Comments on: Continuing Education – It’s Not Just For Employees

By: 10 Amazing Free Online Writing Courses | World's Greatest T-Shirt

10 Amazing Free Online Writing Courses | World's Greatest T-Shirt — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:01:16 +0000

[...] Continuing Education – It’s Not Just For Employees [...]

By: Extra Income for Students | Living in Debt

Extra Income for Students | Living in Debt — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:11:29 +0000

[...] Continuing Education – It’s Not Just For Employees (freelancefolder.com) [...]

By: Thiago Cavalcanti

Thiago Cavalcanti — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:52:21 +0000

Great work that shows off what one has learned is the best credential anyone could ever want.

I for one would never hire someone because of a piece of paper. YMMV.

By: Julian

Julian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:03:12 +0000

Great article Laura. I personally enrolled myself in a 1-year certificate course and found it be highly rewarding. Not only did it give me a better understanding of working with people but I also made a great contact.

It would be great if you did a Monster List of HIGH-QUALITY Online Courses/Webinars/CD-Based training for web developers, writers, or other creatives.

You see, I knew about online courses and the like from day one but there’s so many offering that I can’t separate the good from the bad.

By: Laura Spencer

Laura Spencer — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:28:57 +0000

Dave – What a great idea!

It’s innovative and combines networking and learning. Plus, it’s not expensive. (Perfect for the freelancer!)

By: Dave Bull

Dave Bull — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:10:18 +0000

I get together with a group of other freelancers and consultants every other month and we practise on each other for the day – presentations, training exercises, group coaching, facilitated discussions, a variety of things that help us each continue to grow and learn.

By: Laura Spencer

Laura Spencer — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:09:41 +0000

Thanks Lexi!

Well, years ago one employer made this comment about my STC (Society for Technical Communication) membership – “It shows that you’re serious about technical writing.”

The comment stuck with me and I think it’s applicable to freelancers getting training – if you invest in training in your field it shows that you’re serious about freelancing. . .

By: Lexi Rodrigo

Lexi Rodrigo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:58:40 +0000

Laura, this is such an important topic. Thanks for writing about this! Freelancers need to realize that the only way they can set themselves apart from their competition – and charge higher fees – is by continuing to develop and improve their skills.

I myself was surprised when my clients got excited that I had taken Frank Kern’s Mass Control course. It was a significant investment but an important one, since I am a copywriter after all. And, given my clients’ reactions, a good one.

Keep these great posts coming!

By: Laura Spencer

Laura Spencer — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:59:19 +0000

Thanks Chris and Maxmilian!

Maxmilian – Thanks for the tip about the tutorials at lynda.com. I’m off to check them out myself!

By: Maximilian Bartel

Maximilian Bartel — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:35:26 +0000

I think so too – most freelance businesses simply require to learn continuously in order to improve skills or expand fields, but I also think that many people like me really enjoy learning new things which can be used somewhere.

In order to save time and do this as soon as I can, I really like screencast tutorial sites like lynda.com for example. They often just cover the basics in 10 – 12 hour courses but I usually learn something I didn’t know before and it’s definitely a good start to get an idea about something and to proceed learning on my own.