The best business classes, bootcamps, and certifications in NYC

For those looking to enhance their business skills without spending a significant amount of time or money, a class or bootcamp is the way to go. These short courses focus on a smaller area of business or a particular software program. They allow students to more narrowly target their education and learn about specific business skills before investing in a more comprehensive program.

Learn to use some of Microsoft's most essential business programs–Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word. These tools are utilized in many of today’s offices, so learning to leverage some of their lesser-known functions will set you apart from coworkers. Over nine days, you’ll take your Microsoft skills from beginner to advanced as you learn to automate various processes, format visually stunning graphics, tables, and charts, and format emails and documents so they appear professional. This course includes 54 hours of live instruction and the offer of a free retake within one year of your original class, allowing you to review more challenging skills and continue practicing.

There are plenty of software programs designed to help with data analysis, and this course covers those that are the most in-demand–Excel, SQL, and Tableau. The course begins with a crash course on Excel, where you’ll learn to aggregate and summarize data with various formulas before using Pivot Tables and creating charts to visualize your data. Next, you’ll learn the basics of SQL to sort and filter large sets of data before moving on to Tableau. These units focus on understanding data and creating visualizations and dashboards to represent your findings.

Whether you’re looking for a career in project management or want a crash course on specific theories and techniques, this two-day bootcamp covers all the basics. Through a combination of hands-on assignments and workbook exercises, students will explore the process of project management from start to finish. Some of the material covered includes the five phases of a project, methods for creating a project proposal, and strategies for working with a team. This course can also be helpful for anyone pursuing their PMP certification. It is designed to be highly interactive, so students also develop communication skills as they collaborate with classmates and instructors.

This beginner-friendly bootcamp is an excellent option for anyone looking for a career in a field like accounting or bookkeeping. This two-day intensive begins with a unit on different financial reports, including balance sheets and cash flow statements. From there, you’ll learn about the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and accounting skills like amortization, depreciation, and Trailing Twelve Months (TTM). The end of the course moves into more advanced topics designed to prepare students to handle unusual financial situations. By the end of class, students should have a solid foundation in introductory financial accounting skills they can apply in various professional settings.

AI is here to stay, so why not learn to leverage generative tools to maximize your practical business skills? The first day focuses on ChatGPT, today’s most well-known AI program. Here, you’ll learn how to develop effective prompts to ensure you receive accurate and helpful responses. You’ll also learn more about creating custom instructions and discuss some of the ethics of using ChatGPT and the differences between GPT models. On day two, the class covers more general uses of AI in the workplace. Through hands-on projects, you’ll find out some exciting ways that AI can help automate tasks and enhance your organizational skills, empowering you to take advantage of these tools in a way that will boost your productivity and ability to collaborate with teammates.

This course is worth considering if you’re looking for targeted and interactive Excel training that will take your skills to a professional level in just a few days. The first day focuses on beginner skills like formatting and calculations. You’ll explore Excel’s most basic functions to get comfortable with the interface and create simple charts. On day two, the skills move to intermediate. Here, you’ll learn functions like SUMIFs and VLOOKUP and work with Pivot Tables to summarize data. The advanced skills take center stage on the final day with database functions like MATCH and INDEX.

SQL is a vital skill for anyone looking for a career as a business analyst or data analyst. It allows you to quickly locate information stored in a large database and develop valuable business insights. You’ll start by learning how to filter data into tables, columns, and rows and how to write SQL queries to retrieve and extract the information you need. You’ll also explore some of SQL’s more advanced functions and techniques, including String Functions and IF-Else logic with CASE. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to apply your database management skills with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and MySQL.

If you’re launching a website, this class will help you learn essential techniques for ensuring your page reaches your target audiences and stays on top of search engine results. You’ll start by exploring the benefits of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and gain a practical understanding of how search engines rank websites. The course also covers keyword research with Semrush, as well as strategies for building links and best practices for on-page optimization. You’ll also learn how to use SEO to monitor your competition. This course is also available as part of Noble’s more extensive Digital Marketing Certificate, which also provides career mentorship and is eligible for flexible financing options.

This bootcamp is geared toward anyone hoping to start a career in financial technology. It explores Python fundamentals specifically for data science and covers SQL for querying large databases. You’ll also learn how to create statistical models and use machine learning as you work on a final project. The course ends with a unit on Python libraries specific to financial analysis. In this section, you’ll apply your skills to analyzing items like stock prices and SEC filings. While this class is best suited for students who already have a background in basic financial concepts, those without any prior knowledge can consult Noble’s team for a free supplemental guide after registration.

