fbpx
Home Blog Page 210

Coursera launches five new Professional Certificates and expands AI and human skills learning

0
Coursera launches five new Professional Certificates and expands AI and human skills learning

Five new Professional Certificates and expanded offerings from industry and university partners reflect how learners are preparing for the future of work.

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer

As 2026 gets underway, demand for generative AI and human-centered skills continues to rise, with learners moving beyond exploration toward application. 

Coursera’s 2026 Fastest Growing Skills highlights growing demand for skills like AI agents, AI assisted design, and critical thinking — and I’m pleased to share how our partners are bringing these skills to life on Coursera through new content designed for real-world application.

From Learning to Jobs: Professional Certificates for the AI Era

Professional Certificates play a critical role on Coursera by delivering job-relevant, hands-on learning and these newest programs teach the latest AI skills across technology, business, and operations.

Supply Chain Specialist* (Airbus)
Launch a supply chain management career with AI-powered learning and real-world projects in logistics, procurement, forecasting, and sustainable strategy. 

Canva Essentials (Coursera)
Learn in-demand design and content creation skills using AI workflows and tools on the popular creative platform, Canva.

PyTorch for Deep Learning (DeepLearning.AI)
Build, train, and deploy deep learning models with PyTorch, gaining practical experience in computer vision and NLP for modern AI systems.

Systems and Solutions Architect* (IBM)
Build foundational skills in systems and solutions architecture, focusing on designing, integrating, and scaling tech solutions to meet business goals. 

Machine Learning Engineer (SAS)
Develop end-to-end machine learning skills, from statistics to ModelOps, deployment, and automation. Hands-on projects prepare learners for SAS certifications.

*denotes entry-level cert; no prior experience is needed.

Universities Anchoring AI with Rigor, Ethics, and Human Skills
As AI adoption accelerates, universities play a critical role in grounding AI learning in ethics, communication, leadership, and academic rigor. 

New university courses and Specializations includes:

New Partner Content Expanding What — and How — Learners Learn
Alongside the growth of AI learning, we continue to welcome new partners, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and expand learning across the disciplines that matter most to the future of work. 

New content from partners like AI Certs and the Minnesota State University, Mankato brings fresh perspectives to the platform, spanning leadership, communication, cybersecurity, and public health, combining AI fluency with career-readiness. 

Recent courses and Specializations from new  partners include:

Together with our partners, we are helping learners build the AI and durable skills that support lasting career growth in a rapidly changing world.

Sign up for Coursera Plus today to gain access to our growing catalog of world-class content across high-demand fields.

Turning Entrepreneurial Ambition into Global Impact

0
Turning Entrepreneurial Ambition into Global Impact

For Amani Samba, entrepreneurship was never just an idea. It was something he was already living. With a background in IT and years of experience working on technology solutions such as access control systems and CCTV, he built a strong technical foundation early in his career. Alongside his professional work, he spent six to seven years developing entrepreneurial projects with his wife. Over time, those side ventures led him to a clear realization. He wanted to take what they had built and scale it properly.

I wanted to equip myself with academic knowledge to enhance the business,” Amani explains. While he had hands-on experience, he knew that formal training would help him think more strategically. “Entrepreneurship was clearly my thing, so having a Master’s degree in that field felt essential.

Finding a program that fit real life

In 2021, Amani began researching graduate programs that could help him turn hands-on experience into structured expertise. He wanted a program that would allow him to continue working while gaining deeper academic grounding.

When he came across the Executive MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at HEC Paris, it immediately felt like a strong fit. The fully online format meant he could study without stepping away from his career, and the flexibility of recorded live sessions made it realistic alongside professional and personal commitments. 

Just as important was the reputation behind the degree. “The HEC brand is powerful,” Amani says. “And being part of the alumni network, that’s something that stays with you.

Projects designed for real entrepreneurs

Completed over 18 months, the program was demanding in ways that felt purposeful. Managing coursework, projects, and professional responsibilities closely mirrored the realities of running a business.

The project work and coursework were challenging,” Amani says,“but that was also the most beneficial. It gives you insight into what it really means to manage every side of a business.

Rather than being overwhelming, the structure reinforced discipline and focus. “If you really know how to manage your time, you’ll know how to deal with it,” he adds.

A global network that extends beyond the classroom

Despite being delivered online, the program fostered meaningful collaboration. Working closely on projects led to strong connections with peers from around the world.

You create this family,” Amani says, noting that his project group still stays in touch today.

That sense of community came full circle at graduation, when he traveled to France with his wife to attend the ceremony in person. “It was a grand ceremony,” he recalls. “Meeting my entire project team in person really felt like a reward.

Results that speak for themselves

Today, he works in a consultancy role, applying the strategic and entrepreneurial mindset he developed throughout the program. Looking back, the value extends far beyond the credential itself. He describes the degree as “one of the best investments I’ve made in the last ten years.

Being part of HEC Paris opens doors,” Amani says. “And when you connect with people on campus and become part of this huge community, you really understand the power of it.

Learn more about the program →

Introducing Coursera’s Job Skills Report 2026: The most critical skills the world’s learners need this year

0
Introducing Coursera’s Job Skills Report 2026: The most critical skills the world’s learners need this year

By Anthony Salcito, General Manager for Enterprise, Coursera

I’m excited to share Coursera’s fifth annual Job Skills Report, which highlights the critical skills that individuals and institutions are prioritizing for 2026. Drawing from insights from nearly six million professionally-motivated enterprise learners and more than 7,000 institutional customers, this report offers a data-driven window into the key trends shaping the future of learning and work.

Last year, we all experienced the unprecedented acceleration driven by Generative AI. In 2026, that rate of change will continue to transform the skills landscape. AI is not only reshaping how we work and  how we make decisions, but also how we develop the role-specific skills needed to stay competitive. 

This year’s report examines skill trends through a new lens, shaped by these forces. We focus on three in-demand career areas that are driving value and innovation—Data, IT, and Software & Product Development—and the role of AI in augmenting and automating how tasks are performed across these fields. We also capture GenAI learning trends across our platform. 

Key findings from the Job Skills Report 2026 include:

  1. Learners recognize the need to layer role-specific AI knowledge on top of technical foundations. 

With 14 enrollments per minute, GenAI remains the most in-demand skill in Coursera’s history. However, learners are aware that AI skills are most powerful when developed in combination with, or in ways that supplement, core technical competencies. 

This underlies their efforts to prioritize skills in foundational technologies like SQL, JSON, and Web Applications—which remain indispensable for managing existing infrastructure—while actively layering on new AI competencies, in domains like Unsupervised Learning and Multimodal Prompts.

