Latest news with #Coursera
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
From sketch to screen: Explore a career in web design
The digital world is expanding rapidly, and with it, the need for well-designed, user-friendly websites is higher than ever. At the heart of this transformation are web designers—professionals who blend creativity, design thinking, and technical skills to build engaging digital experiences. From small business websites to large-scale e-commerce platforms, web designers shape how we see and use the internet. A web designer is responsible for the layout, visual appearance, and usability of a website. They ensure the site is not only visually appealing but also easy to navigate, accessible, and aligned with the client's or company's brand identity. Designers often work with tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch to create prototypes and wireframes before turning them into fully functional websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, sometimes collaborating closely with web developers. Skills you need To succeed as a web designer, students should build a mix of technical and creative skills, including: • Graphic design principles • Typography and color theory • Responsive design and mobile-first layouts • Basic coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) • User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design Additionally, soft skills like communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving are vital when working with clients or cross-functional teams. Top courses for aspiring web designers There are many online and offline courses that can help students get started. Some top-rated options include: • Google UX Design Certificate (Coursera) • UI/UX Design Specialization by CalArts (Coursera) • Web Design for Everybody (University of Michigan, edX) • Responsive Web Design Certification (freeCodeCamp) • UI Design Course (Interaction Design Foundation) Design institutes and universities also offer diploma and degree programs in web or graphic design. Career Opportunities Web designers can work in many settings: • Freelance/Consulting: Designing for multiple clients on a project basis. • Startups and Tech Companies: Building user-facing websites and apps. • Advertising and Marketing Agencies: Creating campaign landing pages and branded experiences. • Corporate Design Teams: Managing internal and public-facing websites. As you grow, you may specialize further into UX design, UI design, product design, or creative direction. Web design is ideal for students who enjoy both art and technology. It offers: • A creative outlet with tangible results • Remote work and freelance options • Cross-industry demand, from fashion to finance • Opportunities to continuously learn and grow A career in web design offers the perfect balance between creativity and technology. For students who love to create, solve problems, and shape user experiences, this is an exciting and future-proof path. With the right skills and mindset, web design can be more than just a job—it can be a creative journey that evolves with the digital world.
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Secret chatbot use causes workplace rifts
More employees are using generative AI at work and many are keeping it a secret. Why it matters: Absent clear policies, workers are taking an "ask forgiveness, not permission" approach to chatbots, risking workplace friction and costly mistakes. The big picture: Secret genAI use proliferates when companies lack clear guidelines, because favorite tools are banned or because employees want a competitive edge over coworkers. Fear plays a big part too — fear of being judged and fear that using the tool will make it look like they can be replaced by it. By the numbers: 42% of office workers use genAI tools like ChatGPT at work and one in three of those workers say they keep the use secret, according to research out this month from security software company Ivanti. A McKinsey report from January showed that employees are using genAI for significantly more of their work than their leaders think they are. 20% of employees report secretly using AI during job interviews, according to a Blind survey of 3,617 U.S. professionals. Catch up quick: When ChatGPT first wowed workers over two years ago, companies were unprepared and worried about confidential business information leaking into the tool, so they preached genAI abstinence. Now the big AI firms offer enterprise products that can protect IP and leaders are paying for those bespoke tools and pushing hard for their employees to use them. The blanket bans are gone, but the stigma remains. Zoom in: New research backs up workers' fear of the optics around using AI for work. A recent study from Duke University found that those who use genAI "face negative judgments about their competence and motivation from others." Yes, but: The Duke study also found that workers who use AI more frequently are less likely to perceive potential job candidates as lazy if they use AI. Zoom out: The stigma around genAI can lead to a raft of problems, including the use of unauthorized tools, known as "shadow AI" or BYOAI (bring your own AI). Research from cyber firm Prompt Security found that 65% of employees using ChatGPT rely on its free tier, where data can be used to train models. Shadow AI can also hinder collaboration. Wharton professor and AI expert Ethan Mollick calls workers using genAI for individual productivity " secret cyborgs" who keep all their tricks to themselves. "The real risk isn't that people are using AI — it's pretending they're not," Amit Bendov, co-founder and CEO of Gong, an AI platform that analyzes customer interactions, told Axios in an email. Between the lines: Employees will use AI regardless of whether there's a policy, says Coursera's chief learning officer, Trena Minudri. Leaders should focus on training, she argues. (Coursera sells training courses to businesses.) Workers also need a "space to experiment safely," Minudri told Axios in an email. The tech is changing so fast that leaders need to acknowledge that workplace guidelines are fluid. Vague platitudes like "always keep a human in the loop" aren't useful if workers don't understand what the loop is or where they fit into it. GenAI continues to struggle with accuracy and companies risk embarrassing gaffes, or worse, when unchecked AI-generated content goes public. Clearly communicating these issues can go a long way in helping employees feel more comfortable opening up about their AI use, Atlassian CTO Rajeev Rajan told Axios. "Our research tells us that leadership plays a big role in setting the tone for creating a culture that fosters AI experimentation," Rajan said in an email. "Be honest about the gaps that still exist." The bottom line: Encouraging workers to use AI collaboratively could go a long way to ending the secrecy.
