Using Career Education To Advance Yourself

Back in the fifties, most people didn't have a college education, and the most valued employees were the guys who'd been there for years and knew everything about the company. But in today's world, hard work and a great work ethic aren't enough to advance your career. Instead, you have to invest in continuous education; you must be able to retrain yourself, to think differently, to be more flexible. It's tough, but you can do it. Where to Educate Yourself We have had an information revolution over the last several years. Instead of confining education to brick buildings with classrooms and professors and blackboards, we now have many levels and disciplines of education available online. For instance, if you need to brush up some of your writing skills, you can find classes for that at Barnes and Noble or at many online writing portals. If you need to get a degree, dozens of universities and colleges, like University of Phoenix, are moving their educational delivery online. You can get a complete MBA in several different specialties through the University of Phoenix, all without leaving your living room. If you need to get continuing educational credits to maintain your credentials in nursing or other professional fields, you can go to those same online universities or you can visit the website of your professional organization; many of them offer CEU classes online or can direct to others. If online learning isn't for you, you can always go to more traditional schools for career education. Your local community college system offers any coursework you need up through the sophomore level, and their prices are much lower than what you'd be charged by a regular public college or a university. Sometimes you can get the skills you need at local technical colleges. However you choose to receive your education, make sure the institution is accredited before you give them your hard earned money; there are scams online and offline. One good way of spotting scams is by looking for people who charge a bundle for "life learning experience;" though some colleges offer those legitimately, you should be wary of anyone who offers most of a degree made of this sort of college credit. You're here to learn, not to have what you've learned recognized. Key Skills for Career Education Computer skills are an essential component of any career education today - few jobs can get away from using them, and hardly any high-paid jobs can avoid computers. Be sure to take some accredited, degree-applicable office software programs, plus any computing skills that may apply to your job - don't shy away because they're hard, people get paid more money to do hard things. Learn to write. With so much information pouring in, writing is proving to be one of the most convenient methods for sharing knowledge, and if you don't write much now, chances are you'll be writing a lot in five years. And learn how to do serious research online in your chosen career field. Otherwise, follow the recommended curriculum for any degree program you're taking and focus on making as, not because as prove you've learned the subject, but because they show that you're motivated and hard working. Using Your New Skills to Advance Once you've achieved your career education goals, take them to your boss. Make sure people at your office are aware that you've gotten a degree; heck, invite everyone to your graduation. Put your new information into your employee file. And even before you finish classes, talk to your boss about what you can do with your education to advance your career. If you are not recognized at your place of employment, or if there doesn't appear to be anywhere you can advance to, go online and shop around for jobs in your new field that require the advanced education you've acquired. And don't rest on your laurels; keep learning. The world will move on without you if you stop learning, and then you're back to square one.

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