  1. Critical thinking and validation skills are now recognized as core competencies for all learners. 

As AI automates technical tasks, human skills are becoming indispensible. For instance, “human-in-the-loop” skills like Debugging are a top ten skill for IT learners; the Data cohort shows over 100% year-over-year growth in Data Quality (+108%) and Data Cleansing (+103%).  This demand for validation skills is also evident in the significant year-over-year growth in Critical Thinking enrollments across all cohorts: +168% for Data, +101% for Software & Product, +91% for IT, and +185% for GenAI learners.

As workers increasingly offload entire tasks to AI agents rather than just iterating with them, the human role is shifting from collaborator to expert validator of the final output.

  1. AI proficiency is now essential for non-technical roles. 

Among all enterprise learners, enrollments in GenAI have increased by 234% year-over-year. The demand for AI-related skills extends far beyond engineering and IT: the #1 fastest-growing skill among learners who are specifically interested in GenAI skills development is Content Creation. This focus is complemented by skills that enable more sophisticated creative outputs, such as Image Analysis (#4) and Multimodal Prompts (#8).

  1. The gender gap in tech and GenAI training is narrowing.

Across the three technical career areas we analyzed, the percentage of enterprise enrollments from women increased year-over-year, with Data rising from 32% to 35%, IT from 29% to 32%, and Software & Product Development from 30% to 33%. In addition, GenAI-related enrollments among female enterprise learners increased from 36% in 2024 to 41% in 2025.

By prioritizing accessible AI upskilling programs, leaders can tap into a diverse talent pool, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and close the gender gap in technical leadership.

  1. The growth of verified credentials

Employers and job seekers are increasingly turning to verified credentials to make skills visible, credible, and trusted. Enrollments in Professional Certificates have increased by an average of 91% across all career areas analyzed in this report. This growth speaks to rising market demand for agile, industry-recognized micro-credentials that provide verifiable proof of skills mastery.

The Career Areas we analyzed for this report are also aligned with our recently-launched Coursera Skills Tracks, which offer pre-built learning pathways tailored to essential business functions. This enables us to identify growing skills and learning trends for high-impact roles across specialized areas such as Information Technology, Software & Product, and Data.

The Job Skills Report 2026 highlights the essential competencies that your teams, students, and citizens will need most to succeed in the year ahead. I hope this report helps you navigate your path forward with clarity—so you can lead, adapt, and thrive in a world where skills are changing faster than ever.

To help support you as you seek to make informed decisions for your institution, download the Job Skills Report 2026 here

Interested in turning these insights into a skills development plan for your institution? Book a meeting with a Coursera team member today.

Cleveland Clinic joins Coursera to teach the latest healthcare skills at a global scale

0
Cleveland Clinic joins Coursera to teach the latest healthcare skills at a global scale

By Marni Baker Stein

Today, I’m proud to welcome Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s largest and top-ranked health systems, to Coursera. 

This collaboration comes at a timely moment. As demand for healthcare workers continues to rise, the World Health Organization projects a global shortfall of 11 million healthcare workers by 2030. At the same time, GenAI is transforming the industry, with 85% of healthcare organizations exploring or adopting GenAI.

To help address this, Cleveland Clinic is launching two courses focused on applying in-demand technical skills in healthcare.

Machine Learning in Healthcare: Foundations and Applications

This course is taught by Ghaith Habboub, MD, a neurosurgeon and faculty member at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. It combines foundational principles with real-world perspectives from healthcare and AI experts to help clinicians, data scientists, and researchers learn how to apply AI in clinical settings.

The course focuses on three core areas:

  • Core principles of machine learning in healthcare.
  • Real-world healthcare processes that can be automated using AI algorithms.
  • How AI models solutions can support clinical expertise to foster innovation, enhance efficiency, and improve patient outcomes.

Computer Vision and Sequence Analysis in Machine Learning

Dr. Habboub, an expert in medical technology, explains how to use machine learning techniques to analyze medical images and apply time-series data analysis through hands-on projects. Learners will design models to analyze MRIs to detect tumors and analyze vital signs to predict clinical events.

The course teaches how to:

  • Build and optimize convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for medical image classification and segmentation.
  • Apply transfer learning to improve AI model performance even when working with limited datasets.
  • Utilize sequence analysis to identify critical state transitions and patterns.

Amid a growing need to train healthcare professionals, this new collaboration helps learners gain the latest skills needed to support patients and communities around the world. We’re honored to have Cleveland Clinic join leading healthcare innovators on Coursera, including Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Moderna, and Novartis. Collectively, healthcare content on Coursera has already reached 14 million learners.

Enroll in Cleveland Clinic’s Machine Learning course or Computer Vision course today.

The 15 Most In-Demand Jobs in 2026 (and the Skills to Learn First)

0
The 15 Most In-Demand Jobs in 2026 (and the Skills to Learn First)

The most in-demand jobs in 2026 are being shaped less by job titles and more by skills. As technology evolves, remote work expands, and employers rethink how they hire, many traditional career paths are changing faster than expected. Roles that barely existed a few years ago are now in high demand, while others are being reshaped or replaced entirely.

If you’re wondering what the most in-demand jobs are right now, or which skills are worth learning to stay employable, this guide breaks it down clearly. Rather than focusing only on degrees or long-term study, it looks at practical, skills-first roles that employers are actively hiring for.

This list of the most in-demand jobs for 2026 covers a mix of tech, business, healthcare, sustainability, and remote-friendly careers. For each role, you’ll also find suggested learning areas and free online courses from Alison, so you can start building relevant skills straight away.

Why Traditional Career Paths Are Changing in 2026

Three shifts are pushing the most in-demand jobs to evolve rapidly:

  1. AI and automation are reshaping roles: AI tools are reducing repetitive tasks and changing what “junior” roles look like, especially in office and knowledge work. That pushes the most in-demand jobs toward roles that combine human judgment with AI-supported output.
  2. Remote work and global hiring trends: Remote-first teams are now normal in many companies, expanding access to the most in-demand jobs beyond big cities (and beyond borders).
  3. Skills-first hiring is replacing degree-first hiring: Employers increasingly screen for skills, portfolios, projects, and practical skills, especially in AI and data.

Most In-Demand Jobs in 2026: Top Careers to Watch

Below is a snapshot of the most in-demand jobs expected to shape the workforce in 2026. These roles reflect where hiring demand is growing fastest, driven by technology, changing business needs, and shifting expectations around how and where work gets done. While many of these careers sit within tech, others span business, healthcare, sustainability, and customer-facing functions — showing that opportunity isn’t limited to one industry or background.

1. AI Prompt Engineer / AI Specialist

What they do: Build reliable prompts and workflows for AI tools, test outputs, reduce hallucinations, and help teams use AI safely and efficiently.

Key skills: Prompting patterns, evaluation, documentation, basic coding, domain knowledge, and AI ethics.

Recommended courses:

2. Data Analyst / Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst

What they do: Turn messy data into dashboards, insights, and recommendations leaders can use.