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Am I the bad guy?' — Worker says his colleague got retrenched after he automated 90% of her tasks
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker has sparked discussion on Reddit after sharing that he may have indirectly caused his colleague to be retrenched. In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the worker shared that his colleague, a working mother, often complained that she was overwhelmed by her workload. After some restructuring in the company, she was given many Excel-related tasks, including copying and pasting large amounts of data, manually checking thousands of rows, and creating reports in both Excel and PowerPoint. She also told others that she was struggling to cope with work while taking care of her child at home, and that she 'felt burnt out.' To help ease the situation, their supervisor assigned the worker to assist her. As someone who was experienced with VBA, Python, and AI tools, he eventually automated around 90 per cent of the work. According to him, what used to take hours could now be completed with just a 'single click.' At the same time, the company had introduced upskilling opportunities for staff. Employees were encouraged to take online courses on platforms such as Coursera and Udemy, with the costs covered by the company. However, the colleague chose not to take part. She said she found formulas and automation too difficult to learn, and was not interested in coding. 'We acknowledged her burnout and even offered that on Fridays after 1 p.m., she can have her free time to upskill herself, but she kept nope the way out.' Eventually, a round of layoffs was announced. The colleague was among those let go. She was told by their boss that since most of her tasks had been automated or could be outsourced, her role was no longer required. He added, 'She does not have the skills to maintain this automation. And my bosses openly told her that all her work will be maintained by me since I was the one who automated her work.' The worker shared that since then, he has heard from others that the colleague has been blaming him for her retrenchment. 'I heard from my other colleagues that she was bad-mouthing and said that I was one of the top reasons she was laid off. I was super hurt by it, and it doesn't help as I have some ego myself (which I know isn't good for me), so I get uneasy if people talk badly about me, and it's been bothering me ever since.' 'Don't be too hard on yourself…' The post received numerous responses from fellow Redditors, many of whom reassured him that he was not at fault. One Redditor said, 'People who do this nonsense have really high ego and refuse to acknowledge that they might not be the best in what they do, so they take the easy way out and blame others. Ignore her, keep your head up.' Another wrote, 'Don't be too hard on yourself. She saw this train wreck coming from far away. And she was given plenty of warning. That's already more than many retrenched people get.' A third commented, 'Seeing how your company gave her chances to upskill and learn the necessary tools/skills to continue working there, and you have provided advice on it, you are not in the wrong.' A fourth added, 'She refuses to adapt and learn. So that directly puts her on the retrenchment list.' See also Blockchain's Impact on Traditional Banking: A New Era or Crisis? AI and automation spark job loss fears AI and automation are reshaping the workforce, and while these advancements have largely benefited large companies through increased efficiency and cost savings, they have also left many workers fearful about job security and the risk of retrenchment. A recent Ipsos study featured in a People Matters Global article found that 65% of respondents in 31 countries and regions fear AI will result in work dismissals and outright job losses—up from 64% last year. This apprehension is predominantly noticeable in Southeast Asia, where AI-driven dislocation appears to be an imminent certainty. Read more: AI takeover? Why workers in Southeast Asia fear losing their jobs to automation Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
India.com
4 days ago
- Business
- India.com
No Need For Degree: Earn lakhs without…, these five career options require only…
No Need For Degree: Earn lakhs without…, these five career options require only… Skill Based Jobs: Nowadays, companies are more focused on hiring employees with extra skills alongside their conventional degree. More focus is being given to skill-based education from the school level itself so that students are job-ready from an early age. Students passing out from top-level institutes like IIT, IIM are also focusing on startups instead of jobs. If you don't want to study further after completing 12th or graduation, then you can develop any skill that can lead you to a high-paying job. Know about 5 such career options in which you can get a job even without a full-time degree. Digital Marketing Specialist Students can do digital marketing course that includes SEO, social media management, content marketing, and PPC advertising. It is best for freelancing or full-time jobs. Training: Several courses are available online for the period of 3-6 months. Students can choose – Coursera, Google Digital Garage, HubSpot or YouTube tutorials. Salary: Starting salary is Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000/per month, Experienced digital marketer can earn upto Rs 1 lakh+/per month. Those who are interested in photography, can choose it as their profession. They can become – weddig photographer, wildlife photographer, or product photography. Skills: students should learn camera handling and photo editing. They can check out – Lightroom, Photoshop, and creative approach. Training: 3-6 months photography course and then an internship with a professional photographer. Salary: Rs 10,000-Rs 50,000 per project (wedding/event); Experienced photographer can earn upto Rs 1 lakh+/month. Event Planning/Wedding Planning (Event Planner) The events planning industry, including weddings, corporate functions, and other celebrations, thrives in India due to consistently high wedding demand. Skills: Good communication skills, creativity and networking. Training: 3-6 months Event Management Course (NIEM, EMDI) and then an Internship in an event company. Salary: Rs 10,000- Rs 80,000 per event; Experienced Rs 50,000+/month. Content Writing/Copywriting Students can write for websites, blogs, ads or social media. Suitable for freelancing. Full time job options also available. Skills: Good English (or Hindi) writing skills, creativity and understanding of SEO. Training: Free/paid courses (Coursera, Udemy) or self-learning (Medium, Grammarly). Salary: Rs15,000 to 40,000/month; freelance Rs1-Rs5 per word. For designing websites and apps students need to learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript. They can set up a career as a web developer. Skills: Coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and web design tools (WordPress, React). Training: 3-6 month bootcamps (Coding Ninjas, Apna College) or free resources (freeCodeCamp). Salary: Starting Rs25,000-Rs60,000/month; Experienced Rs1 Lakh+/Month.
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Threatens 25% Tariffs on Apple
Bloomberg's Caroline Hyde discusses President Trump's threat to place a 25% tariff on Apple if it doesn't move iPhone production to the U.S. Plus, Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera and AI investor, discusses the skills shortage in advanced manufacturing that makes building iPhones and other tech in the US difficult. And the IPO market begins to heat up, spurring hope for tech startups and their investors. (Source: Bloomberg)
