Online Programming Training Courses

Online Programming Training Courses Online Programming Training Courses Someone I know just started a new job. She was recruited via LinkedIn, and shes sure it was because of the online courses she has taken. She added her certifications to her profile and, as soon as she did, the inquiries from employers started coming in. The online classes she took helped her transition from a marketing role to a tech role and made her much more marketable in a job market where tech rules. Even if youre not working in a purely tech role, programming skills are a valuable career asset. The more you can do, the more opportunities you will have, both in your current job and with prospective employers. If youre out of work or underemployed, these types of courses can help fill in resume gaps, as well as give you new expertise. You dont have to spend a lot on class fees and tuition. There are many free and low-cost courses you can take to get started if you are a beginner who is just getting started or an expert who wants to add to their portfolio. Heres more on free and low-cost online programming classes Jacques Bouchard, Internet Marketing Manager, Onward Search. Free and Low-Cost Online Programming Classes Whether you have no programming experience at all or youre an expert in multiple languages, theres a wealth of quality materials online that are made especially for you â€" some for free, and some for a small monthly subscription. These sites tend to cater to a very specific audience â€" whether its the level of programmer or language covered, or theyre marketing to a more youthful audience. When youre looking for an online training course that fits your needs, consider these factors: Price: You wont be paying much. In fact, free is great, and certainly possible to find. But if you give yourself a budget of $30/month for the courses, your options will multiply. Prestige: Before you dedicate an evening to a new language, consider the source. Many of the online training classes have ties with respected universities (or even NASA), or ties with companies and agencies that can consider you once youve completed the courses. Purpose: Does the site specialize in what youre interested in learning or is it more of a clearinghouse of technocentric training material? Look around â€" if youre interested in learning Ruby and you find someone who puts bread on their table by teaching only that language, youve found your starting point. Process: What is your learning experience going to be like? Will you be watching hours of videos or will there be quizzes, activities, and evaluations to help you practice as you go? Look for a site that has a useful, active forum that will help you if you get stuck. Recommended Training Courses Code Avengers: A fun and interactive way to learn HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Superhero themed and free, it provides structured, hands-on lessons for beginners on up. Codecademy: Not to be confused with the now-renamed Code Academy, this is a free resource for effectively learning Javascript, Python, CSS, HTML, jQuery, and more. Learning is 100% interactive and ideal for beginners. Frequent badges keep the format fun and encouraging. Coursera: With connections to 35 different educational facilities and universities, this free site offers a great variety of courses, each rich with quizzes, documentation, syllabi, and the like, as well as a killer forum. Targeted to all levels of learning. edX: The home of university-level courses from MIT, Harvard, and Berkeley â€" all at no charge. Classes are limited and offered with a set beginning and ending schedule. Those with at least some programming experience will be most comfortable. Lynda: Around since 1995, this website sports more than 140 instructors and hundreds of short, high-quality videos on programming and all things technological. With subscriptions starting at $25/month, the courses are best suited to those hoping to hone an existing skillset. Rails For Zombies: This is a great place for beginners to sink their teeth into Ruby at no cost. With a wide variety of quirky videos, downloadable presentations, and a browser-based tool to help you experiment with code, its sure to please. Treehouse: With agreements in place with Facebook and other companies, this is a great place to train yourself in a new skill, then get hired doing it! For $29/month, beginners can cut their teeth in iOS, Android development, starting a company, and more. Hundreds of short, amusing videos, and badges to reward you for your accomplishments as you go. Udacity Free and provided to you from instructors with a background in Google, Stanford University, and NASA, this site provides 14 high-quality courses for those interested in learning Python. The lessons are rich with tests, quizzes, and activities, and the site has an active forum where questions can be asked and answered. The site is targeted for beginners  but is best for intermediate users.