Key skills: Excel/Sheets, SQL basics, data visualisation, KPI storytelling, stakeholder communication.

Recommended courses:

3. Cybersecurity Specialist

What they do: Protect systems, monitor threats, respond to incidents, and improve policies and security controls.

Key skills: Network fundamentals, security basics, threat awareness, risk thinking, and incident response.

Recommended courses:

4. Cloud Engineer / DevOps Specialist

What they do: Build and run cloud infrastructure, automate deployments, and improve reliability and performance.

Key skills: Linux basics, CI/CD, containers, cloud services, monitoring, automation mindset.

Recommended courses:

5. Software Developer

What they do: Build applications, APIs, and services that power products and internal tools.

Key skills: Programming fundamentals, debugging, version control, web basics, testing.
Recommended courses:

6. AI / Machine Learning Technician

What they do: Support machine learning (ML) projects: data prep, model experimentation, basic evaluation, implementation support.

Key skills: Python, data basics, ML concepts, model evaluation, documentation.

Recommended courses:

7. Product Manager

What they do: Define problems, align stakeholders, prioritise roadmaps, and guide delivery.

Key skills: User research, prioritisation, writing specs, stakeholder management, metrics.

Recommended courses:

8. UX/UI Designer

What they do: Design user journeys, interfaces, and experiences that improve conversion and satisfaction.

Key skills: UX research, wireframing, UI principles, accessibility basics, user testing.

Recommended courses:

9. Digital Marketing Specialist (SEO, PPC, Content)

What they do: Drive traffic and leads through SEO, paid ads, content, email, and analytics.

Key skills: SEO fundamentals, content strategy, analytics, conversion thinking, experimentation.

Recommended courses:

10. Sales Development Representative (SDR) / Account Executive

What they do: Build pipeline, qualify leads, run demos, close deals, grow accounts.

Key skills: Prospecting, CRM, objection handling, communication, negotiation.

Recommended courses:

11. Customer Success Specialist (Remote-friendly)

What they do: Onboard customers, reduce churn, improve adoption, and turn users into advocates.

Key skills: Communication, onboarding, product knowledge, troubleshooting, empathy.

Recommended courses:

12. Project Manager (Agile / Operations)

What they do: Plan, track, coordinate delivery, manage risks, and keep teams aligned.

Key skills: Planning, stakeholder updates, risk management, Agile basics, documentation.

Recommended courses:

13. Healthcare Support Roles (Medical Admin, Care Roles)

What they do: Support care delivery through administration, patient support, scheduling, basic care tasks, and coordination.

Key skills: Patient communication, record keeping, confidentiality, time management, empathy.

Recommended courses:

14. Supply Chain / Logistics Analyst

What they do: Improve inventory, delivery performance, forecasting, vendor coordination, and operations KPIs.

Key skills: Process thinking, Excel, data basics, communication, systems mindset.

Recommended courses:

15. Sustainability Specialist / Environment, Social, and Goverance (ESG) Coordinator

What they do: Track sustainability goals, support ESG reporting, improve processes, and help teams reduce environmental impact.

Key skills: ESG basics, reporting, stakeholder alignment, sustainability frameworks, project coordination.

Recommended courses:

Sustainability and “green” skills continue to gain prominence in future-of-work research and are increasingly identified as among the fastest-growing skills and job roles.

How to Choose the Right Career Path for You

If you’re still asking yourself which of the most in-demand jobs you could realistically move into, it helps to take a step back and think about fit, not just demand.

Start by reflecting on the type of work you enjoy and feel confident doing. Some roles are more hands-on and creative, such as development or UX. Others are more analytical, like data or cybersecurity, while some focus on communication, influence, or operational support. There’s no “better” path. The goal is to choose one that matches how you prefer to work.

From there, focus on building one core skill at a time. Trying to learn everything at once often leads to frustration and burnout. A short, focused learning period, even 30 days, can be enough to build momentum and clarity.

Finally, aim to apply what you learn in practice. A small project, portfolio piece, or short case study will usually say more to employers than passive learning alone, especially when applying for the most in-demand jobs.

For career exploration, Alison’s free Career Guide helps you compare roles and see the required skills.

How to Start Learning These Skills in 30 Days

Week 1: Explore career options and basics

  • Choose two or three of the most in-demand jobs from the list above and focus on understanding what those roles actually involve
  • Read job descriptions and required skills to see which paths feel realistic and interesting
  • Complete one beginner-level course to get a feel for the fundamentals before committing further

Week 2: Build a new skill

  • Set aside 45–60 minutes a day to practise one core skill linked to your chosen role
  • Focus on active learning rather than passive watching or reading
  • For example:
    • Data analysis: build simple dashboards or work with real datasets
    • Cybersecurity: practice basic labs, threat scenarios, or security checklists
    • Marketing: experiment with content ideas, keywords, or simple campaigns
  • Consistency matters more than speed – even the smallest bit of daily progress builds confidence

Week 3: Create a mini project for your CV

  • Turn what you’ve learned into something tangible that shows how you apply your skills
  • Keep projects small and practical, such as:
    • a short data dashboard with a one-page insight summary
    • a UX redesign of an e-commerce checkout flow with a brief case study
    • a cybersecurity home-lab write-up or threat checklist
    • an SEO content plan and keyword map
  • Aim to explain not just what you built, but the thinking behind it

Week 4: Update your LinkedIn profile and start applying

  • Update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your new skills, projects, and completed courses
  • Add your Alison certificates to show employers you’re actively upskilling
  • Start applying for roles that match your current level, including internships, junior roles, or apprenticeships

Start Building Your Future Skills Now

The most in-demand jobs in 2026 reward people who move early, build practical skills, and demonstrate their work. If you’ve been wondering what the most in-demand jobs (or what are the most in-demand tech jobs) are, pick one direction from this list and start learning for free today.

To get started fast, explore Alison’s wide range of free Certificate and Diploma courses.

Skills-First Hiring: How to Land Your Dream Job Without a Degree

0
Skills-First Hiring: How to Land Your Dream Job Without a Degree

The job market in 2026 looks very different from what it was a decade ago. For years, a university degree acted as the default passport to opportunity. No degree often meant no interview, regardless of experience or ability. Today, that logic is breaking down. Skills-first hiring is reshaping how organisations recruit and who gets a fair shot.

This shift reflects a simple reality: employers care less about where someone studied and far more about what they can actually do. As industries evolve faster than formal education cycles, skills-first hiring has become a practical response to change. For job seekers and career changers, it opens doors that once felt firmly closed. For HR professionals, it offers a smarter, more inclusive way to build capable teams.

