The past two years have been incredibly taxing for all of us. In addition to wide-spread infections and deaths unlike any seen in the modern era, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has forced societal lockdowns, political crises, market crashes, and economic difficulties.
Professionals have been forced to work from home, in some cases being put into furlough or even laid off. Schools have been forced to transition into online learning. Those who have had the fortune to keep working full time have been met with unique challenges, forced to quickly adapt to remote systems using meeting platforms, shared softwares, and at-home work stations. Remote career opportunities, on the other hand, have never been more available.
Permanent changes from COVID-19
The pandemic has forced many companies to either move operations online or risk going out of business completely. Technology-oriented companies and many start-ups had already begun to transition to online systems through smart remote working, but the rest of the world has been forced to follow suit due to necessity rather than innovation.
Many professionals are feeling stagnant in their current career space. Perhaps they have lost their former position and are now at a loss on how to move forward. Or they were able to retain their job, but feel as if they are in a sort of limbo, stuck at home and simply waiting for the pandemic to end so that life can return to normal.
The new remote workforce
For better or for worse, however, the world has forever changed because of the pandemic.
Companies which have adapted their work environment to remote work recognize the efficacy, fluidity, and cost effective-ness of online work. Many are putting mechanisms in place to keep current practices for the long term, even creating new remote working positions.
This means that online capabilities and technological literacy are more important skills than ever before. Companies are searching for collaborators who not only understand the basic mechanisms of smart working, but are adept and innovative in the online space.
Finding new paths through online education
The world crisis has forced us to slow down and reflect upon our values, needs, and desires both in our personal and professional lives. But it shouldn’t necessarily translate to stagnation within our careers.
One way to amplify your opportunities, even during a pandemic, is through an advanced education programme. With online executive education, you can further your career starting now, without waiting for the world to “go back to normal”. Online education allows you the flexibility to study while keeping your current job, especially with so many of us working from home.
Advanced online certificates are a great way to boost your knowledge and expertise in specialized fields, without having to invest large amounts of time and money (as is the case with standard post-graduate programmes.) You will also gain skills in online collaboration and use of internet-based organisational tools, both of which are invaluable in the current job market.
How online programmes can heighten your professional profile
What makes EDHEC’s programmes so effective is that rather than being forced online due to various lockdowns, they were designed specifically for online instruction from the beginning.
Cohorts are intimate and provide lots of opportunities for internal online networking. Highly qualified professors are also industry experts, and design interactive coursework to work in collaborative settings both with other students and with the professors themselves.
EDHEC also truly understands the needs of online students. Each programme is approximately 75% asynchronous, meaning you can make your way through materials at your own pace, and those classes which require live attendance are recorded for your convenience. Assignments, upon request, can be extended without penalty, since EDHEC’s main goal is not to punish but rather to instill skills.
Top quality online learning
The EDHEC programmes are designed specifically for working professionals; as one of the top 10 business schools in Europe, the variety of programmes offered are all designed to give you the individual training that you need to boost your career to another level:
- the Online MSc in Data Management & Business Analytics allows to become proficient in artificial intelligence techniques and gain the managerial decision-making skills needed to take an active role in a company’s sustainable transformation projects
- the MSc in International Business Management is designed for active professionals looking to make global career transitions to more advanced work positions
- the Online MSc in Corporate Finance is a 18-month program designed to take a global approach to corporate finance in an international environment
- the Corporate Finance Certificate, for example, is a laser-focused 10-week course explicitly conceived for mid-level managers and coordinators in finance or marketing departments, who are seeking greater knowledge of corporate budgets, financial strategies, and communication techniques
Whichever way you choose to advance your career during these uncertain times, delve into EDHEC’s online programmes to take you to the next step.
