Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights on how you use ChatGPT to enhance your resume—and for your tips to avoid over-embellishment. We’re excited to keep talking about ways we’re using GenAI tools to boost productivity in future issues. This week, however, we thought we’d shine the spotlight on someone like you, a learner, who is currently using Coursera to reinforce his current skills and strengthen new skills in order to further his career.
Hubert Abiera is currently pursuing his Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera. Prior to joining the program, Abiera had already earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, had several years of work experience in manufacturing and mechanical design, and had begun his journey as a manager. It was then that he realized that he’d need more than technical skills to be a good leader for his team.
“You see good managers,” Abiera said. “You also see ineffective managers.” He’s had both and didn’t want to fall into the latter category. “I wanted to be able to have the fundamentals of what’s being taught out there, and then mix that in with what I’ve seen to be effective from the managers I’ve had.”
For him, having a goal was a good starting point. Then, he thought about the qualities he’d like to have in a program. Topping his list was flexibility. He wanted to continue working at his full-time job while enrolled in his program.
When Abiera found UC Boulder’s program, he found other aspects of the program that spoke to his values. He liked that he’s able to adjust his schoolwork according to his other responsibilities—“the self-pacing is actually really nice for the program,” he said—and the accessibility of the performance-based admissions policy, which grants an offer of admission to students who successfully complete specific courses rather than requiring a formal application process with transcripts and exam scores. (Abiera started with the Finance for Technical Managers Specialization and put his new skills to work immediately.)
“I love being able to trust in my team to do bigger and bigger things, so I spend a lot of time on people and their personal development,” he says. “It’s an investment in them, and for myself, for the company. If the individuals on my team get stronger then my whole team is stronger. We can do more.”
We love any learner success story, but do you know what we really love about Abiera’s story?
The fact that anyone can replicate his approach:
- Clarify your goal.
- Identify your growth path.
- Set your must-haves and nice-to-haves.
- Research aligned programs.
- Work toward your growth.
Sure, maybe your goal doesn’t necessitate a degree right now (see: Should You Go Back to School?), but there are tons of ways to build the skills you need to move closer to your desired outcomes (also see: 9 Alternatives to College).
Next time, we’ll return to a skills-centric topic. Until then, tell us in the comments: What steps are you currently taking to move closer to your goals?