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Best IBM SkillsBuild Courses for IBM HBCU Ambassadors

July 01, 2024 — Jt Spratley
IBM Credly badges and 'Best IBM SkillsBuild Courses for IBM HBCU Ambassadors' text

Part of Biden-Harris's Historically Black College and University (HBCU) cybersecurity initiative, the IBM HBCU Ambassador program began in January 2023. IBM HBCU ambassadors are charged with spreading the word of IBM's resources, including meeting and IBM SkillsBuild badge courses, among HBCU students and of course, setting the example. As a former IBM Norfolk State University (NSU) ambassador, I'll share 10 online, self-paced IBM SkillsBuild courses I recommend IBM HBCU ambassadors prioritize when building their Credly badges portfolio for professional development.

Zero Trust Principles

IBM Security Zero Trust Principles teaches the new language being used within the cybersecurity, IT, and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) realms. Yes, defense-in-depth is still a thing. However, there are differences between the two cybersecurity methodologies.

Completing this IBM HBCU Cybersecurity initiative flagship course will allow you to better communicate with non-IT managers and staff other industry experts with the latest in cybersecurity terminology, some of which who've taken a generalized version of the same course tailored for senior leaders. This is important because senior management prefer to be briefed by specialists using terms familiar to them. That's something to keep in mind regarding every industry and organization you work in during your university experience and career.

Getting Started with Enterprise-Grade AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a greater part of every aspect of our lives - the media we consume, wars overseas, political issues in the United States, and data privacy. Black Americans are already suffering from unethical use of discriminatory AI applications in facial recognition surveillance, a well-documented issue since the COVID pandemic. Meanwhile, racist technocrats blaming false-positives on AI as a scapegoat.

Getting Started with Enterprise-grade AI educates you on AI history, use cases, and potential applications. HBCU students seeking paid short projects aligned with career goals should know that there are always AI-related Parker Dewey micro-internships. Completing the advanced IBM AI courses will only put you in a better position for those projects and full-time AI engineer roles.

Journey to Cloud: Envisioning Your Solution

Journey to Cloud: Envisioning Your Solution covers how cloud-based solutions, or "the cloud," works. Notable lessons within the course include:

  • Cloud service models and their pros and cons
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
      • Squarespace.com site creator
      • Shopify.com eCommerce platform
      • HubSpot customer relationship management (CRM)
    • Platform as a Service (PaaS)
      • Heroku
      • OpenShift
      • Windows Azure
    • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
      • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
      • Virtual private cloud (VPC) providers similar to DigitalOcean Droplets
      • Unmanaged cloud server or virtual private server (VPS) providers where you choose your own operating system (OS) and maybe control panel like cPanel
  • Migrating business data from on-premises to a cloud environment with agile methodologies such as the IBM Garage Method

This knowledge arms you to make better decisions when choosing between:

  • Desktop versus web applications for professional and personal use
  • Self-hosted WordPress and WooCommerce versus Shopify for online stores
  • Web hosting options such as VPS versus shared hosting

Getting Started with Threat Intelligence and Hunting

Getting Started with Threat Intelligence and Hunting equips you to harden cloud environments against cyber attacks. You'll learn cybersecurity best practices and applications for defending against different threats. It'll explain different cybersecurity roles such as the penetration tester and incident response specialist.

If you're solely focused on cybersecurity training, your next IBM course should probably be Enterprise Security in Practice.

Getting Started with Enterprise Data Science

Data science is all about collecting, sanitizing, organizing, and analyzing data to identify challenges and produce data-driven solutions. Getting Started with Enterprise Data Science shares frameworks, programming languages, and roles for accomplishing such tasks. This isn't just for those interested in data scientist or researcher roles. You'll gain critical thinking skills to better scrutinize statistical data in every aspect of life:

  • Finances for budgeting, savings, and investment - deciding on a vehicle or whether to rent or buy a home
  • Marketing claims before making large purchasing decisions
  • Historical research for family history (genealogy)
  • Web analytics for business content marketing strategies
  • White supremacist dog whistles like the "13/50" myth

Working in a Digital World: Professional Skills

Working in a Digital World: Professional Skills teaches various soft skills essential in the corporate world and professional workplaces in general, including university campus settings:

  • Collaboration and effective interpersonal communication skills
  • Public speaking and PowerPoint presenting
  • Constructive criticism and conflict management
  • Knowing when to use which communication mediums (email, phone call, etc.)

These abilities make you a better team player and leader wherever you go. It'll lead to greater success in internships, university assistantships, and relationships overall. Think of it as a free cotillion program for professionalism.

Project Management Fundamentals

Leaders and aspiring business owners should understand Project Management Fundamentals, many of which are synonymous with leadership skills:

  • Initiating, following through, and properly closing out projects
  • Resources, communications, and risk management
  • Producing deliverables that meet the end user's goal(s)

Project management, or PM, topics covered include:

  • Waterfall versus agile methodologies and PM tools
  • Balancing time, cost, and scope within a project's life cycle
  • Project management certifications

Explorations into Mindfulness

Explorations into Mindfulness may seem unnecessary, but keep an open mind. This personal development course improves "mindfulness," unbiased awareness of what’s happening in the moment, a small factor in self-awareness. There are two components to mindfulness:

  1. Emotional intelligence (EI), understanding emotions and how you affect others' emotions, which allows you to adjust your approach accordingly, is an important trait for overall communication skills.
  2. High emotional resilience to stress is always beneficial in challenging situations - toxic relationships, politics, police interactions, etc.

You'll learn mind-body and breathing exercises for self-regulation, and more about being "mindful" in your regular day. I think its worth the ~3 hours for all Black Americans/ADOS.

Job Application Essentials

Job Application Essentials is on this page because I've heard and experienced many issues with requesting assistance from HBCU career services departments. This course can help bridge that gap as it walks you through:

  1. Creating an online, professional brand and social network
  2. Writing a resume that best represents your skills and goals
  3. Crafting an effective elevator pitch
  4. Job hunting tips
  5. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses
  6. Interview practice
  7. General advice when seeking employment and promotion to higher roles

Even if you choose to complete this course, ask your HBCU career services representative how they can prepare you for your career goals. Give them a chance instead of assuming they don't care. Then, deal with the results accordingly.

Be an Entrepreneurship

Everyone has ideas and skills which can be monetized as a side-hustle or small business. The Be an Entrepreneur is described as teaching the entrepreneurial mindset and skills to start a business. Admittedly, this is the one course on this listacle I haven't completed yet. Supporting black-owned businesses is great. The same applies to becoming a Black business owner serving your community.

IBM's "Entrepreneurship Business Essentials" and "Entrepreneurship Marketing Essentials" SkillsBuild courses are available in Spanish only.

NSU students and alumni should check out the NSU Innovation Center.

IBM HBCU ambassadors should ask your career counselors and professors about other IBM academic programs for HBCUs such as the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center.

NSU students can contact me directly for questions regarding the IBM NSU partnership.

Tags: black-community, college, cybersecurity, employment, hbcus, IT, professional-development

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