|
S&P 500 falls alongside tech as oil continues march higher: Live updates CNBCStock market today: Dow rises, S&P 500, Nasdaq slips as war uncertainty drives oil prices higher Yahoo FinanceUS stocks swing as oil prices keep climbing AP NewsWall Street rebounds after recent selloff with Mideast conflict in focus Reuters
|
|
Micron Just Gave Incredible News to Investors of This AI Infrastructure Stock That Has Tripled in a Year The Motley FoolMicron stock sinks 10%, further cratering in post-earnings sell-off CNBCMicron's Selloff Is A Setup For The Next Surge (NASDAQ:MU) Seeking AlphaStock Market Today, March 30: Micron Technology Falls on TurboQuant Shock The Motley Fool
|
|
Buttressing your resume with a new skill is one of the best ways to make a modest financial investment pay big returns. One study found that, depending on the skill and the worker's previous education and job, some holders of short-term (typically defined as taking 6-18 months) credentials earned 65% more than otherwise equivalent colleagues.
If you just need to learn a new skill, there are plenty of free options, including online classes available through your public library or on platforms such as Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, LinkedIn and Udemy. And many colleges offer free auditing opportunities to groups such as veterans or those over age 60.
SEE MORE How to Invest $1,000: Buy Fractional Shares (of Great Companies)
But if you want to prove to employers that you've really mastered a new skill, you'll need a certificate or credential program that requires you to pass proctored tests. Almost all of those come with a cost.
And just like any other investment, these are no slam-dunk. One recent study found that about half of the short-term credential programs accredited to award federal financial aid failed to increase earnings enough for students to recoup their costs within five years. And Credential Engine, a nonprofit that is monitoring the field, says that there are now more than 967,000 different credential programs - a number that can overwhelm prospective students.
The experts suggest winnowing by these three factors:
Field: A recent analysis of thousands of job postings by labor market analytics firm Lightcast
|
|
