Free (or low cost) training programs

Ljking11 on 03/11/2021 - 21:54
Last edited 03/11/2021 - 22:03

Does anyone know of any free (or low cost) training programs, certificates, or courses that may help someone find a job within IT? Ideally something that employers are looking for. I'm in Melbourne and am really struggling to find a job in the field (I've already completed a computer science degree and a 12-week web development bootcamp so I don't really want to spend much more money on training if I can help it).

Edit: I've been given offers to do the 6-month Victorian Digital Training program (https://au.hudson.com/job-seekers/victoria-digital-jobs-prog…) and a second coding bootcamp (https://australia.generation.org/programs/become-a-web-devel…). Both of those are free.

Education & Work

Comments

  • Hybroid on 03/11/2021 - 21:55

    Welcome to OzBargain.

    Have a look here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/search/node/udemy?t=b

    • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 21:56

      Thanks. Do employers value udemy courses?

      • Hybroid on 03/11/2021 - 21:58

        No. Anyone can do them so why would they. Doesn't differentiate you from anyone else.

        But they could help to sharpen your skills and CV portfolio to appear more appealing that way.

        • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:04

          Would getting more certificates help? I have 3 aws ones, but I'm thinking about doing some networking or cybersecurity. Desperate for work. Do you know which ones are in demand?

  • No Username on 03/11/2021 - 22:08

    As an employer I'd rather see more documented projects on your GitHub account demonstrating your ability to utilise different tech stacks.
    Udemy Certificates are pretty easy to generate, but it does show me that they are willing to learn. Their legitimacy is then later validated via Test Gorilla.

    If you're looking for low-cost recognition then do some internships, create some videos on YT or write a blog on using different tech stacks.

    • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:10

      I've done two internships and one bootcamp. My portfolio has quite a few projects from my degree, bootcamp and hackathons.

      Would a second bootcamp help? masters degree? Certifications?

      • No Username on 03/11/2021 - 22:16

        At our company we don't really focus too much on certifications. I've seen people with Udemy Certifications perform better than a 3rd year CS student.
        It all comes down on their assessment scores.

        What positions are you applying for?

        • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:18

          Entry-level, graduate, junior internships. Even unpaid. Mostly cloud as that is what I have experience in.

          I was an intern at Microsoft and a big faang company earlier in my degree. Unfortunately that hasn't helped me now I've graduated.

          • No Username on 03/11/2021 - 22:24
            +2

            @jking11: If you want PM me your GitHub or Redacted Resume and I'll see what needs changing.

  • holdenmg on 03/11/2021 - 22:10

    Does your university have a Careers Department?
    As a current/former student they should assist…

    Check out:
    https://www.itpa.org.au/membership-levels/
    for FREE Associate Membership
    (Put it on your CV)

    Look for Short Courses or Events.
    Look on JORA. :+)

  • yk300 on 03/11/2021 - 22:12

    From your education, sounds like you are more into programming. If so, training programs won't do much for you. You need to demonstrate that you can do stuff. Build an application or contribute to public projects is the way to go.

    If you want to branch out into other IT fields (sys admin, cloud, networking, CMS), the vendors' certificates are the way to go imo.They are cheap and are recognised by the industry (e.g., Microsoft delivery partners hire MS certified people). AWS and MS Azure are great starting points imo.

    Just my 2c… g'luck with everything

    • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:14

      Yeah I have three AWS cloud certificates already and I've done an internship at Microsoft (Azure cloud) so I have one of them too. Are there other certificates you would recommend? CCNA and CompTIA are in high demand I've heard?

      • KaTst3R on 03/11/2021 - 22:43
        +1

        You seem to have quite a number of qualifications, have done an internship at Microsoft, didnt make a permanent employee and also other firms are not considering you. Something just doesnt add up.

        In the finance world, anyone who did an intership at a Tier 1 investment bank would almost be snapped up by another firm if they decided not to stay at the bank after the internship. Maybe it is not the skill set or qualifications that you are lacking, have you thought it could be something else like your resume is not up to scratch or in adequate soft skills or something else that you could work on?

        • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:48

          I got a job offer from microsoft at the end of my internship, but I turned it down. I wasn't interested in the role on offer and thought there would be plenty of other jobs out there. I am kicking myself now I know just how hard it is to secure a job. Young and stupid.

          • KaTst3R on 03/11/2021 - 22:52

            @jking11: I would be kicking myself in nuts if i turned down Microsoft too. I got a feeling it might be your resume isnt up to scratch. Maybe too wordy, too many pages, etc perhaps. I am just guessing here as I have seen alot of grads with resumes that I would dump in the bin once i turn to page 2 because it looks like a page of code instead of a clear concise achievement focused resume. One would think someone with Microsoft internship would be absolutely swarming with offers.

            • jking11 on 03/11/2021 - 22:54

              @KaTst3R: That's why I turned it down, I thought I would be swarming with offers. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. I will have to work on my resume to make it better.

              • KaTst3R on 03/11/2021 - 22:55

                @jking11: It is very tough for all grads including myself when I stepped out of uni. So you are not the only one. All the best mate.

          • peterpeterpumpkin on 03/11/2021 - 23:58

            @jking11: Since you're desperate now maybe try applying at Microsoft again. When I graduated (in another field) it was almost too easy to find jobs out of uni and I thought it was simply like that in the real world. Turns out that people only want you when you're taken.

            • jking11 on 04/11/2021 - 01:26

              @peterpeterpumpkin: I actually applied for their summer internship program (the same one I did the year earlier) and I got a generic response that I was not the right fit. Which is funny as I had done the program the year before (and they had offered me a permanent job at the end). I guess you just have to laugh.

  • orangetrain on 04/11/2021 - 09:08

    If I was an employer looking for a programmer, I'd want to see development and collaboration.

    So, do some development. Make a couple projects and one personal site of portfolios. For collaboration, do some open source PRs on github, respond to stackoverflow or hackathons or similar that demonstrates tech knowledge use and collaboration. This is not needed as much once you get a job.

    Unless you're after specialised roles, the certifications won't help much compared to showing off your chops.

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