Defining The Shift: Skills-First vs. Degree-First

Skills-first hiring prioritises demonstrable abilities over academic pedigree. Instead of filtering candidates by degrees, employers assess job-readiness through practical tests, portfolios, and verified credentials. Degree-first hiring, by contrast, uses formal education as the primary screening tool, often before skills are evaluated at all. In a ZipRecruiter survey of 2,000 employers, 45% said they’d removed degree requirements for some roles in the past year. That said, degrees and licenses remain non-negotiable for many regulated professions, such as doctors, nurses, architects, lawyers and similar fields.

In the debate over skills-first vs. degree-first hiring, the difference lies in impact. Skills-first models widen access to talent, improve role fit, and reflect how people actually learn and work in 2026.

Why Employers Are Prioritising Skills Over Pedigree

The rise of skills-first hiring is not driven by ideology; it is driven by necessity.

Closing The Skills Gap

Technology, tools, and workflows change quickly. By the time a four-year degree is completed, parts of the curriculum may already be outdated. Employers increasingly need people who can contribute immediately, using current systems and methods.

Widening The Talent Pool

Degree filters are already fading from job ads: by January 2024, 52% of US Indeed postings listed no formal education requirement. Skills-first approaches allow organisations to tap into skilled candidates through alternative routes, such as short courses, workplace experience, micro-credentials, or self-directed learning. This creates access to motivated, capable talent that traditional filters often miss.

Reducing Costly Hiring Mistakes

Some roles will always require a degree, but for many jobs, what matters most is whether someone can actually do the work. When employers ask people to show what they can do through practical tasks and simple assessments, they get a much clearer picture than they do from credentials alone. For HR teams, skills-first hiring makes it easier to match the right person to the right role and can lead to stronger performance over time. But while skills-first is getting a lot of attention, not every company is fully acting on it yet: one major study found that in 2023, only about 97,000 additional hires without degrees were made out of 77 million total hires. That points to the real gap: employers need better ways to validate skills, not just policy changes.

Many organisations now focus on upskilling existing teams rather than relying solely on external hires. This is where learning management systems such as Alison’s Free LMS support skills-based workforce development. It is a skills-focused learning solution designed to help organisations build capable, job-ready teams at scale. It provides unlimited access to thousands of free courses across a range of categories, including Leadership, Digital Marketing, Compliance, and industry-specific competencies, enabling employees to build in-demand skills. Alison’s Free LMS supports workforce development through structured learning paths, skills tracking, and performance insights.

How A Skills-First Approach Benefits You As A Jobseeker

For individuals, skills-first hiring can be career-changing.

Levelling The Playing Field

High-growth sectors such as Technology, Project Management, Business Management, and Customer Service increasingly value proven skills over formal qualifications. This reduces the financial and time barriers traditionally associated with career progression, as Learners no longer need to commit to expensive, multi-year qualifications to demonstrate their capabilities. Instead, they can gain targeted, job-relevant skills through shorter, more affordable learning pathways that fit around work and personal commitments. They can upskill faster and progress based on demonstrated competence rather than prolonged formal education.

Supporting Career Transitions

Skills transfer across roles more easily than job titles. Teaching develops communication and facilitation skills useful in corporate training. Retail Management builds leadership and operational strengths applicable in logistics or operations roles. Skills-first hiring allows career changers to present this experience with confidence.

Alison’s Workplace Personality Assessment, combined with the Career Ready Plan, empowers Learners to make confident, informed career decisions. The assessment helps Learners identify their strengths, work preferences and natural abilities, while the Career Ready Plan turns these insights into clear, practical next steps. Together, they guide Learners toward suitable career paths, recommend targeted skills development, and provide structured learning journeys that build job-ready confidence.

How To Prove Your Skills In A Degree-Free Market

In a skills-first hiring environment, evidence matters.

Practical Assessments Are Replacing CV Filters

As employers increasingly rely on work-sample tests, simulations, and task-based interviews, you should focus on developing and practising real-world skills rather than relying solely on a resumé. Preparing for these assessments means gaining hands-on experience, working through realistic scenarios, and learning how to clearly explain your thinking, problem-solving approach, and outcomes, demonstrating how you apply knowledge in real situations.

Building A Digital Portfolio

A portfolio turns your skills into proof by showcasing real examples of what you can do. Depending on the role, this could include process improvements you designed, project plans you created, dashboards you built, training materials you developed, or short case studies that explain the problem, your approach, and the outcome.

The Value Of Verified Micro-Credentials

Short, targeted certifications provide structured proof of competence. When aligned with industry needs, they serve as credible alternatives to traditional modules.

Alison’s free Diploma courses offer in-depth, skills-focused credentials designed to support employability across industries.

Your Action Plan: Transitioning To A Skills-First Career

Succeeding with skills-first hiring requires focus rather than reinvention.

Audit Your Skills

Review job descriptions in your target role and list the most common requirements. Compare them with your current capabilities to identify strengths and gaps.

Bridge Gaps With Targeted Learning

Instead of long academic programmes, short learning paths can efficiently close gaps.

Pair each course with a small practical project to reinforce learning and strengthen your portfolio.

Optimise Your CV For Skills-Based Screening

Modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) rank candidates by keyword relevance. A skills-focused CV should clearly highlight your competencies, supported by measurable outcomes. Use Alison’s free Resumé Builder to create a CV designed for skills-first screening.

Future-Proof Your Career With Skills-First Hiring

The shift towards skills-first hiring reflects a broader move towards merit, adaptability, and lifelong learning. For employers, it creates stronger, more agile teams. For job seekers and career changers, it restores control over progression and potential. As the distinction between skills-first vs. degree-first hiring continues to shape recruitment, those who invest in learning and skill development will be best positioned to succeed. The future of work belongs to people who keep building, refining, and proving what they can do.

Start developing your transferable skill set today with Alison’s 6,000+ free online courses and take advantage of a job market that values ability over background.

Gemini vs ChatGPT in 2026: The AI Choice That Can Boost Your Career

0
Gemini vs ChatGPT in 2026: The AI Choice That Can Boost Your Career

AI is no longer a “nice to have” skill. In 2026, it’s shaping how people write, analyse, research, and make decisions at work. For professionals trying to stay relevant, the real challenge isn’t whether to use AI – it’s knowing which tool to use, and when.

For years, ChatGPT has dominated the conversation. By late 2025, it had reached 800 million weekly active users, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and recorded roughly 5.7 billion monthly visits, according to Similarweb. But popularity alone no longer tells the full story.

Google’s Gemini has closed the gap fast, growing to 350 million monthly active users by June 2025 and further expanding to 450 million monthly active users a month later, as Google pushed the tool deeper into its ecosystem. As AI assistants become embedded in everyday work, choosing the wrong one, or relying on only one, can quietly slow you down.

This is why AI literacy is becoming a core career skill. Understanding how tools like Gemini and ChatGPT work and where each fits best helps professionals work faster, think more clearly, and make better decisions. Many learners start by building this foundation through free AI courses, which focus on practical, work-ready skills rather than theory

This article breaks down the Gemini vs ChatGPT debate, not in terms of hype, but in terms of career impact: productivity, output quality, and the skills employers increasingly expect.

Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Is It a Battle for Dominance?

Yes, but dominance in 2026 isn’t about who has the most advanced tech or the loudest hype. It’s about which tool becomes your everyday advantage at work. In the Gemini vs ChatGPT battle, Gemini emphasises context (handling vast amounts of information) and seamless integration into the Google ecosystem, while ChatGPT continues to win hearts with its creativity, tone control, and rapid content iteration. If your goal is career growth, the “winner” is the tool that matches your work day to day, and knowing when to use both is the real power move. Want to future-proof your skills?

At a practical level, the key differences between Gemini and ChatGPT come down to information handling, integration, data analysis, and customisation. Gemini supports one million tokens (a small unit of text AI reads, roughly 3-4 characters), which means it can process very large files in one go. It also integrates with Google Workspace and allows users to create custom “Gems” for repeat tasks. ChatGPT also handles large-file analysis, works with Google content (though not as Google’s primary assistant), uses Python for data analysis, and lets users build custom GPTs tailored to specific needs.

Google Workspace Integration

  • Gemini: Of course, this tool was designed to work seamlessly within Google Workspace.
  • ChatGPT: Although it can work with documents and Gmail content, it isn’t a first-party assistant for Google Workspace.

Data Analysis

  • Gemini: It can analyse data; however, Google’s positioning leans toward long-context understanding.
  • ChatGPT: Data analysis uses Python with pandas and Matplotlib for charts and analysis.

Custom Assistants

  • Gemini: Allows users to create “Gems”, customisable assistants designed for repeat tasks.
  • ChatGPT: Allows users to create custom GPTs with tailored information, questions and files.

These differences make one thing clear: Gemini vs ChatGPT isn’t about which is universally better; it’s about which fits your unique needs at work. Gemini excels at absorbing and synthesising information within Google-focused environments, while ChatGPT delivers rapid, creative, and polished output.

A valuable resource is Alison’s Diploma in Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence course, a practical, skills-first foundation for using AI effectively at work. If you’re looking to build confidence with prompting, productivity workflows, and responsible AI use (especially inside Google tools), it can sharpen how you use Gemini day-to-day, and it also translates well to getting better results from ChatGPT.

Gemini vs ChatGPT: The Gap Is Closing

The debate around this topic is quickly coming to a close, and the numbers speak for themselves. Similarweb reports show that ChatGPT usage has dipped to 68%, whilst Gemini’s has climbed to 18%.

Google says around 2 billion Android devices are in use every month, and with the AI tool installed as the default assistant on many of them, Gemini has a significant distribution channel. However, Gemini isn’t necessarily installed on all 2 billion devices.

The Skill Gap: AI Literacy Now Means “Bilingual”

While the gap between Gemini and ChatGPT might be closing, another is growing – the AI literacy gap. Being AI-literate means being able to switch between tools with ease, whether it’s Gemini for deep research and long-form context or ChatGPT for writing and content production. Building that flexibility often starts with an Introduction to AI in Business, because understanding how AI creates value (and where its limits are) makes it much easier to choose the right tool for the right task. If you only know one side of the ChatGPT vs Gemini debate, you’re limiting your output and your employability.

Which AI Is Better for Your Career?

For most marketing roles, choosing the right tool comes down to output. ChatGPT tends to be faster for:

  • SEO outlines, intros, FAQs, and a clean structure
  • Brand voice rewrites (“make this sound more confident/warmer/funnier”)
  • Content repurposing (blogs, newsletters, social captions)
  • Iterative editing

To get the best results from ChatGPT, the quality of your prompt matters. Clear, specific instructions consistently produce sharper, more useful responses, which is exactly what ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Beginner to Expert teaches: how to structure prompts, refine them, and get reliably high-quality output.

If your work is research-heavy and requires trusted sources, Gemini’s ability to handle huge inputs is a major advantage. Gemini works especially well for:

  • Summarising long reports and extracting key claims
  • Comparing multiple sources and spotting contradictions
  • Building research briefs and decision memos from piles of material

That said, pairing Gemini’s long-context strengths with the skills you learn from a course like Machine Learning with Artificial Intelligence can improve your research process because you’re not just summarising information, you’re learning how the underlying models find patterns, weigh signals, and generate predictions. Knowing all of this makes it easier to ask better questions, validate insights, and turn source-heavy inputs into decisions you can actually defend.

Conclusion: Don’t Just Choose, Master Both

Both tools are evolving fast, and the real advantage isn’t picking a side; it’s knowing when to switch. In the Gemini vs ChatGPT comparison:

  • Gemini tends to win for Google-centric workflows and research-heavy tasks at scale
  • ChatGPT tends to win for creative writing, tone control, and SEO production speed

Ready to upskill? Start Alison’s free AI courses and build practical skills now.

Alison vs Udemy: Which Platform Is Best for Your Career Advancement?

0
Alison vs Udemy: Which Platform Is Best for Your Career Advancement?

Online learning has moved from a niche option to a mainstream pathway between 2020 and 2026, according to The Business Research Company, with the global e-learning market estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars and still growing strongly. For professionals focused on promotions, new roles, and better pay, the big question isn’t whether to learn online but where.

And the options are plenty. Two popular learning platforms are Alison and Udemy, but not all e-learning platforms are the same. Some focus on microcredentials, others on longer learning pathways, and a few fall somewhere in between. So, how do Alison and Udemy stack up against each other?

Both platforms offer Learners flexible, self-paced study, but they take different approaches to pricing, certification, and career development support. In this guide, you’ll see how Alison vs Udemy stack up for real career advancement, so you can choose the platform that fits your budget best and supports your career goals.

Alison vs Udemy: Which Platform Is Best for Your Career Advancement?

In short, Udemy offers a variety of instructor-led videos, while Alison’s model leans more deliberately toward structured, accredited learning with career support tools that are easier to use directly for career progression.

Alison Overview: Strengths for Career Advancement

Alison is a free online learning platform designed around practical, employment-ready skills. Learners can access thousands of Certificate and Diploma courses at no cost, paying only if they wish to receive a printed or digital Certificate.

Crucial for career advancement, Alison’s publishing process is accredited by the CPD UK, confirming that their courses meet globally recognised standards for Continuing Professional Development. Alison offers a complete set of free career tools, including Aptitude Tests, Workplace Personality Assessment, and Mental Health Assessment, to help you understand your strengths and work style. The platform also provides an online Career Guide (with information on hundreds of careers and recommended skills and courses to pursue them), plus practical tools such as a Resumé Builder and a Career Ready Plan to help you start a new job or change careers.

