I belong to a very developing country and for us $ really counts. I am an Engineer and have one year teaching experience outside my country. I m trying to improve me education but find very diffucult to work through it. I am just been able to make 4000 $ in last two years (which in our country is a big amount). I am looking for doing a one year career progress diploma or some other courses which can help me to improve my education. Please Advice ?
First off, I wanted to say that I admire your drive to make things happen under difficult circumstances. A lot of us talk about our "struggles" with higher education, but we don't know what it's like to try to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps in a third world country. With money being a limiting factor, I would attempt to avail myself of whatever free resources are available. There is a sticky post on this board listing free course programs and resources. Given that you are an engineer, you will probably find a goldmine at MIT's Open Courseware project. If you can follow these courses and create a portfolio documenting the knowledge you have gained, you have something to show a prospective employer. It's not a certfication per se, but it is very low cost. I'm not sure of your current education level, but you might also look at distance education options from lower-cost countries. Sweden and South Africa are two countries with distance programs that are discussed here as being very high quality and also very affordable. Search the threads here, you can find out a lot! Best of luck in your search! I look forward to hearing about your progress.
Thankyou very much for your advice. I am looking for distance education. I am from Pakistan and here degree counts to the employer. India was a good choice, but due to the security reasons, they dont recongize and support Indian Education in Pakistan. MIT courseware are no doubt very good and i have been taking advantage of it from long time. I am now struggling to get one piece of higher education, so can improve my job prospects.
Hi, Since you're from Pakistan, perhaps you should check out the University of London. U of L caters to students from Pakistan. If you have questions regarding U of L, you may contact an alumni member (called "ambassadotrs") from your country. Best of luck,
Hi engadnan - There are two additional pieces of information that you might provide that could help us to point you toward appropriate programs. The first is, what specific engineering discipline interests you the most? The second is, aside from English and Urdu, do you speak any other languages? In the meantime, you should look at the engineering options available from UNISA. They might be the cheapest option for you (depending on your answers to the above questions). http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=15673
Thankyou Kizemt. I major in Electronics Engineering. Apart from English and Urdu, i am fluent in Chinese, Hindi and Bengali.
I have checked with UNISA many times, have called them more than 10 times, but they have very poor customer service. They refer me to department and department dont answer the call. Secondly, in Pakistan, i am not sure, is there any UNISA Examination Centre.
Could you list the courses you have studied towards the major in electronics engineering? It will make it easier to help you identify a low-cost educational route to earning either a diploma or degree. Between the many brilliant minds on this forum I bet we can find something to improve your job prospects. Naturally, the current economic situation has put added importance to education and experience. WOW! You have the ability to speak 5 languages. Have you thought about becoming a translator or engineering management where being multilingual is a huge benefit?
Thankyou for your advice. I have indept knowledge about Electronics Engineering related subjects n due to financial problems, i am ready to proceed in any field which can boost my career. How to relate language proficiency to being a translator and in engineering management.
Yes, UNISA is notorious for their poor customer service. However, they do have an eximation centre in Islamabad.
I believe what Sentinel is referring to here, is that you could combine your knowledge of multiple languages with your background in engineering to provide translation services to engineering firms. Best of luck,