Business skills broadly encompass many activities related to buying and selling goods and services and processes that ensure customers remain loyal and engaged with a particular product. These skills also allow employees to communicate with one another and outside collaborators more efficiently. Whether you work at a multinational company or a small startup, business skills are invaluable and will be consistently required as you move up the professional ladder. 

Modern businesses produce and track large quantities of data to help them learn more about how their decisions impact their target audience. Data analytics involves gathering and organizing raw data and then performing various types of statistical analyses to identify trends and make predictions. A data analyst interprets these results and shares their insights with stakeholders so their company can make well-educated decisions, stay within its budget, and target its marketing efforts accordingly.

Professionals who are trained in data analytics can help improve client relations regardless of what business they’re in. Data about customers can help businesses better understand any concerns or difficulties they have and how they prefer to be communicated with. These skills are also applicable when it comes to improving efficiency throughout an organization. Businesses can use these analytical skills to see where operations are lagging and help streamline or automate certain tasks, reducing the likelihood of wasted time or resources.

Professionals who know how to sort and analyze the quantities of data that businesses produce are in high demand, but analysis is only half the battle. The insights gleaned from the analytical process need to be translated into digestible information for stakeholders who lack the necessary training to analyze raw data, and this is where data visualization comes in. It’s the process of communicating complex information in an understandable way through infographics, charts, and other visual representations. Proficiency in popular data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI is an essential skill in professional areas like financial analysis, business analysis, and accounting. Still, it can be helpful across other roles as well. For instance, healthcare professionals can use visualization tools to track patient outcomes, enabling practitioners to make more informed decisions. Marketing professionals frequently rely on visualizations when communicating about campaign performance to more easily identify trends and adjust their strategy. Ultimately, the ability to transform raw data into clear visual aids translates to more efficient decision-making and allows for more seamless communication across teams with varying levels of experience interpreting data. 

If you’re pursuing a role that involves promoting a service across online channels, learning digital marketing skills is the perfect place to start. Most businesses today benefit from leveraging the internet to reach more clients and share information about the products they offer. Digital marketing incorporates a blend of creativity and analytical skills. These professionals need to learn how to effectively use various social media platforms and develop appropriate content that will appeal to their target audience, but they also need to understand the data that comes from this engagement so they can shift strategies and adjust campaigns as needed. 

On the creative side, aspiring digital marketers may want to learn more about various Adobe programs, like Illustrator and Premiere Pro, to help them develop visually appealing images and videos to post on social media. Skills in analytics tools like Google Analytics are equally vital when tracking campaign performance and learning more about your target audience’s behavior. To succeed in marketing, learning about search engine optimization (SEO) tools like SEMrush is essential to drive organic traffic and ensure your content is visible. Additionally, familiarity with WordPress or other content management systems helps marketers easily maintain and edit websites without the need for programming skills.

Office 365 is a collection of well-known software programs, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. These programs are primarily renowned for their intuitive interfaces and collaboration features. With over a million customers worldwide, Office 365 is a standard business tool across virtually every industry, and it is a required competency for many jobs. Beyond the flagship applications, Office 365 also includes equally convenient tools like OneNote for note-taking and organization, Outlook for email and calendar scheduling services, and Access for database management. Given the rise of remote work, the Teams program is indispensable for helping colleagues collaborate on projects via file sharing and video conferencing. 

Roles in areas like human resources and customer service regularly rely on these tools to maintain efficiency in their operations, but they are common in almost all offices around the country. The ability to successfully leverage various Office programs and navigate their features can help you stand out in a competitive job market, especially if an employer values professionals who take it upon themselves to learn new skills. There are also Microsoft Office certifications that can help professionals earn higher salaries and quality for more senior roles.

Project management encompasses multiple processes related to planning and executing a particular task while adhering to deadlines and staying within a defined budget. It requires excellent communication and organizational skills since it also involves clearly defining goals and allocating resources while ensuring all stakeholders are kept up to date on how the project is progressing. Above all, successful project management means that projects are completed on time and within budget without sacrificing quality. 

A project manager is a specific job title for someone who manages all these details, but project management skills are applicable to multiple roles. For example, someone working in marketing often utilizes these skills to plan and execute their campaigns while adhering to the budget and regularly communicating with team members. Similarly, a web or software developer would apply project management skills to prioritize tasks and deliver timely assignments to stakeholders. Even in fields outside of marketing and technology, project management skills help employees of all types balance their responsibilities and resources.