Key Benefits for Career Progression

  • Free access to all courses: You can study as many programmes as you like without paying, and only invest in a Certificate when you’re ready to showcase your skills.
  • Globally recognised Certificates: Alison’s course publishing process meets CPD accreditation standards, giving them added credibility with employers and professional bodies.
  • Strong focus on workplace readiness: Courses available on Alison emphasise applied skills, assessments, and practical knowledge that transfer easily into real job tasks, alongside career-development tools that support learners with CV building, interview preparation, and job readiness.
  • A mix of soft and technical skills: Learners can combine communication skills, leadership, and time management courses with technical training in IT, Business, Health, and more on the same platform.

Who Thrives With Alison

Alison is built for everyone, regardless of where you are in your career or what your next step looks like. It’s especially useful for:

  • Career starters who want to build foundational skills and confidence as they enter the workforce.
  • Jobseekers who need recognised Certificates to strengthen their CV or professional profile.
  • Career changers who want to explore new paths and gain relevant skills before making a move.
  • Upskillers and professionals who want to sharpen their knowledge and stay current in their roles.
  • People returning to the workforce after a break, who want to refresh their skills, rebuild confidence, and ease back into working life.
  • SME owners and team leaders who want to develop their staff without a large training budget.

Udemy Overview: Strengths for Career Building

Udemy at a Glance

Udemy is a vast online learning marketplace that connects learners with independent instructors. Anyone who meets Udemy’s guidelines can create and sell courses, resulting in a variety of teaching styles, course formats, and production quality.

Key Benefits for Skill Growth

  • Wide variety of topics: From coding and marketing to personal hobbies, Udemy often has a course for almost any subject you can think of.
  • Great for niche or hobby learning: Because instructors create their own content, there are numerous highly specific or experimental topics available.
  • Instructor-led video focus: Many learners prefer to follow a particular instructor’s teaching style and personality.

Udemy is not an accredited institution, and its certificates are certificates of completion rather than formally recognised credentials. While they can demonstrate motivation and a willingness to learn, they generally carry less weight than accredited certificates when it comes to formal career progression or recognised qualifications.

Who Thrives With Udemy

Udemy often works best for:

  • Learners who want a single-topic course on a specific tool or framework.
  • People who want to explore hobbies or niche interests.
  • Professionals who enjoy instructor-led videos and picking teachers based on ratings and reviews.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Here’s how the choice between Alison and Udemy typically plays out for most learners.

If Your Goal is Career Advancement or Promotion

If your primary focus is securing a promotion, changing careers, returning to the workforce, or improving your overall employability, Alison is a strong fit. Alongside its CPD-accredited courses and free access model, Alison offers built-in career-development tools such as CV building, interview preparation, and skills assessments, making it easier to demonstrate a clear and credible upskilling journey to employers.

In this case, Alison is the more strategic option.

If You Want Instructor-Led Videos or Very Niche Topics

For learners who prefer personality-driven teaching or highly specialised subjects, Udemy’s marketplace is a strong fit. Just keep in mind that, for formal career progression, certificates typically serve as supporting evidence alongside more formal or accredited credentials.

Final Verdict: Alison vs Udemy for Career Progression

Both platforms have a place in a modern learner’s toolkit, but they serve different purposes. In the Alison vs Udemy comparison, Udemy offers a wide variety of instructor-led video-based courses covering niche topics. This makes Udemy ideal for quick skill boosts and exploratory learning.

For sustained career advancement, though, the essentials are recognised courses backed by an accredited publishing process, structured learning, and affordability. Alison brings these together through free, skills-based programmes and a suite of valuable career tools.

Best Types of Nursing Courses for Career Growth (2026 Guide)

0
Best Types of Nursing Courses for Career Growth (2026 Guide)

The demand for skilled Nurses continues to rise worldwide, and the World Health Organisation estimates a global shortage of 4.5 million Nurses by 2030, with the most significant gaps in Africa, South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean. For those starting in Healthcare or already working on the front line, the right Nursing courses can lead to new opportunities, higher pay, and faster career progression.

Alison offers an extensive catalogue of free online Nursing courses, as well as learning programmes covering broader Health-related subjects, designed to support everyone from new Nursing Assistants to experienced Registered Nurses looking to specialise. All Alison courses are created and published through a CPD-UK-accredited process, ensuring learning content meets recognised continuing professional development standards.

Why Nursing Professionals Need Continuous Upskilling

Like all other industries, healthcare changes constantly. New medications, updated clinical guidelines and evolving technologies all affect how Nurses assess, treat, and educate patients. Basic life support algorithms, infection-control standards, and documentation expectations are regularly updated internationally. These constant changes require healthcare workers to continuously learn, relearn, and unlearn relevant workplace skills to ensure they deliver safe, up-to-date care.

Alison’s Nursing courses are designed to support continuous upskilling in a fast-changing healthcare environment. They help healthcare workers and those exploring a future in Nursing strengthen their understanding of updated care standards, evolving practices, and specialised care settings, without replacing formal qualifications or clinical training. These courses are well-suited to refreshing existing knowledge, exploring areas of professional interest, and building confidence in non-clinical skills such as communication, ethics, leadership, and patient-centred care. Delivered in a flexible, self-paced format, Alison’s Nursing courses fit around shift work and study commitments, making it easier to stay informed and reflective within your current scope of practice.

Types of Nursing Courses You Can Take Online

Online courses support many areas of Nursing, from core knowledge to specialised topics. Here are some of the course types Alison offers.

Clinical Skills Courses

Clinical skills courses focus on patient care knowledge and core clinical concepts that support understanding of care delivery in healthcare settings:

Leadership And Management Courses

If you see yourself moving into a management role, leadership-focused Nursing courses can help you build knowledge around:

Palliative Care Courses

Palliative care courses support Nurses working in oncology, geriatrics, hospice, and home care environments where complex, long-term conditions are common:

  • Pain Care Nursing: This course will help you understand the specific needs of different age groups as you explore the philosophy and principles that guide palliative care.
  • End-of-Life and Palliative Care: This course teaches you how to supply quality care to those who are suffering in the grip of illness or are approaching the end of their lives.

Infectious Diseases Courses

Infection prevention courses are beneficial for Nurses in emergency, laboratory, surgical, and public health settings:

Mental Health Courses

Mental health courses build understanding of psychological wellbeing and mental illness across a wide range of healthcare and community settings, not only specialist psychiatric care.

  • Diploma in Mental Health: Here you will learn about the causes, symptoms and treatments of various forms of mental health issues, and you will begin to understand how to preserve your own mental health and even help those around you.
  • Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Illness: This course will teach you the four guiding principles of support work and how the strengths and resources of clients and their communities are involved in the care process.

Top Free Certified Nursing Courses on Alison (Start Learning Today)

Alison offers a range of free certified Nursing and healthcare courses designed to support ongoing learning, skill refreshment, and career development. This includes selected courses delivered in partnership with the National Health Care Provider Solutions (NHCPS), a trusted provider of certification-based training aligned with internationally recognised care standards.

