Author : Stuart Cooke
Today’s workplace looks a lot different than it did a decade ago. And this is particularly true after the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the need to adapt and work remotely.
But not only were professionals affected by this move to digitalisation and remote working, students also had to adapt.
Remote learning became a necessity in 2020, and though it may have had its challenges, there are also some positives to come from this new way of studying.
With the workplace now highly digital and remote work increasing in popularity, virtual learning has prepared students for jobs of the future in a number of ways - and My Baggage takes a look at what these are:
1. Online learning encourages collaboration as the norm
One of the most important lessons gained from working in an online learning environment is how to collaborate and work across different tools and platforms. For example, students may have to work virtually with teachers or their peers to complete projects online.
This is a hugely important skill in the modern workplace as colleagues must frequently collaborate across teams, departments and even businesses.
So, learning these procedures during their studies is hugely beneficial for students and can prepare them to start collaborating right away when they get their first job, whether that is remote or otherwise.
2. Students learn how to be productive when working remotely
One of the key challenges when working remotely is motivating yourself to stay on track and not get distracted. And this applies whether you’re working or studying.
But nowadays, most professionals won’t have their manager sitting in the next cubicle ensuring they are meeting their goals, just as a remote student won’t have a teacher there watching over them.
Therefore, another perk of online learning is that students will learn to manage their time and be productive in a remote environment.
This will come in very handy in the future if they take on a remote or even partially remote role. This is also a skill that recruiters will be looking for, as no employer wants to have to micro-manage their teams.
3. Students are becoming familiar with important technology
Although the younger generation may already be a lot more tech-savvy than their predecessors, they often don’t have to use or interact with more professional platforms until later in life. This is because many of these tools go far beyond what a student would typically learn in an IT or computer class.
But now, as there has been a crossover with a lot of the tools used for remote working and virtual learning, they are able to get to grips with this technology much faster.
For example, many have had to learn how to use systems like Zoom, Dropbox, Trello, Google Docs, the list goes on. And these are tools that many professionals will use on a daily or weekly basis to enable them to do their job.
So, as students become more familiar with these platforms and tools, not only are they becoming better equipped to take on modern jobs, but they also have some more key skills to add to their CV.
If these useful tools are second nature to them, they’ll be able to get started on work much quicker and often re