Business Skills Courses

What are Business Skills?

Business skills include all the soft skills, communication skills, management skills, project management, and technical skills needed to be successful in management and business fields. The soft skills include critical thinking, leadership skills, problem solving, effective communications, verbal communication, time management, public speaking, presenting, leadership, decision making and more. On the technical side, a business role requires key analytics and mathematics skills as well as computer skills and experience with widely-used business software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Word and Powerpoint, just to name a few.

Many business skill requirements will depend on the area of specialization. For example, a staff management role will require skills in interviewing, team building and conflict resolution. Accounting or financial management roles will require advanced mathematics skills and knowledge of various types of accounting systems and software. Human resources will need to have effective soft skills to work with different team members whether you are a new business, a small business, or a veteran enterprise. A business intelligence role will require advanced statistics, data analysis and data science skills.

A good place to start is with soft skills, taking courses in communications, time management and leadership. Then advance into specialized technical skills and people skills as you determine your career path.

Online Courses and Programs in Business Skills

On edX, you can enroll in online courses from major universities and institutions around the world. Get essential soft skills and technical skills training necessary for any business career before advancing into your desired business specialization.

Start with important foundation courses in business communication, teamwork and critical problem solving with professional programs from the Rochester Institute of Technology and Fullbridge. These courses teach you how to make presentations with a focus on understanding your audience and crafting tailored messages. Learn how to approach a business problem, research solutions and make informed decisions based on critical thinking and analysis.

The next area to study is leadership. Take courses in inclusive leadership from Catalyst and explore the advanced Business Leadership program from the University of Queensland. The 5-course program teaches you how to lead high-performing teams in complex environments. Learn how to motivate and empower employees to succeed. Mastery of leadership tools and techniques will be a great addition to your business skillset.

A key business skill that every employer will want to see is data and business analysis. Add courses in data analytics, advanced data analysis and Microsoft Excel to your online curriculum. Learning advanced data visualization techniques with Excel will make your resume stand out and solidify your path to a business management role.

Find additional courses in professional writing, accounting, problem solving, data science and much more to build out a strong and impressive business skillset. Many courses are self-paced so you can enroll and start learning today.