In the digital workplace, life-long learning is essential. As technology is continuously developing further, it\u2019s required that you keep educating yourself. Hence, also employers are looking for self-starters (people who have started to learn digital skills on their own).<\/p>\n
Maybe you\u2019ve already started learning digital skills – or maybe you\u2019re at the very beginning of this journey and quite lost.<\/p>\n
You wonder where to start?<\/p>\n
Of course, there\u2019s no one size fits all. Best if you do your research on IT positions and industries (see topic below) and choose what motivates you the most.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
The IT field is big and you don\u2019t know where to start? Read up about the various tracks you could get into and see what interests you the most.<\/p>\n
A simple Google search will give you answers. Platforms like Medium<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, and GitHub<\/a> also feature many relevant articles.<\/p>\n Read up job ads (likely for Junior positions \/ internships) to find out which programming languages, certificates or other requirements are most sought after (but don\u2019t get intimitated, just start somewhere).<\/p>\n There are also quizzes you can take to give you hints which field might be best for you, e.g. this one from Codeacademy<\/a>.<\/p>\n In short: start to immerse yourself in the digital world and surround yourself with information and people who are related to it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> To start learning and working in IT, you need a device that allows you to learn and build your skills. You can start learning with your smartphone – however, eventually it\u2019s recommended that you learn with a computer.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have to be the most recent version of a computer for starting, but a device that works well for your needs and a stable internet connection are essential pillars of a successful (self-)learning environment.<\/p>\n We recommend to use a laptop with the following requirements:<\/p>\n We recommend looking for used devices, because the price of used equipment is much more moderate than that of new equipment. Have a look at various second hand markets in Switzerland, e.g. Tutti<\/a> \/ Anibis<\/a> \/ Ricardo<\/a>, and ideally look for offers near you \/ in your region. The initiative \u201cWir Lernen Weiter<\/a>\u201d supports people that need a device to learn new skills – you can also have a look at their website. If you receive social welfare \/ are with RAV\/ORP, you can also ask your social assistant whether they are working together with \u201cWir Lernen Weiter<\/a>\u201d or they could support you in purchasing a (2nd hand) computer. Powercoders also have some equipment to borrow for limited time, reach out to us if you were not successful with trying the suggestions above.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> There are countless platforms for online courses. Many of them are accessible for free:<\/p>\n Courses by technology companies:<\/strong><\/p>\n Free online courses:<\/strong><\/p>\n Internet Basics and Digital Literacy<\/p>\n Web and Software Development<\/p>\n SQL and Databases<\/p>\n Cloud and DevOps<\/p>\n Data analytics and Machine learning<\/p>\n Cyber Security<\/p>\n The CompTIA Glossary<\/a> can be useful for beginners to understand the IT terminology.<\/p>\n Similar programs \/ offers:<\/strong><\/p>\n (see also the communities listed below)<\/p>\n Google Career Certificates<\/p>\n Swiss Universities<\/p>\n Are you keen to meet other motivated learners in your region? Free online courses are great – but one can easily feel alone or isolated.<\/p>\n There are many organizations also in Switzerland who offer some courses around digital skills – and a community of like-minded learners at the same time:<\/p>\n Do you know others? Please let us know<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> It takes more than digital skills for a successful career in IT. From our experience, language and social & business skills are just as important. Companies are often ready to hire based on potential – as long as good communication skills, learning abilities and the right mindset are in place.<\/p>\n In the next section, we will give you an overview of how to improve your language, social and business skills independently with online courses.<\/p>\n English is essential in the IT field, particularly because many learning resources are in English. Here are some resources than help you practice your English:<\/p>\n The local language (German \/ French) is also very important in many teams – sometimes as the working language, other times for the social integration into the team (e.g. as everyone speaks German during the coffee break). Similarly, look out for apps and courses, research the offers in your neighborhood or ask your social assistant for support.<\/p>\n Like for learning digital skills, also for language it helps if you fully immerse yourself into the new language: watch TV shows and movies, and listen to music, radio and podcasts. You could also find yourself a practice partner (sometimes that\u2019s known as building a language \u2018tandem\u2019) – potentially you can teach the other person your language.<\/p>\n These are the key social & business skills necessary to succeed in your IT internship & career. Needless to say, we all keep building them continuously over the years.<\/p>\n Typically, social & business skills are not learnt from simply studying them online. The prerequisite is typically to be self-aware and self-reflected – this is a great nurturing ground to continuously improve yourself. Openness and asking for feedback is equally helpful.<\/p>\n Resources:<\/p>\n<\/i><\/i><\/span>Look for equipment \/ a device<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Start learning<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Join a community in your city<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Continue building your language, social & business skills<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Language<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Social & Business Skills<\/h3>\n
What are relevant social & business skills?<\/h4>\n
\n
How to learn social & business skills?<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n