Professional certifications provide outstanding avenues for developing your knowledge and skills. They can help you show your interests and potential to prospective employers while structure your profile for profitable job positions. There are many trending courses lockdown has made famous once again, to guide and prepare candidates for modern workplaces. We have detailed some of these programs for you below. 

Professional courses and certifications have many advantages. They can help you in:

• representative your skills and gaining trustworthiness
• Enhancing technical knowledge and up skilling
• Qualifying for senior-level jobs
• Staying abreast of the latest trends
• Acquiring experience and hands-on training

Top Trending Online Courses 

1. Data Science

Study programs in data science classically focus on big data analytics, data visualization, statistics, and prognostic analytics. The curriculum is designed for individuals pursuing technical job positions, such as data scientists, data analysts, business analysts, and machine learning engineers.

Whether you are a fresher, a marketing professional, or a software engineer, data science knowledge can advance your career. 

2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning  are the exciting technologies of the 21st century. AI and ML certifications can help boost the careers of IT professionals who have a background in mathematical or statistical fields.

Such programs cover various programming languages, tools, and libraries to equip students with the required competencies. Examples of the technologies taught include Python, MySQL, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Keras, REST-API, etc. Moreover, learning opportunities would expand when the syllabus is delivered via videos and real-life industry projects. 

3. Big Data

Big data certifications can help you go after more diverse roles than specific data science jobs. You can opt for different specializations depending on your background and career aspirations. Generally, learning tracks of big data certifications include:

• Business Analytics
• Data Engineer
• Natural Language Processing
• Deep Learning 
• Business Intelligence

4. Business Intelligence

BI professionals put their arithmetical ability to work and solve real-world business problems. Their insights can translate into actionable metrics, leading to changes in planning, operations, product development, and strategic management.

Therefore, their primary responsibility is to maximize the use of data in an organization to direct it on the path of successful performance. Training in business intelligence can help IT professionals build aptitude in:

• Data mining and analytics
• Data visualization
• Management reporting
• Using Excel, SQL, R, Python, Spark, Hadoop, etc.

5. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is one of the top IT fields that is experiencing an emerging trend in 2020. As organizations around the world go after dynamic and scalable applications, the demand for cloud services is only going to rise.

While making the shift, companies encounter many technical challenges. So, having qualified people with domain expertise would be necessary. It is already a top IT job globally. Software developers can go for specialized programs in cloud computing to learn the following things:

• Understanding of cloud migration and multi-cloud environments
• Knowledge of serverless architecture
• Cloud security skills
• Building cloud-native technologies, virtual machines, microservices, etc. 

6. Project Management

Project management is one of the trending courses 2020 has generated interest in, for both employers and aspirants. Project managers ensure that work assignments are delivered within time and budget constraints. They assign tasks to the concerned members, set deadlines, and drive the project team to achieve the desired goals. 

7. Software Development

The primary duties of a software development job include designing, managing, and testing software applications. Being successful in this field requires efficiency in writing and implementing code. To build the necessary proficiencies, you can undertake training in Java programming, C programming, automation testing, SQL database, among other topics. Here are some of the job titles associated with this IT career:

• Computer systems analyst
• IT Coordinator
• Network administrator
• Systems architect
• Computer and information research scientist
• Junior software engineer
• Senior programmer
• Web developer

8. DevOps

As the title suggests, DevOps combines the Development and Operations arms of software applications. In today’s fast-paced marketplace, tech companies need to stay ahead of their competitors. And DevOps enables agile methods in software development. A DevOps-oriented study program would emphasize the following things:

• Agile methodologies for integration and deployment
• Creation and management of software lifecycle
• Continuous deployment through CI/CD practices and many more. 

To gain an in-depth understanding of the mentioned concepts, you can enroll in the specialized DevOps course, earning a software development diploma from IIIT-B and a data science certification from NearLearn. 

9. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is an exciting subject for professionals like brand managers, sales personnel, entrepreneurs, and marketers. With increasing internet penetration and online activity, the scope of traditional marketing has also expanded. Digital marketing encompasses topics like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media, and marketing analytics. 

Some popular examples include PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication on NearLearn. This online course is offered by MICA, a leading higher education institution in India. 

10. Blockchain

Blockchain is a rapidly growing discipline capable of bringing about significant transformations in the fields of real estate, healthcare, finance, insurance, among several others. The syllabus of blockchain development certifications comprises Ethereum, Smart Contracts, Hyperledger, Composer, Javascript, NodeJS, Solidity, etc. A background in engineering, mathematics, or computer science is a prerequisite for this stream. 

Blockchain is touted to be the disruptive technology that will dominate industries beyond 2020. Having a working knowledge of blockchain can prepare you for software development jobs and assist you in getting an accelerated start in business development, engineering, and operations.