These courses support continuing professional development and knowledge-building, rather than replacing formal clinical qualifications.

Here are seven high-impact, free certified Nursing courses on Alison you can start right away:

1. CPR, AED and First Aid

You’ll explore how CPR, AED use, and basic first aid are applied in emergency situations across different age groups. The focus is on recognising common emergencies and understanding appropriate responses. It’s a good practical option if you want to refresh or build your emergency care knowledge.

Enrol and learn CPR, AED, and first aid for free.

2. Basic Life Support (BLS)

Designed to align with current BLS guidelines (2020–2025), this course focuses on recognising life-threatening emergencies and the structured response steps. You’ll learn about chest compressions, rescue breaths, and core life support principles. This course is particularly relevant if you work in acute or fast-paced care settings.

Take this free Basic Life Support course.

3. Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)

This course focuses on how bloodborne pathogens are transmitted and how exposure risks are managed in healthcare environments. You’ll look at exposure control plans, standard precautions, and everyday safety practices. If you regularly handle blood, sharps, or specimens, this course is a must.

Learn more about bloodborne pathogens in this free certified course.

4. Advanced Cardiac Life Support

The learning here centres on the stages of advanced cardiac life support, from initial assessment to post-cardiac arrest care. You’ll work through decision-making frameworks used during cardiac emergencies. This course is useful if you want to strengthen your understanding of how these situations are managed in clinical settings.

Enrol and broaden our knowledge of advanced cardiac life support.

5. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

With a focus on infants and children, this course explores emergency care concepts specific to paediatric settings. You’ll cover how respiratory distress presents and how response approaches differ for younger patients. This course is well-suited if your role involves paediatric or neonatal care.

Master pediatric advanced life support by enrolling in this free course.

6. ECG Rhythms and Interpretation

This option focuses on understanding and interpreting common ECG rhythms used in clinical practice. You’ll explore rhythm patterns, underlying causes, and how ECG findings are described. It’s a good fit if you want to build confidence in ECG interpretation through ongoing learning.

Gain a better understanding of ECG rhythms and interpretation.

7. First Aid: A Comprehensive Guide to Saving Lives

The emphasis here is on recognising emergencies and understanding how first aid responses are structured. You’ll work through scenarios such as bleeding, burns, fractures, choking, and cardiac events. Helpful if you want to revisit core first aid principles in a clear, practical way.

Take this comprehensive lifesaving course for free.

How to Choose the Right Nursing Courses for Your Career Stage

The most useful Nursing courses are the ones that match where you are in your career and help you move forward with purpose. Rather than taking every available course, focus on Nursing learning that aligns with your experience level and career goals.

If You Are a Beginner or Student

If You Are a Working Nurse

If You Aim to Become a Future Leader

If You Want to Specialise in a Particular Area

Career Paths You Can Explore After Completing Nursing Courses

Online courses can help you explore different career directions, strengthen relevant knowledge, and understand what various roles involve in practice. While they do not qualify you to practise or replace formal training, they can support informed career decisions, professional development, and progression alongside recognised qualifications and workplace experience.

Here are some healthcare-related roles Alison Learners often explore after completing relevant Nursing courses:

  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): CNAs support patients with day-to-day care, including mobility, hygiene, feeding, and comfort, while working under the supervision of qualified Nurses. The role is hands-on and patient-facing, often based in hospitals, clinics, or long-term care settings.
  • Cosmetic Nurse: Cosmetic Nurses work in clinical or office-based settings, supporting non-invasive aesthetic procedures and client care. The role combines patient communication, safety awareness, and an understanding of cosmetic treatments delivered within regulated healthcare environments.
  • Head Nurse: This role involves overseeing patient care delivery, coordinating staff, and ensuring compliance with quality and safety standards within a unit or ward. Responsibilities may also include mentoring junior staff and contributing to training or education activities.
  • Mental Health Aide: Mental Health Aides support individuals with mental health needs by assisting with daily activities and providing structured, supervised care. They typically work as part of a wider healthcare or social care team in clinical or community settings.
  • Nursing Associate: Nursing Associates work alongside Registered Nurses and healthcare assistants to support patient care. The role helps bridge care responsibilities within a team, contributing to patient monitoring, communication, and routine care tasks.
  • Nursing Educator: Nursing Educators focus on teaching, mentoring, and supporting the development of healthcare staff or students. Their work often includes developing learning materials, delivering training, and promoting safe, ethical care practices.
  • Orderly: Orderlies assist with patient movement, comfort, and basic care needs within healthcare facilities. The role plays an important part in supporting daily operations and ensuring patients feel safe and supported.
  • Travel Nurse: Travel Nurses work in short-term placements across different healthcare settings, adapting to new teams and care environments. The role involves applying established Nursing skills while responding to varying workplace needs and standards.

Start Accelerating Your Nursing Career Today

If you’re looking to upskill without stepping away from work, flexible online learning can help you build knowledge at your own pace. Alison’s free Nursing and Health & Medicine courses let you focus on the areas that matter most to your current role or future plans, with options organised by topic and level.

A simple way to approach your learning might be to:

All Alison courses are created through a CPD-UK-accredited publishing process, with selected healthcare courses developed in partnership with the National Health Care Provider Solutions (NHCPS). Certificates reflect structured learning that supports professional development alongside formal training and experience.

Comment on 10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster by Chris Towers

0
Comment on 10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster by Chris Towers

10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster - Designer Blogs

You only have a few seconds to make an awesome first impression with your blog. You might have a gorgeous blog design and out-of-this-world content, but if your site takes FOREVER to load, people are going to be looking for the “back” (aka: “get me outta here”) button before they even have the chance to enjoy your blog in all of its glory.

If your blog takes longer than 3 seconds to load, it is loading TOO SLOW and is costing you visitors. Every second counts!  Google’s PageSpeed Insights is a great tool to use to find out how fast or slow your site is loading. If your blog is loading too slow, the tips shared below will help make your Blogger blog load faster in no time.

Note: this post is specifically for Blogger blogs. If you are WordPress, we’ve covered this here: 10 Ways to Make Your WordPress Site Load Faster.


1. Limit the Number of Posts on the Front Home Page of Your Blog

The more posts you show on your front page, the longer your blog will take to load. We recommend showing no more than 10 posts on the front page. However, if your posts are long and/or they have a lot of images, then it would be wise to show even fewer posts. To change the number of posts your home page shows, go to “Layout” > “Blog Posts” > “Edit.”

Limit number of posts - Blog load faster - Designer Blogs

Under “Main Page Options,” switch the number of posts shown on the main page to a number less than 10. Then click the “Save” button. View your blog and it will now only show the number of posts you have set it to show.

