Everyone knows that education is important, but not everyone knows how much flexibility they have when it comes to educating themselves. The truth is that your academic journey is almost always half the battle. How you choose to leverage it and which opportunities you choose to pursue along your career path play a major role as well. If you want to give yourself a strong foundation on which to build your career but you don’t know exactly what type of training or support you need, here are the different types of education you should be aware of.
Work towards a specific role or upskill with online courses.
Online courses and certifications have taken front and center stage during the pandemic. After all, it gives you, the learner, the power to deal with all of your assignments at a pace you’re most comfortable with while being able to interact with instructors from anywhere in the world. Additionally, while online course platforms weren’t taken as seriously in the past, employers now consider in-demand certifications as proof of your expertise in a certain area. This can give you an edge over competitors in your chosen field. In some cases, certifications like those offered by Salesforce can even land you a high-paying job.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you could even leverage online learning to your advantage as a course creator. Great online training platforms allow you to promote your own course material, offer quizzes and tests, and even sell digital goods like e-books and templates all from your own online learning platform. All you have to do is work on creating the course material and video content, the additional resources needed to work through the course, and the landing pages and other content for your website. If you’ve seen platforms like Udemy or Skillshare and you believe that you can create something even better than those course platforms, now is the time to take the leap and create the best online learning platform based on your expertise.
Go the traditional route with higher education.
There are a lot of fields that demand a bachelor’s degree at the very least. If you know that you’re working in one of these fields, attending a community college or a four-year university will give you what you need to succeed in your industry. If you’re a younger person reading this guide who wants to make sure that you have everything in place, you may want to consider joining an organization like the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). The NSHSS is an honor society foundation that connects honor students and high-achieving students with resources like financial aid, mental health support, and workshops to help them take their academics and career to the next level. It’s never too early to get started on your academic journey!
Consider going to a trade school instead.
Vocational schools or trade schools can help you access your career immediately and help you learn a new skill that is highly valued in our society. Often, these training programs also allow you to gain the experience needed to start your own small business over time. Whether you’re interested in career paths like welding, business administration, or even computer repairing, you can likely find a program near you that will last anywhere from two to four years.
Although a bachelor’s degree is the type of education that most people choose to pursue, there are far more options beyond just traditional education. If you’re trying to learn more about the various educational opportunities available to you, the guide above will break down some of the most popular opportunities you can take advantage of today.