Finance is a broad term encompassing all processes related to managing money, such as investing, lending, budgeting, and forecasting. Finance is typically broken down into three distinct categories–personal, corporate, and public. Corporate finance relates to managing the finances of a company and is primarily concerned with maximizing value while keeping costs low enough to ensure the business's long-term financial health. On the other hand, public finance deals with the financial management of public agencies and government institutions. In this area, the primary activities include formulating tax policies and ensuring money is spent for the good of the public. 

Finance classes have plenty of professional benefits regardless of your overall career goals, but they can also help you better manage your personal finances. The skills and techniques you’ll learn in one of these classes can help with budgeting and reducing your debt. For instance, a brief accounting class would likely teach students how to analyze a bank statement or other financial report, which can lead to individuals having a better ability to assess their own financial health. You might also learn basic investment concepts that could help grow your existing wealth, as well as debt management strategies, so you’ll be more informed about things like interest rates and loan structures the next time you need to make a large purchase.

Many people learn various business skills because they hope to start their own business. Owning a business means learning to manage every aspect of it and being confident in your ability to manage risk and address challenges. A basic understanding of accounting is crucial for any business owner as this will ensure budgets and expenses are managed appropriately. These skills also enable entrepreneurs to prepare accurate financial statements to ensure compliance with tax regulations. 

Business owners also benefit from skills like data visualization and project management. Distilling information into clear representations is essential for making sound business decisions. These skills can also help present information to potential investors, a key component of taking a new business to the next level. A project management class would be a worthwhile investment for any aspiring business owner because they explore the comprehensive process of leading a project from start to finish. These classes can ensure an entrepreneur feels confident developing timelines and budgets and help them learn skills to troubleshoot any setbacks.

Additionally, here are some key benefits of learning business skills:

• Gain confidence in managing all aspects of a business, from accounting to risk management.
• Learn data visualization skills to make informed business decisions and present to investors.
• Master project management techniques to lead and troubleshoot projects.
• Improve understanding of customer behavior and marketing trends through data analysis.
• Boost your value to employers by acquiring skills that save time and money on training.
• Improve organizational skills to better manage tasks in high-stress situations.  

Business skills enable you to better understand the customer journey and current marketing trends. Once you’re comfortable looking at data and understanding how to infer insights, you’ll be more efficient at changing strategies and modifying your approach to steer you closer to the results you’re looking for. For instance, someone working as part of a marketing team can use these skills to analyze social media engagement on a particular campaign and develop a more targeted approach if they’re not reaching a certain demographic. Having employees already trained in various business skills is likely to save companies both time and money, so they’ll appreciate someone who has already taken the time to educate themselves in these areas and can meaningfully contribute to these conversations. 

Developing strong business skills is also an excellent way to boost your soft skills, which are applicable to any professional role and can carry over to your personal life as well. For example, a Microsoft Word class can help improve written communication skills. These are essential for most careers, but they can also have a positive impact on strengthening personal relationships and managing conflict when it inevitably arises. Being able to communicate your feelings concisely and maturely can lead to productive conversations where problems are more efficiently solved.

Business skills can help enhance additional soft skills, like a stronger ability to collaborate with others. When you learn how to appropriately extract and analyze information from a complex dataset, you’re also improving your ability to explain your findings to others, allowing you to communicate across teams in a way everyone can understand. A business class will also strengthen your organizational skills. These can help you better manage the small details in your personal life and feel more confident when trying to stay on top of your duties during times of stress in the workplace.

When it comes to skills like analyzing data, financial planning, and digital marketing, there are a few careers where these qualifications are required to be successful. Before taking a particular course, it's a good idea to look over job postings for roles that interest you to see the qualifications. Business skills are applicable across roles in virtually every industry, so someone pursuing a career outside of those listed below can still benefit from taking a business class to boost their resume. 

Data analysts

Data analysts are some of the most essential roles in today’s most significant and fastest-growing industries. They help companies sift through large quantities of information, honing in on key insights that will help improve operations and increase revenue. They typically use programming languages like Python and SQL to manipulate data and conduct analyses to identify trends. They also use data visualization tools to present their findings to other team members clearly. They may also use more advanced Excel functions like VLOOKUP and Pivot Tables to assist with complex calculations.

A data analyst in New York City earns an average annual salary between $70,000 and $120,000, depending mainly on their experience level and industry. Some of New York’s most common data analyst roles can be found in finance and banking, where analysts perform critical risk assessment tasks. Healthcare is another common industry requiring skilled data analysts to aid in improving patient outcomes and streamlining processes in hospitals and other medical facilities. Areas like retail and e-commerce are also becoming more reliant on data analysts to help with understanding consumer behavior. The wide range of opportunities for data analysts reflects the increasing importance of using data to drive successful business decisions.