Have you recession proofed your career?
May 4, 2009 by Darcy McCarthy, PHd
Filed under Online Colleges
Tough economic times coupled with the harsh reality of job losses across the world have caused most people to stop and re-evaluate their own careers. In response to numerous questions weve received at educationline.org weve compiled this article.
Eric Hoffer offered a quotation that is very fitting to set the pace for this article. It goes as such: In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
As a general rule, our readers write to find out what are the best online education universities, classes, colleges, degrees. However, as of late the questions have become much more focused on career training and whether or not now is a good time to continue complete or enhance their education. Here are the top three questions and answers:
Q. I am employed professionally and have a degree. There are rumors of cut-backs should I continue my education? A. When thinking about going back to school, you need to evaluate your current profession, where you want to be in 5-10 years and whether or not you can afford to go back to school. While there is generally a grain of truth to rumors, I would not quit my job and go back to school full-time. However, at the same time I would be thinking of recession proofing my career. Do some research on what career advancements are available if you get a graduate degree, as well as part-time education opportunities. Lets say that you are a nurse, there are a number of nursing online education areas that you can investigate.
Q. Ive been laid off and think it is time to get a new career, how do I know what to study? A. Take some time to think about what youve always wanted to do and jot them down. If you are not sure what you might like to do, then take a look at what industries are hiring ” i.e. healthcare, science/technology, etc. With the information available on the Internet you can do a significant amount of research. Once you have a career in mind, double check to see if people are hiring by going to one of the many job boards such as Monster, Yahoo, Workopolis, etc.
Q. Im not sure if I should go back to school full time, part time (nights and weekends) or online? A. Your main considerations have to be how much time do you have available, and what can you afford? Attending school part-time will take you more time; however, it is also more economical as you can pay for one course at a time versus paying for an entire semester. If both time and money are an issue, then online education is the way to go as you can do it at your own pace and you can pay per course.
Evaluating where you stand during a recession is just smart. One should consider income, whether or the career is rewarding, state of the industry, are you likely to get laid-off. As jobs are increasingly more difficult to obtain, employers can afford to be picky. Continuing your education is they way to go, as it gives you an advantage. Seriously consider continuing your education online due to the versatility and availability of online education degrees.
