Every year millions of people return to education. Some people have taken a year or two away from studying to establish their careers, and others have been working in their profession for decades when they decide to hit the books again. What is it that motivates people to return to education and is studying for further qualifications something that could benefit you?
To Get Promoted
Some people realize that they need to earn additional qualifications to get promoted. They might need industry-related qualifications that they didn’t study in college or perhaps a management course will land them the promotion they desire. If you have been feeling a bit stuck in a rut with your career, returning to studying may give you the boost you need to reach the next level as well as help you to increase your salary. Speak to your line manager or HR department to see if further education could help you climb the corporate ladder. While you are there, it is worth asking if your company would be prepared to cover some or all of the costs. You might feel a bit cheeky asking but as the saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get it, and besides, it is in their best interests to help you if they think you are promotion material.
To Update Your Professional Knowledge
Industries are changing all the time and it can be difficult to keep up. Many people feel like dinosaurs when they are barely past middle age and still have many years left to work. Younger colleagues seem to know a lot more about cutting edge technology and IT than they do so they return to college. Studying is a great way to keep your professional knowledge up to date and learn new skills. It will give you the confidence to manage new technology and you may find that getting some new qualifications leaves you knowing a lot more about all aspects of your job than anyone else. Coupled with your years of experience, you will be a force to be reckoned with.
Networking Opportunities
Returning to education offers a lot of networking opportunities. The course will be full of like-minded people all pulling together to learn new things and achieve qualifications. If you learn online, the chances are your fellow students will come from all over the world and from many different walks of life. This gives you the opportunity to network with people you may not have got the chance to meet otherwise, and this can be invaluable to your career. You will also be put in touch with tutors and new ideas that will help you progress. The networking opportunities alone could be worth their weight in gold, not to mention the qualifications you get that will make you more employable and promotable.
Increased Employability
The business world is always changing, evolving, and restructuring and most people don’t have as much job security as they think. One day you might find yourself looking for a new job through no fault of your own and having great qualifications will make your resume stand out. Putting yourself ahead of the pack means that you are more likely to get a new job quickly if you find yourself out of work.
To Change Career
Many people reach the stage in their careers where they feel they have done all they can, and they don’t want to go any further. If they are lucky and they are old enough, this might be the time when they start considering retirement. If retiring still seems light-years away, then another option is to change careers entirely. The chances are you already have a lot of transferable skills that will help you land that new job, but you may need to return to education to get some further qualifications too.
This is not necessarily as daunting as it sounds. Education has moved on a lot in the last few years, and it is now quite easy to combine work and study by attending an online college. This means that you can work on your own time and juggle other commitments. For example, if you want to choose nursing as a second career, you can study for an online accelerated BSN from Baylor University in less than a year while working in your full-time job and studying in your own time.
To Turn a Hobby into a Career
Some people have fabulous hobbies that they know they could make a good living out of or at least a good side hustle but they don’t know where to start. Some of these business ideas never get off the ground as people are too nervous to try. Others find new business opportunities and earn a fortune. If you have a hobby that you want to make money from, you may feel the need to return to education to learn the best ways of doing this. You may be a fantastic cookie maker or a wonderful crocheter but that doesn’t mean you know how to turn this into a thriving business. Going back to education to learn marketing skills, accounting, or business studies could be the difference between your business always being a pipe dream and you making millions.
For Personal Development
For some, their choice to return to education has nothing to do with their career. They may have always had a fascination with a subject and want to learn more about it in a group of like-minded people. Returning to education for personal development gives you something to work towards and a great sense of achievement. It could be a great way to practice self-care as you are doing something that is just for you. Getting the qualification is just the icing on the cake after a lot of hard work.
These are seven fantastic reasons to return to education. If this is something that you are considering, why not take the plunge and see how far your new qualifications could get you?
