[Originally published on medium.com on 05/21/2016]
College is a big deal. Your parents either went to college or wanted to. College is the gateway to the promised land. Er…was. College is grossly overvalued at this point. The average cost of a four year college education in the U.S. is approximately $130,000. In comparison, the average house costs roughly $180,000. What if you could get the type of return on investment, that owning a house can deliver, without that big cloud of debt hanging over you? There are many ways to add skills to your resume that employers are looking for, without having to go into debt. Here are five companies and organizations that you can start with:
- Duolingo: This app lets you learn so many different languages and for US students, being bilingual makes you a more desirable candidate. So many positions will pay extra for someone who is fluent in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and many other languages. A downside of this app is that it largely consists of vocabulary, and not as much on concepts or conversation, but it’s a great start to learning new languages. I currently use it for Spanish, French and Russian! Oh and the app is free. [https://www.duolingo.com]
- Alison.com: This site is incredible. It accumulates a wealth of online education courses from colleges around the US and even internationally. I’ve taken an introductory French language class from UT-Austin on this site. The courses are free, and the certificates range between $25-$50. [https://alison.com]
- Skillcrush.com: Skillcrush is an interactive online learning community focused on tech education. While it’s geared towards women, it’s open to all who are looking for an easy and fun learning experience. Straight from their website, “…we believe that learning digital skills should be entertaining, delightful, and approachable.” The site also includes links to current job openings. [https://skillcrush.com]
- Codeschool.com: Code School is similar to Skillcrush in the types of education it offers. The big difference, is that while skillcrush is focused heavily on instruction, code school is focused on materials and geared towards more independent learners. It’s pretty much tutorials and videos, and that’s about it. Depending on your learning style, Code School might be a better option for you. It’s also roughly $29 a month for full access to their programs. [https://www.codeschool.com]
- National Association of Enrolled Agents: This organization is incredibly helpful if you are interested in becoming a tax professional, specifically an Enrolled Agent. While Enrolled Agents are required to understand taxation fully, and to a higher extent than CPAs or Lawyers, they are also less restrictive in terms of how they go about their learning. The NAEA has tons of tools and resources to those who are already Enrolled Agents and those interested in becoming an enrolled agent. Oh and there is plenty of work available for those who understand taxes! [http://www.naea.org]
- Bonus Material: Who doesn’t love bonus material? Something that has helped me with learning is listening. There are tons of podcasts out there to help folks who are trying to learn new things. A few podcasts that have helped me in these areas are ‘Learn to code with me’ by Laurence Bradford, and Radio Lingua Network’s ‘Coffee Break French’. I have yet to find a good tax podcast, but if you know of one let me know.
As you can see the focus for these have been primarily in three areas, Language, Code/Software, and Taxes. But here’s the thing: those skills and fields are in demand! With these options, you don’t need to spend $130K, $200K or $250K on an education that will become outdated in a few years. If you’re interested in any of these careers but have questions, feel free to tweet me Staniel Day Lewis. Happy Learning!
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