How To Choose The Right Education For Career Growth
Whether you are looking to move up or move on in your career, further education is often a necessity. While many people tend to find a career to fit their education, it may make more sense to do the reverse. If you’re dissatisfied with your current career and looking for a change it is especially important to make sure you are doing everything you can to set yourself up for future success. If that involves furthering your education, you want to make sure the education you’re getting is furthering your personal and professional goals.
Wondering how to choose the right education for your career aspirations? Here are some tips to turn your higher education into a get hired education.
Weighing Degree vs. Demand
Many people have the misconception that an advanced degree means career advancement. While it is true that many companies are less particular about your educational emphasis, there are certainly majors that employers value more highly. It has been well documented that companies value an MBA degree, but there are other skills that are in high demand.
It is projected that in the near future, demand for psychology majors will increase significantly. In fact, the very companies that are tasked with job placement are looking to hire psychology majors to work as recruiters. This is largely due to the emphasis companies are placing on soft skills and emotional intelligence. Their insight into an individual’s mental makeup is tremendously valuable in identifying and placing prospective employees.
It is important to keep track of political and economic trends when planning your future career. Current and future policies can have a tremendous impact on demand and the viability of your career going forward. Keep that long term picture in mind when planning your educational trajectory. Things like the recent healthcare legislation and the subsequent rise in domain for healthcare professionals are the type of macroeconomic events that can make or break your career prospects.
Getting the Skills you Need to Succeed
While at times it makes sense to acquire training in a very specific skill set, the majority of employers actually prefer employees with a broad knowledge set. Educational institutions feel that they are preparing students to contribute in a broad array of activities, but students, more often than not, do not feel adequately prepared. There are several ways to combat this. One is to choose an educational program that provides hands-on training. Very few institutions offer this sort of practical approach to education, but the ones that do inspire confidence in their graduates that they can perform the necessary job functions they will be tasked with.
There are a variety of other factors that go into choosing an educational focus that matches up with your career ambitions, but the primary skills that are important to learn are how to work effectively on a variety of tasks, work well with others and adapt to new situations. It can be difficult to acquire these skills in an educational setting, but I would encourage you to place yourself in a situation where you are forced to utilize and develop these practical and emotional skills.
It can be a monumental task to both find a career that embraces both practicality and passion. While I certainly can’t speak to what will make you happy in your employment, hopefully these tips will help you on your way to a long and fruitful career.