Updating your knowledge and resume

This moment, of all moments that were or will be, we need to be strong for each other, in every long-distance way possible. The panic this pandemic has caused will abate only if enough of us act. What we also need is mitigation; mitigating fears and insecurities at this time of stupor, where each day brings news more challenging than the previous dawn. We may lessen our worries through numerous methods. For example, being efficient in our work-from-home tasks, taking good care of our family, searching for a hobby and pouring time into that, or taking up online lessons to enhance our knowledge. Now that most of us are inside our homes, with no added distractions, let us contemplate what we need to do and how productive this time can be for us.

Educate yourself about the Environment

To make sure you know about environment the right way, a thorough understanding of the subject is required. Of course it’s not possible for everyone to attend an offline course, or regular as you may call it, nowadays, more so, due to the lockdown. Thus, it’s better to enrol in an online course to gain expertise and certification from educational giants like Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, NASA, and the like. Some of the courses from various universities you can register for are:

1. Climate Adaptation for Human Health from Yale University
2. Reservoir of Geo-mechanics from Stanford University
3. Energy and Development from University of Queensland
4. Fundamentals of GIS from University of California
5. Climate Resilience and Adaptation for Rural Roads from University of Birmingham
6. Global Warming: The Science and Modelling of Climate Change from The University of Chicago
7. Greening the Economy from Lund University
8. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
9. Water Resources Management and Policy from University of Geneva
10. Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy from The University of North Carolina
11. Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation from American Museum of Natural History
12. The Age of Sustainable Development from Columbia University

Apart from these exclusive courses, most of which are 2 to 4 week long, with approximately a maximum of 10 hours per week studying period, Coursera and EdX also provide a number of introductory courses about climate change, global warming and in general about the environment. These courses are collected from various universities and colleges across the world with a rich and versatile faculty to help you through every task. The duration is 2 to 6 weeks at an average. Each course provides you a certificate at the end of completion of all worksheets and homework. It is better to begin with a short duration, simple course and work your way up to more advanced ones.

Merits of Online Learning

Online learning is easy, advantageous, time-efficient, cheap and most of all can be accomplished from anywhere. Video lectures, assignments and forums help you through the whole learning process.

After getting certified, you can enlist your progress for every employer out there. Updating your resume and cover letter with certifications from prestigious universities can help in landing a good job. Online learning also efficiently develops your overall knowledge on the subject. So, you might not find it difficult to converse with people from various organisations related to the environment.

Additionally, your company might find it useful if you are well informed of the regulations that need to be taken care of in a start-up or an already established business. Your social media profiles, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter would help in relaying your expertise to a larger audience. You may even be offered freelance jobs on a good enough stipend. Updating your LinkedIn profile with these certifications will do wonders for your professional image.

Utilizing your time to be productive during this lockdown is one of the most efficient ways to grow, and rid your mind of anxiety. So when all is said and done, and we emerge from this pandemic, you would have gained new perspectives and ideas to help yourself and the world you are living in.