The one where I never stop learning

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Your girl is back in school…sort of. I started a 4-part Construction Management specialization program at Columbia University via Coursera. Now if you’ve been around here for a while then you’ve probably heard me mention Coursera before. It’s this really dope learning platform where you can access online courses and now full degrees from world-renowned colleges, universities, and companies! Courses ranging from ‘Intro to Japanese’ to full MBA programs, and completely online.

I’ve taken a few courses on the platform throughout the years, mainly free ones, but I knew that I wanted to spend some money and invest in myself and my career future and take some courses that align with my career goals. I’m not sure if y’all know this, but I have a whole career outside of this blog and podcast. I work in Commercial Real Estate on the operations and project management side and I love what I do. I’ve been doing it for going on 9 years, and I definitely see myself retiring from this industry one day. I’m currently mainly working on the operations side of the industry, but I’m the type who likes to be well-rounded so this Construction Management course series was right up my alley. Especially since I worked in CM and PjM exclusively for almost 3 years!

One of the things that I love about Coursera is the “brand recognition” aspect of it. They’ve partnered with world-known universities and organizations and the accreditations offered definitely hold weight. In the past, I’ve mainly handled the accounting and admin aspect of construction project management, and once I finish this 5-month program I’ll be able to see the full picture. These courses will walk me through creating a work breakdown structure, building a project schedule, working on a project plan, creating a project budget, identifying risks and who is responsible for those risks. I’ll be able to leverage this knowledge and certificate of completion on my LinkedIn profile and within my firm for growth opportunities!

 

 

Do you want to know one of the best parts about doing this through Coursera? I can essentially go at my own pace (as long as I have my assignments and quizzes in on time), and learn from anywhere including the comfort of my own bed! I know this pandemic has most of us learning remotely, but that’s been Coursera’s wheelhouse for years! The professors are awesome, the platform is very user friendly, and not only can I access it via a web browser, but there are mobile and iPad apps too! So now I’m in the thick of it and I need your help. It’s been a while since I’ve taken traditional courses like this and I need all of the study tips I can get. I have the benefit of being immersed in the field now so there’s some real-world experience I can tie it to, but I still want your study tips. Please feel free to drop them below or DM them to me. And if you’re thinking about learning a new language, learning to code, get into graphic design or even earn another degree check out Coursera!