
Ask HN: Are specializations at udacity, coursera etc worth it? - vijayr
Udacity calls them nano degrees, coursera calls them specializations etc - have you done those? Which ones did you like (learning&#x2F;knowledge wise)? And from a job perspective, do they make a difference?
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kiloreux
Before i tell you my opinion, I want you to know that I spend most of my day
learning (still student) and when I'm not in university, I am learning from
MOOCS, and to take this a bit further, I have done more than 100 MOOCs on all
the three platforms Coursera Edx Udacity, each of these has its own PROs and
CONs, learning in itself is awesome, it has made me in more knowledgeable more
than most my peers, but one thing to note, is that while the content might be
amazing, the certificates or whatever you get from it are mostly not
recognized and doesn't really have value in the industry, what I can suggest
you to do, is to use your knowledge from these courses to build cool projects
that can show future employers how skilled you are and your mastery to that
specific domain, That's my experience, I wish you good luck learning.

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vijayr
Any favorites from the courses you did? 100 courses is some serious effort,
kudos :)

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kiloreux
Sure, there is of course the CS50 introduction to computer science (Best MOOC
EVER), also Sedgewick lectures on algorithms and data structures, control of
mobile robots on coursera and the software engineering interview on coursera,
beside that most courses on Udacity are awesome.

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basicscholar
Udacity nano degrees are industry recognized. A lot of people has been hired
by AT&T and others. Besides, Udacity is changing the hiring process by
eliminating interviews. So now we can rely on porfolios built in those nano
degrees and rest assured that psychological factors from recruiters and
interviewers will be eliminated. It is great, and congratulations on those 100
MOOCs! Maybe you can apply your skills and build something for the advance of
human species.

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zhte415
I was asked a similar question during a recent interview. "What certifications
[more traditional PMP/CFA style] from XXX do you have?"

My reply was something along the lines of "I don't pursue certifications, but
learning that I can benefit from, you can, and can benefit the organization.
90%+ of people with such certifications can't demonstrate 10% of what was in
the syllabus, and you know this is true."

This question was general, but I directed it towards a Learning Managment
System which I implemented in a past company. There are props for implementing
an LMS in one's org too. This was quite special (video, interactive, nice UI),
but anything at a basic level will get you noticed as a 'strategic thinker'.
Do it if you're (the figurative reader) doesn't have one already.

"Does the system offer certification?"

"Of course it does, but it also implements a development plan for anyone on
any course, for their management to rate their implementation of skills
learned." Closing the loop in performance assessment; a bit harder.

\---

Demonstrate learning, don't just brag about it. MOOCs are fantastic, and to
take part as a contributor (to a larger, fee paid, internal, or open MOOC) is
to release years of learning and understanding you may have, that others
don't, and as a participator, to harvest that cerebral mass of others and
yourself.

Use it, implement it, criticize it, grow it. People are sharing, share back by
whatever means, and demonstrate you do so; that principal is priceless and
makes certification at whatever cost worthless. Though by doing so, monetary
return is not denied.

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halpme
I'm taking several classes via Coursera to brush up on algorithms/data
structures for fun and personal interest, but find it really hard to stay
focused on the video lectures. I much prefer to read textbooks when learning
any new information. But that's beside the point. I've conducted an interview
and the candidate had taken multiple MOOC's on Coursera and Udacity and that
really impressed me. Showed that the candidate actually cared about learning
and deepening their knowledge in some areas.

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tryitnow
I'm currently finishing up the Data Science course and whether or not it's
worth it totally depends on your goals.

These courses are not going toake you into professional in the field, you'll
need more than just one certificate for that. But they're a good way to
explore what you'll be doing in a given field and they're a great adjunct to
any formal education you may have.

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snehesht
If you are looking to learn about something new, Cousera, edX... are great. I
tried them before but I'm not sure if their certificates are worth anything.