Speed up Blogger blog - Designer Blogs

2. Display Expandable Post Summaries

If you would prefer to show a lot of posts on your main page, using expandable post summaries/post excerpts is a great alternative to the first tip. Expandable post summaries is a feature that shows a short paragraph for each post and then allows your users to click on a “read more” link to view the full content of each post.

Display expandable post summaries - Designer Blogs

Using expandable post summaries on your home page dramatically decreases load time because only a small snippet of each post on the homepage has to load.

RELATED POST: How to Add Post Excerpts to a Blogger Blog


3. Resize Images Before Uploading Them To Your Blog

Uploading images in their original size is a surefire way to slow your blog down. The larger the images you upload, the longer your blog will take to load those images.

The goal is to size your images no wider than your post area width, so it’s important to know that width. If you are using a Designer Blogs design, we state the post area width on each of our designs so you’ll know the exact width to use when resizing your images. If you don’t have one of our designs and/or don’t know the width of your post area, then shoot us an email and we’ll be happy to take a look at your site so you’ll know the exact width of your post area. Most post area widths are between 600-800px wide.

Photoshop is the best tool for resizing images, but if you don’t have Photoshop, Pixlr is a free service you can use to do this. Here’s how to easily resize a photo using Pixlr:

1) Hop over to Pixlr and click “Open Pixlr Editor” on the site.

10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster - Designer Blogs

2) Click “Open Image from Computer” and find the image you want to use from your computer.

10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster

3) Your image will appear and will be ready for editing. At the bottom of the image you’ll see the current image size. My sample image is currently 4000px wide, which is WAY too large to be uploaded to a blog. So I’m going to change it to the width of my post area, which is 800px wide. In the top navigation bar, click “Image” and then “Image size…”

How to use Pixlr - Designer Blogs

4) Change the image width to the width of your post area. The height of the image will automatically adjust to keep the proper proportions. Click “OK.”

Reducing blog post image size - Designer Blogs

5) Now you just need to save the resized image, so go to “File” and then “Save.” Rename the file (if needed) and then click “OK.” Find the folder on your computer where you’d like to save the image and click “Save.” You’re now ready to upload your resized image to your blog.

Saving blog post images using Pixlr - Designer Blogs

RELATED POST: How to Achieve Pixel Perfect Images in Blogger


4. Use an Image Host for Your Blog Images

Separate your blog and your blog images by using an image host for your blog images. If you post a large amount of images on your blog in the double digits for each blog post, consider using an external image host.

An external image host will separately load your images on your blog. This takes a little of the loading strain off your blog as your blog only has to load your design and text and widgets.

10 Ways to Make Your Blogger Blog Load Faster - Designer Blogs

Popular free images hosts to use are Imgur, Google Photos, and Flickr.


5. Compress Your Images

If your blog images are still taking too long to load, consider optimizing them by compressing the file size. Compressing images removes a little of the unnecessary bulk of the image file size. This will only provide a small benefit if you use only a handful of images per blog post. This trick is more suitable if you post images into the double digits for each blog post and need the extra bit of optimization.

Photoshop can be used for compressing images, but if you don’t have Photoshop, TinyPNG is a free service that works great for automatically compressing your images. Here is how to easily compress images using TinyPNG:

1) Open the TinyPNG site and click on the “Drop your .png or .jpg files here” section on the site to upload your image.

Compressing Images - Designer Blogs

2) Choose the image you want from your computer and upload it.

3) TinyPNG should instantly start compressing your image.

Speed up Blogger blog - Designer Blogs

4) When your image has finished being compressed, download your image from TinyPNG to your computer by choosing the “download” link.

Using TinyPNG to compress images - Designer Blogs

A before and after comparison shows the compression ended up resulting in a slightly darker image when compressing up to 73% of the original image size. The image was compressed from 1mb to 275kb.

Compressing image to speed up blog - Designer Blogs

6. Clean Up Your Blog Widgets

Rid your blog of clutter. Keep the number of widgets you use on your site to a bare minimum. Ask yourself, “do I really NEED this widget?” If not, get rid of it. You don’t want your users getting distracted from your amazing content by an overly cluttered sidebar or footer. Less is more when it comes to widgets. Keeping your widgets to a minimum will allow your content to shine and will help keep your site load time lightening fast!

Clean up widgets for faster blog - Designer Blogs

Keep the essentials only. We recommend the following must have widgets: profile widget, email subscribe widget, blog archive widget, popular posts widget, and search widget.

RELATED POST: How to Clean Up Your Sidebar


7. Minimize Your Third-Party Gadgets

Similar to reducing your Blogger widgets, keep only the essential third-party gadgets on your blog. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms are well known for having gadgets that take a long time to load. Keep only the gadgets that are essential for your blog.

Consider which platforms are your main sources of readers and prioritize them accordingly. For the platforms that are less important, link to them on your about page or on your sidebar instead of using a third-party gadget.


8. Minimize the number of HTML/JavaScript Gadgets

Adding your own HTML/JavaScript gadgets can be a great way to customize your blog, but adding too many can slow your site down, so use them sparingly. Your blog loads from the top down, so if you do decide to use them, it is best to position them at the bottom of the sidebar or blog so that your users can still read your content while the javascripts are loading.

If you are using them within the main code of the site, it’s best to position them at the end of the body tag (right before ).

Speed up Blogger blog - Designer Blogs

Remember to use javascripts sparingly and, when used, to position them at the bottom.

Use Javascripts sparingly - Designer Blogs

9. Remove Large Blog Design Images

Do you have a large header image you uploaded to your blog? Or a wide background image? If your blog is taking too long to load, these are two areas to check to see if these images are slowing down your blog.

Blog header images should be less than 1mb in size. Ideally, header images should be around 200-400kb.

Blog backgrounds should also be less than 1mb in size. The best blog background images to use are seamless patterns because these images tend to be small and load quickly. Desktop sized backgrounds should not be used for your blog background because these images are usually very large and take a long time to load as most are over the 1mb recommended file size.


10. Limit the Use of Custom Fonts

Custom fonts are beautiful and add personality to your blog design but if you find that your blog takes too long to load, remove or limit your custom fonts. Custom fonts are similar to images in that they take time to load and can be large files. Fancier calligraphy style fonts tend to have larger file sizes in comparison to serif or sans-serif fonts you would find in a book or newspaper.

Custom fonts are best used sparingly such as for your blog header and blog post titles. If possible, use 1 or 2 custom fonts only and change the size or make the fonts bold or italic in your html to use a small number of fonts but still add variety in your fonts on your blog.

Speed up Blogger blog - Designer Blogs

The maximum amount of custom fonts you should have on your blog should be a maximum of 3-4 fonts. Any more and you are only slowing down your blog.

RELATED POST: DIY Custom Fonts for Blogger

Related posts: