Once we graduate, it can feel as if our lives are planned out in front of us. Get a job, progress through that position and eventually head into management. However, we shouldn’t just leave education at the door once we pass our first degree. Continuing to learn helps us not only progress through our current line of work, but it also potentially opens up new doors along the way.
Progression
There are two main different ways that you can progress through your career through education:
- Business training
- A postgraduate degree or program
Your work will likely provide you with ongoing training as you work on the job. A postgraduate degree will push you through the next tier of qualifications. This doesn’t just apply to traditional-style businesses, either. If you were a nurse in the medical profession, for example, then a MSN leadership and management would see you potentially progress to a nurse manager or clinic director.
New career paths
If we go back two decades or more, the expectation was that you would pass your degree and stay within that line of work for decades. Nowadays, society is much more open-minded to drastic career changes, where you can switch sides to a completely new area of expertise. Constantly educating yourself along the way ensures that you stay open to the possibility of a career change. Completing a part-time degree alongside your current job could enable you to achieve your childhood dreams, even in middle-age or later.
Stand out in the job market
When you’re just 21 or 22, you quickly find out that a resume with a university degree is nothing all that special. You start to notice that many people have a college degree, and that to compete in the job market you have to offer something unique. Continuing with your education in later life gives you just that: it shows that as you’ve progressed through your career, you’ve frequently gone the extra mile to get extra training and knowledge.
Broaden your social horizons
‘Networking’ is a bit of a buzz-word in the recruitment world, but it’s sometimes easier said than done. If you don’t spend your life attending careers fairs, then it can be hard to know just exactly how you should be networking or meeting people in the relevant sector. Going into extra education enables you to meet new people in a completely organic way. Your course leaders might be experts in the industry, and your work placements will get you talking to people who are also switching professions, as well as people who have worked in the sector for a number of years.
When it comes to personal growth, there’s nothing quite as effective as continuing with your education. There’s no shame in starting over, or admitting that you need to continue with a postgraduate degree to get to where you want to be. It may also provide you with an accidental opportunity to network and maybe even provide a few career leads in the future.