Google Courses to Sign Up For

As a follow up from my previous post on how to save yourself from being retrenched, one of my tips was to improve on existing skills and take up new courses to stay relevant. With the threat of automation and low-value jobs being outsourced to lower cost centers, the threat to our rice bowl is becoming more prevalent. To see if your current job is at risk being made obsolete by robots, Will Robots Take My Job is an interactive web tool for you to assess your risk level. 

Being consistent in learning shows the potential employers that you are self- motivated and put in the effort outside of working hours to work on your skill set, setting your candidacy apart from the crowd. Herewith I have compiled applicable self- paced online courses that are free. 




1. Google Analytics Academy

There are two levels, Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics. Users are required to clear the Beginners level before moving on to the Advanced level. The video courses are structured in such a way that there are interactions with the students to facilitate learning. There will be a quiz at the end of every section for you to clear before you are able to proceed. The certifications are valid for 2 years, thereafter you have the option to clear the courses to to renew your certification. 

Once you have earned both Beginners and Advanced Certification, it is highly recommended to go for Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ). Attaining the qualification shows that you are proficient in Google Analytics. Google has set the rate of passing bar high at 80%, which means that you must study. With a time limit of 60 minutes and 70 questions, pushing your luck by going in blind-sided is not going to make it. Fortunately, you can have as many tries as you want if you fail, although you have to wait a day before re-trying. This certification is valid for 12 months, thereafter you are required to successfully pass the assessment every 12 months. 

2. Digital Garage by Google

Digital Garage by Google is good place to start off for users who are new to Digital Marketing and are not sure if they want to commit a sum of money to pay for courses to learn more in- depth. Digital Garage covers an extensive range of topics ranging from Content Marketing to Online Business Strategy to Social Media. I recommend that users complement this certification with a more in-depth course should they be keen to pursue a deeper level of understanding or delving into Digital Marketing as their career. Nonetheless, this free online course is a good place to begin. 

3. Data Studio by Google

Data Studio by Google is a free dashboard and reporting tool that turns data into easy-to-read and easy-to-share reports allowing users to identify and share insights from their data, allowing them to take steps to improve their business strategies. 

Topics on Data Studio includes creating and configuring reports and learning how to use their data visualisation platform. This course is free for all. Simply register a google account and you are set to begin the certification program. 

4. Google Primer

Google Primer is one of the offerings by Google on business and marketing skills. The difference between Google Primer and the other Google courses is that the former offers bite sized lessons suited for those who wants to kill time and yet learn something useful. The topics available are business planning, selling and brand building, just to name a few. Also, the lessons available on Google Primer are from external course providers, as opposed to the usual internal course instructors as seen from previous Google Courses. This could be a way for Google to reach out to a greater audience and be seen as a company that is in-touch and staying relevant with its users.