Have online courses substituted shadowing in the workplace?

I’ve been an official part of the workforce for the past three and a half years. Need I mention that the way companies conduct business and operate nowadays is highly different from the pre-pandemic of 2020.

Starting as a fresh graduate in June of 2020, I was always expecting to go into a semi-large company (a marketing agency), where every day I would be going to the office. In short, as a marketing professional, I was expecting a Mad Man style of workplace (minus the sexism, obviously). Turns out my experience couldn’t be any further from my lifetime expected scenario.

I still got into the agency life, but reflecting on this today, I realise I’ve spent the majority of my professional career working either remotely (from home) or in a co-working space alone. It’s a fantastic experience, I love what I do, and the flexibility of a remote job is like no other. Still, I cannot help but think about the times I would work from the office.

Observing how my manager handles a problem,  sustains the relationship with a client, or simply does their work, can be so helpful. The times I’ve learned the most was when I had the chance to see how people did their job in practice.

With remote work, that’s not really possible, at least not to the same extent. I think this is why so many online courses have emerged in the past couple of years. No matter what industry you are in, there are at least 100 online courses you can take. I am not talking about university or certified programs, but rather courses like The Social Savannah’s TikTok Course, where you learn to set up ads and manage the process from start to finish. Or Aaron Young’s Google Search Ads Course, which teaches you how to read your campaign stats, among other things.

The things I learned from those courses, and after many hours of Google searching the sh*t out of problems, are usally the things one would usually know from a co-worker or supervisor because they overheard them in the office or simply asked them because they are always sitting on the next desk.

Currently, I am a Head of Marketing Operations in a (start-up) digital marketing agency based in the UK. To get the know-how I have now, I had to do so many of these courses. Getting comfortable with marketing and management isn’t something you can learn from TV. It comes from experience. Sometimes it’s from the experience of the people around you, others - your own.

“Getting comfortable with marketing and management isn’t something you can learn from TV. It comes from experience. Sometimes it’s from the experience of the people around you, others - your own. ”

Reflecting on the time spent with a stranger whose voice I can recognise with my eyes closed and from across the room, I cannot help but feel like these people were the managers I never got to shadow. Their professional experience helped me elevate my career and become a shareholder of a British company at the age of 26.

I enjoy working remotely, and I love the flexibility it offers, yet I cannot help but feel nostalgic about moments which I haven’t even had the chance to miss.

Have online courses substituted shadowing in the workplace?