Here’s the thing no one tells you about career changes: they don’t magically begin on January 1. They start now—when you decide you’re done waiting for the “perfect moment” and ready to stack the skills that actually move your life forward.
Ending the year with a new skill in your back pocket feels a lot better than ending it with resolutions you’ll forget by mid-January.
New skills do more than pad your resume. They level up your confidence, sharpen your instincts, and give you that “I’ve got this” energy at work. That’s why the smartest people you know don’t wait for January to start preparing for their goals. They start before the calendar flips.
If you want 2026 to look different, this is your window.
Build skills you can prove (hello, digital badges)
Hiring managers love confidence, but they really love receipts. GA gives you both.
Every time you complete one of our workshops, short courses, or AI courses, you earn a stackable digital credential—something real you can add to LinkedIn, your resume, or your email signature without feeling like a fraud. These badges aren’t participation trophies. They validate skills employers actually care about.
Think of them as your “I can do this, and here’s the proof” signal.
Start small with a free tech skill class
A low-pressure way to warm up your brain and try something new? Free tech skill classes.
Sign yourself up. Bring a friend. Bring that coworker who keeps saying they “should really learn AI.” These free classes are an easy intro to coding, AI, design, data—and a great way to shake off the end-of-year fog.
For the fast movers: workshops
Workshops are for anyone looking for a quick, high-impact skill before the year ends. They’re three-to-eight hours, hands-on, live, and designed to give you tools you can use the very next day.
You’ll walk away with a credential, practical experience, and a little jolt of “wow, I actually know how to do this.”
For the future-focused: AI courses
If 2025 was the year everyone talked about AI, 2026 is the year you’ll need to actually use it.
Our AI courses give you the practical skills behind the buzz—how to automate workflows, analyze data, build AI-powered processes, and show up in your job with modern, relevant tools.
These courses come with LinkedIn-verified badges that look very, very good in a recruiter’s inbox (or your current employer’s end-of-year review process).
For the serious career shifters: our classic short courses
Want something deeper than a workshop but lighter than a full bootcamp? Short courses are the sweet spot. You’ll get structured learning, expert instructors, real projects, and clear proof of what you can do.
And yes, these also come with digital badges, because your resume deserves a glow-up too.
Skills get you moving. People keep you moving.
One underrated perk of taking a class or course—especially a live one—is that you naturally find the humans who make you better. Sometimes it’s an instructor who pushes your thinking. Sometimes it’s a classmate who becomes your accountability partner. Sometimes it’s the person who asks the question you were too shy to say out loud.
Call it mentorship, call it community, call it “the crew that keeps you showing up”—whatever the label, it matters. And when you’re planning a career shift, having someone in your corner can make the difference between good intentions and real momentum.
So as you map out your next move, don’t just plan for the skills. Find the people who’ll help you use them. GA’s live learning environment is built for exactly that.
Start now, not someday
A new career doesn’t start with a job offer. It starts with a decision.
A free class. A workshop. A course that gives you skills employers can see—not just guess you have.
Whether you’re testing the waters or ready to plot a full career pivot, the smartest move you can make is starting before the year ends. Your future hiring manager will notice. And your 2026 self? They’ll be very proud.
Check out our course catalog to find your right fit before the year’s out.