Interview with Christos Pittis
With degrees in both Management and Economics, entrepreneur Christos Pittis is offering several courses through the online educational site, Udemy. He has experience as a Business Services Consultant in areas like Egypt, Lebanon, Dubai and his native Cyprus and uses his knowledge throughout the courses, which are focused on accounting, marketing, bookkeeping, entrepreneurship in the global market and social media, along with other relevant topics. Information about Christos is available through his profile on Udemy; alternatively, watch his video on YouTube.
What was your motivation to teach on the Udemy site, and how did you hear of it?
During 2013, the organization I ran was teaching live online classes. I decided to check up on my competitors, and I stumbled across a course in marketing offered by Udemy. Intrigued, I paid the enrollment fee and was very impressed by the quality and the platform for the course. The platform was good, one of the best I had ever seen. I decided to get a camera and a microphone, and began making a course using material I had from teaching accounting a few years earlier. I uploaded it to Udemy and it just grew from there.
How did you decide which courses you were going to offer on Udemy?
I have created six different courses. I am also in the process of publishing the seventh, which is not finalized yet but will probably be something like “StartUp Success Stories: Tips for creating your own startup”. There are two courses covering accounting, one of them for novices and another for intermediate students. One of my classes is centered on owning YouTube channels, while another covers VKontakte, a well-known Russian social media site like Facebook. There is also a course covering building websites using freelancers and a course on entrepreneurship for new entrepreneurs.
Decisions about course offerings were made by taking into account three different factors. The first of these is my own knowledge and personal experience. The second thing I looked at was which courses were trending upward on Udemy. Finally, I looked at information concerning the most popular keywords being searched on Google. With these factors taken into account, I was able to determine which courses might be most needed in Udemy’s offerings.
What is it that distinguishes the courses you offer; is it the quality of their content and your experience in the professional world?
I think what distinguishes my courses from other offerings is my focus on different aspects of course creation, including the value of exploring objectives in a way that makes learning easy, as well as knowing and being able to deliver what the students expect in terms of content, especially concerning accuracy, relevancy and comprehensive information and teaching structure. The instructor must also be credible and responsive, as well as able to deliver information in a comprehensible manner. Comprehension is tested throughout the courses using various assignments, quizzes and other resources. The technical aspects of the courses are also of the highest quality, including balanced, easily understood audio and clear video.
I believe my professional experience, especially my experience as an entrepreneur and as an ERP consultant for a great Microsoft app, does have a big impact on the quality of the content included in my courses. It enables me to break things down into the simplest manner for my students. I am able to give them the material they need to understand the lessons, and can provide detailed instructions and clear guidelines for their work.
What kind of content can students expect when they take your courses and do you provide personal feedback and interaction?
The information students will receive will help them learn to handle various tasks in the proper manner and I always provide support and frequent updates to material. About 80% of the course is on video. The other 20% consists of quizzes, presentations and PDF files. My students may always ask questions and I am available to help students who may be having difficulties with some of the course particulars.
Why is Udemy a good thing for those who would like to become entrepreneurs?
Udemy is a great resource for aspiring entrepreneurs because they offer nearly 20,000 courses in topics covering business and technology, marketing and entrepreneurship and more. Instructors known worldwide for their offerings on the Udemy platform teach Udemy’s courses. Udemy also gives students lifetime access to purchased courses. For my students, they are also typically offered discounts for new courses.
How do prospective students sign up for your next course offering?
The new course will be available in the first few months of 2015 and anyone wishing to get more information about it can do so just by submitting his or her email address. The typical price for a course is $299, but discounts are available for those reading this interview by visiting http://eepurl.com/9SYzX
