Introduction:
Information is one of the hottest commodities these days. We live in a digital age and never has there been a time when information products were so highly in demand.
To cater to this huge need, several marketplaces have sprung up offering courses, training, certification, etc. to tap into this profitable niche. One of the biggest and most popular information marketplaces is Udemy.
One might even consider it an online college where you could seriously improve your skillset by signing up for courses that will allow you to bring more value to the marketplace.
You’ll not only be paid better, but will accelerate your progress by learning fast.
Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of Udemy…
The Pros
- Wide selection of courses
This is Udemy’s strongest selling point. There is no shortage of courses on the platform. You can find training for just about anything you want to learn such as: design, health and fitness, marketing, content creation, business, finance, productivity, music and much more.
The list above is just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll be blown away when you see the selection.
- Choose your trainers
There are thousands of different course creators on Udemy. They all need to meet certain standards set by Udemy before they can publish their course on the platform. That ensures some level of proficiency among the trainers.
That said, some trainers are better than others and you can choose which one you want to learn from. You have a lot of flexibility here.
- Certification
Udemy will give you a certificate every time you complete a course. This will not only give you a sense of fulfilment, but the cert can be displayed on your blog/website for credibility.
- User options
Udemy has courses in different languages. So you can do a search for a course on a topic you want and check off the preferred language in the left sidebar to find courses.
Do note that there will only be courses available in the language you want if someone has made such a course in that language. Udemy doesn’t do automatic translation.
Besides that, you can also adjust the playback speed of the videos. By watching the videos at 1.5x or 2x speed, you’ll be able to consume the content faster. This is especially useful if the course is long.
- Course overview
Before buying any course, you can click on the preview to see the course overview and the modules. This will allow you to see exactly what you’re getting in the course and if it has the information you’re looking to learn. This will help you make a more informed decision when buying.
- Affordable
Most of the courses sold on Udemy are affordable. Ranging from free courses to courses that are hundreds of dollars, there’s something for everyone here, regardless of your budget.
- Lifetime access
Once you buy a course, it’s yours forever. There’s no expiry date or monthly fee. You can always come back to the course for a refresher if you need to.
- 30-day money back guarantee
If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, Udemy will refund your purchase. No worries here.
The Cons
The sheer selection can be overwhelming. For example, if you wished to learn Python programming and did a search for it, you’d see over 2,000 plus results.
Where would you even start?
Your best bet would be to pick the one with the best reviews and make sure to check the course overview to see if it has what you’re looking for.
Other than that, the quality of courses can vary. While there is a standard to meet when publishing on Udemy, let’s just say that not all trainers are made equal. So do your research before buying.
One more point that needs to be mentioned is that Udemy does issue a certificate after you complete each course, but that cert is not proper accreditation in most cases. So, just because you have a cert doesn’t mean it’s recognized widely.
If this matters to you, you’ll want to check the certification before signing up.
Should You Get It?
If you’re looking for affordable courses that you can use to improve your skills, Udemy is an excellent place to get started in.
While you could spend hours watching videos on YouTube or reading articles online, it’s still better to learn in a systematic step-by-step format… and that’s what you’ll get with the courses in Udemy.
You might as well save time and effort, and just get a proven course that others have taken (on Udemy) and learn from it.
Visit Udemy and be amazed at the selection of courses/training they have for you. This is a resource you’ll use often.
