Hello everyone,
Hopefully I give enough details/ context in this post! I also don't really use Reddit, so I apologize in advance if I'm breaking any website rules/ etiquette.
I currently work part-time (30 hrs/ wk) as an office administrator at a small construction business in Maryland. I'd prefer full-time but they don't want to give me benefits. I have worked here for 1 year (+ 1 month).
My duties include answering phone calls and scheduling customers for free estimates, greeting customers and showing them around the showroom, receiving and labeling packages, cleaning the office, scheduling inspections, posting on our social media accounts 2-3x a week, sending out marketing e-mails to our current customers, along with other typical administrative duties. I use Google Calendar, Excel/Google Sheets, and Constant Contact.
I only have a high school diploma. I'm currently not taking college courses due to an unexpected financial burden (family emergency), but my college is offering a free professional certificate from Coursera. I often have down time at work and my manager doesn't mind if I work on coursework at my desk as long as I'm not neglecting my duties, so I figured I would take advantage of that opportunity and work on a free certificate.
I can choose from the following options: advanced data analytics, business intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, IT automation with Python, IT support, project management, and UX Design.
My goal with taking this course is to boost my employability to (hopefully) get a higher-paying office job.
Edit: My plan includes staying at my current job until I've reached 2 years here. as it's my first office job and I've heard through the grapevine that 2 years is typically the "minimum" required experience that will be considered.