Alternatives To Going Back To College
Starting college, or restarting college, can be a never-ending journey of expenses. Tuitions fees are considerably high. But those are not the only costs you’ll have to face on your journey to better education. More often than not, adults who consider taking a break from their career to pursue their studies want to move their career in a new direction, whether forward or sideways.
Unfortunately, you are likely to dig your own student debt grave through the process. There are times where going back to college isn’t the right solution. After all, when you’re already in the middle of your career, the last thing you need is a four-year break. Online studies can provide a time-friendly and cost-effective approach. But what if you could find the skills you required elsewhere?
Take additional accreditations
In many ways, professionals who choose to move careers don’t need to learn something new from scratch. A lot of acquired skills are transferable. All you might need is to add industry-specific accreditations to your resume, such as signing up for a boot camp workshop about a specific sector as per https://www.copas.org/shop/principles-of-revenue-accounting-boot-camp/. Accreditations are not only quicker to obtain, but they are inexpensive compared to college degrees. They can also provide the leverage you need to move to a different sector.
Seek an internship on top of your full-time job
Can a professional working in a full-time position become an intern? While an internship doesn’t seem like a good idea, at first sight, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Take a look at the story of this professional writer, https://www.fastcompany.com/3060367/why-i-took-an-internship-on-top-of-my-full-time-job, who manages to juggle an internship on top of her full-time gig. Time-flexible internship programs can enable individuals to gain exposure to a new sector or acquire new knowledge without giving up on their income. There’s no denying that it’s going to be hard work, but it is a great way of exploring different skillsets and environments.
Challenge yourself to take new projects
More often than not, there are plenty of existing learning paths in your own company. Challenging yourself to join new projects can be an excellent way of building new skills. Professionals who are not afraid of challenges are more likely to develop creative problem-solving, tech adaptability, and industry savviness. It can be a highly stressful task; therefore, it’s not suitable for every personality. But if you can handle pressure and heavy workload for the duration of the project, you can move your career forward rapidly.
Find a mentor
A mentoring relationship can help you build the resilience and knowledge you need to grow in your field. The best mentors are those who are familiar with your challenges, such as a manager who has once been in your position. You can reach out to coworkers for support or use your professional network to find a mentor. A mentor has to be willing to teach and share knowledge. Often, mentors expect their mentorees to take over the business once they retire or to join them via a partnership. Therefore, it’s worth choosing someone you would want to work with in the long term.
Do you have to sign back to college to move your career forward? The answer is no. University education has its place, and it is mandatory in some fields. However, you can also find alternatives that are time- and cost-effective for your progression. Remember: There’s more than one to learn!
