however further help and support is also available from UCL Careers.

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/resources for details of additional materials that can be accessed from home.