To be or not to be, that is the question! Beginners are definitely thinking about IT courses in order to gain experience and certainly get a dream job. But the stories of friends and acquaintances are often stopped in the style of “Oh, those courses are just the bottom, a lot of people, I didn’t understand anything, I just threw away the money.” Hmm, such an advertisement for courses (no), you must agree. But why, then, the courses are still relevant, moreover, every third employee of our company has taken or intends to take specialized advanced training courses. This fact prompted us to talk with those who took the courses.

Anna Aybin, Marketing PM, 7 years in IT

• Where did you study?
• I received my higher education in Kyiv – KROK University, specializing in international information. After that I received a master’s degree at LNU named after I. Franko, specializing in international relations.
• Why did you decide to take the course?
• Work obliges! If you work in such a dynamic field as IT, then you should always keep your finger on the pulse. Everything here is developing at breakneck speed, you can fall out of context for several months and have to learn everything again – your knowledge and skills should be relevant, updated from time to time. Courses are always another opportunity to hear the expert opinion of people from your industry, meet people who are also striving to update their knowledge, find additional information, and gain some experience.
• How did you choose the courses?
• I trust some platforms and marketing professionals. I always look not only at the qualifications of the academy but also at the lecturer’s expertise. What projects he or she is engaged in, what has achieved in the field. If by these criteria everything is ok, then I will sign up for such courses.
• Paid courses or free courses?
• Paid! Because I believe that good content should be rewarded, I also believe that this is how a person feels the value of the acquired knowledge when he or she pays for it. There are many courses in the public domain, but usually, such courses provide information that you can find yourself. Paid platforms often involve specialists in the creation of courses, whose experience and time are expensive.
• Are you satisfied with the education provided?

• In the course, I received answers to questions that I would have received either by filling a lot of “bumps”, or by spending a lot of time and effort. I like the courses where there is a practical part where you can work on your project under the guidance of a mentor. The mentor will direct you to the “true path” in time and explain why you need to do this and not otherwise. It is convenient to use it in work when you are not learning along the way, but are already actively using your knowledge.
• Would you advise to take courses other than basic education and how often?
• Yes, it is mandatory, at least once a year. You have to stay updated if you work in IT and want to develop in your industry.

Olesya Emets, Email / Social Media / Creative Marketer, 5 years in marketing

• Where did you get your higher education and in what specialty?
• I studied at the Kharkiv National Economic University (KhNEU named after S. Kuznets), where I received a master’s degree in logistics and came out with the full understanding that I know nothing. Therefore, over time, I had to look for knowledge in courses. It so happened that once a year I take a course. Perhaps not great, and not necessarily for money, but I am steadily replenishing my knowledge box.
• Why did you decide to take courses?
• Because I realized that there was not enough knowledge. The university did not provide the background I needed, the university knowledge was outdated.
• How did you choose the courses?

• I chose based on trends and demand. For example, once I realized that business is moving in a digital direction, but at that time I myself knew little about it. So I spent a few days monitoring what actually existed and chose what suited my needs and was affordable. Of course, there were also disappointments. Once I took a course on which it was announced about lectures dedicated to VR in marketing. But “the teacher got sick”, and other materials were passed for me a long time ago and were not interesting. Networking was also so-so.
• Paid courses or free courses?

• Various. Both free and paid. Often on free courses or webinars, they give information that indicates the direction. You start looking in this direction and develop. I do not neglect free events, especially if they are online – you can listen and play sports at the same time, that’s cool!
• Are you satisfied with the education provided?
• Yes! I have taken many different courses. On the last paid one, I studied creative coding, namely Processing. The last free ones – project management for teams of more than 100 people. The most interesting, in my opinion, from the last courses that I took – UX research, strategic marketing, SEO fundamentals, and creative coding, of course – it won my heart. Basically I am happy with the courses I attended. But a lot of what I learned until it was possible to use it to its fullest.
• Would you advise to take courses other than basic education and how often?

• Sure. But in this, you need to know when to stop. The main thing is to understand that you cannot learn everything and knowledge loses its relevance over time. Therefore, it is important not only to learn something new but also to free your brain for this new one.

After that, it becomes clear that IT courses will remain relevant for a long time since basic education is often outdated information that has long had nothing to do with reality. Courses are a kind of race in which you try to take the maximum, our company has its own solution in the accumulation and application of knowledge. If you are a young, novice specialist, or just want to discover a new industry, not only in theory but also in practice. Every time you ask yourself “Should I take IT courses?” take advantage of the internship or find your dream job on the vacancies page. We are waiting for you in our spaceship!