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Search Engine College Launches "Certification Pathways"
Institution to offer bundled certification for careers in the search industry.
22-November-2006 Online training institution Search Engine College has today launched Certification Pathways, a series of bundled courses that prepare persons who want to jump-start their career path in the fast-paced search engine industry.
The courses follow three distinct tracks of study:
Certified Search Engine Optimizer, consisting of the following three courses:
- SEO101
- SEO201
- Any other SEC certification course (e.g. Web Site Copywriting, PPC101, Web Site Usability, Link Building, Keyword Research)
Certified Pay Per Click Marketer, consisting of the following three courses:
- PPC101
- PPC201
- KWR101
Certified Search Engine Marketer, consisting of the following five courses:
- SEO101
- SEO201
- PPC101
- PPC201
- Any other SEC certification course (e.g. Web Site Copywriting, Web Site Usability, Link Building, Keyword Research)
The certification courses provide students with an extremely high standard of proficiency and have been designed specifically to prepare students for immediate employment in the search industry. These combined levels of certification also enable students to study the material for each course simultaneously and save money on purchasing each of the courses separately.
Kalena Jordan, Director of Studies for Search Engine College, claims that the Certification Pathways are a first for the search industry.
"Most of our tutors have worked in an agency or corporate environment, so we understand what drives employers and what they expect from SEO/SEM employees. Completion of one of our Certification Pathways indicates to a potential employer a graduate?s proficiency in the very latest search engine algorithms, guidelines and methodologies taught within our curriculum. I'm not aware of any other institution that has developed courses so specifically aimed at gaining employment for graduates within the search industry", she says.
Any employer hiring a graduate of Search Engine College can be reassured that their new employee knows how to set up a spam-free SEO campaign or knows how to create and successfully manage a Google AdWords or Yahoo Sponsored Search account. They will be able to hit the ground running without requiring weeks of on-the-job training. This makes an SEC graduate a more logical and cost-effective hire.
Although the lesson material is studied at the student?s own pace, all courses in the Certification Pathways are tutor-supervised with a tutor assigned to guide students through the material and review their assignments. Students who want to qualify for industry-recognized SEC Certification in these subjects must upload all assignments for grading, complete all online quizzes and the final exam and make a 70% overall pass. Students who already have some knowledge of SEO or PPC can test out of the 101 courses by taking the final exam in those subjects. Provided they pass the exam, they will receive certification in the Basic course and can move straight into the Advanced course of the same subject. Students have access to the course materials and lesson updates for 12 months after registration so they can move through the lessons at their own pace.
Every student successfully completing a Certification Pathway series at SEC will receive a dedicated Search Engine College Seal of Certification in their chosen pathway for display on their web site. They will also receive a hard-copy Certificate of Training for each subject studied, that can be shown to potential employers or displayed in their resume.
As well as receiving advice and assistance from Search Engine College to gain employment within the search industry, SEC graduates also have access to the Student Lounge, which hosts a wide range of industry resources. These include an employment forum where vacancies in the search industry are posted regularly and an industry discounts area where students can purchase software and subscriptions at a discounted rate to retail customers.
Search Engine College courses are aimed at a global market and a wide target audience, including marketing executives responsible for promoting their company's web site via search engines, small business owners wanting to learn how to market their own web sites via search engines and persons wanting to learn how to promote web sites in search engines in preparation for starting their own search engine optimization business or applying for a job in the lucrative search engine marketing industry.
The College is currently accepting student registrations for their first intake for the Certification Pathways series commencing later this month.
About Search Engine College
Search Engine College (SEC) is an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing subjects. SEC is owned by Jordan Consulting Group and managed by well-known search engine optimization industry expert Kalena Jordan. Kalena teaches the SEO Starter course (SEO 101) and the SEO Advanced course (SEO 201) and supervises all other classes. All classes are run in conjunction with experienced tutors specialized in various aspects of search engine marketing and well-respected in the industry.
All courses offered by Search Engine College use a holistic approach to web site promotion, focusing on the importance of web site design, functionality and usability as well as search engine compatibility. Students can choose to participate in tutor-supervised courses to gain formal certification or download a self-study course to take at their own pace. Co-branded classrooms are provided for agencies and search marketing firms that have existing staff requiring industry training and certification.
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For further enquiries or information contact:
Search Engine College
Kalena Jordan
Director of Studies
Phone / Fax : + 61 2 6655 9216
Email: kalena[at]searchenginecollege.com