Ask HN: Are specializations at udacity, coursera etc worth it?

Before i tell you my opinion, I want you to know that I spend most of my day learning (still student) and when I'm not in university, I am learning from MOOCS, and to take this a bit further, I have done more than 100 MOOCs on all the three platforms Coursera Edx Udacity, each of these has its own PROs and CONs, learning in itself is awesome, it has made me in more knowledgeable more than most my peers, but one thing to note, is that while the content might be amazing, the certificates or whatever you get from it are mostly not recognized and doesn't really have value in the industry, what I can suggest you to do, is to use your knowledge from these courses to build cool projects that can show future employers how skilled you are and your mastery to that specific domain, That's my experience, I wish you good luck learning.

Udacity nano degrees are industry recognized. A lot of people has been hired by AT&T and others. Besides, Udacity is changing the hiring process by eliminating interviews. So now we can rely on porfolios built in those nano degrees and rest assured that psychological factors from recruiters and interviewers will be eliminated. It is great, and congratulations on those 100 MOOCs! Maybe you can apply your skills and build something for the advance of human species.

I'm currently finishing up the Data Science course and whether or not it's worth it totally depends on your goals.

These courses are not going toake you into professional in the field, you'll need more than just one certificate for that. But they're a good way to explore what you'll be doing in a given field and they're a great adjunct to any formal education you may have.

I was asked a similar question during a recent interview. "What certifications [more traditional PMP/CFA style] from XXX do you have?"

My reply was something along the lines of "I don't pursue certifications, but learning that I can benefit from, you can, and can benefit the organization. 90%+ of people with such certifications can't demonstrate 10% of what was in the syllabus, and you know this is true."

This question was general, but I directed it towards a Learning Managment System which I implemented in a past company. There are props for implementing an LMS in one's org too. This was quite special (video, interactive, nice UI), but anything at a basic level will get you noticed as a 'strategic thinker'. Do it if you're (the figurative reader) doesn't have one already.

"Does the system offer certification?"

"Of course it does, but it also implements a development plan for anyone on any course, for their management to rate their implementation of skills learned." Closing the loop in performance assessment; a bit harder.

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Demonstrate learning, don't just brag about it. MOOCs are fantastic, and to take part as a contributor (to a larger, fee paid, internal, or open MOOC) is to release years of learning and understanding you may have, that others don't, and as a participator, to harvest that cerebral mass of others and yourself.

Use it, implement it, criticize it, grow it. People are sharing, share back by whatever means, and demonstrate you do so; that principal is priceless and makes certification at whatever cost worthless. Though by doing so, monetary return is not denied.

I'm taking several classes via Coursera to brush up on algorithms/data structures for fun and personal interest, but find it really hard to stay focused on the video lectures. I much prefer to read textbooks when learning any new information. But that's beside the point. I've conducted an interview and the candidate had taken multiple MOOC's on Coursera and Udacity and that really impressed me. Showed that the candidate actually cared about learning and deepening their knowledge in some areas.

If you are looking to learn about something new, Cousera, edX... are great. I tried them before but I'm not sure if their certificates are worth anything.