You’re not alone
You’re in a career that you once thought was great, but you don’t feel the passion for it anymore and you realize now that you are no longer in love with what you do? Trust me, you are NOT alone. Maybe the last time you received education or training feels like a decade ago, it is actually very common for professionals who dislike their current jobs to look at going back to school for a new career as a next-step. According to National Center for Education Statistics, of the 21 million people who enrolled in post-high school education programs, 2.3 million are between the ages of 40 and 64, and about 1.5 million of them are part-time students.
To know if going back to school is the right move for you, you need to be highly aware of what you want in your life and work. You also need to understand yourself thoroughly, to know what your passions are, what you are good at, what motivates you to succeed and what you enjoy doing. You need to evaluate your current life stage very carefully. This is not the time to be in denial or to pretend you’re someone else. This is the time to figure yourself out with honesty, awareness and insight.
The right education has never been more valuable
You may hesitate on returning to school since you are bearing the choice of giving up salary in your prime income years. In fact, it’s not about how much you are paying for school, it’s the program you choose that truly matters. Going back to school can make even more sense for people with a lower income that are looking to reach a higher level of salary in the future; by receiving further education, you’re giving up something that doesn’t satisfy you and reaching for a better stage of life.
The cost of going back to school may cause many adults to reconsider their decision. However, in a long term perspective, when salary increases are associated with education, your expense in going back to school could be viewed as an initial investment. Additionally, many schools offer federal or provincial fundings that can help students financially. There are also many companies that provide conditional fundings for students who are willing to work for them after graduation. Before you frown upon the cost of education, consider the potential career advancement and opportunities you’ll engage with as well as the salary increase you’ll receive from getting advanced training and education.
You need to plan ahead of time
Before you make any decisions about continue education, find out why you want to change careers. If you dislike your work environment or coworkers, you may need a new job in the same or similar field. However, if you’ve lost passion in what you do, or if there are no potentials for your professional development in your current industry, it’s time for you to consider further education and a new career. This will not be your first time attending a higher educational institution after high school, you can’t just pick a program that looks interesting without a comprehensive career plan. You’d try your best to avoid stress and disappointment in job hunting after graduation.
As an experienced adult, you know you can’t afford to waste time and money on education that won’t improve your future. Before heading back to school, you need to have a thorough analysis on yourself, on your personality and your past experience; you need to find out what exactly that you want in the working world, whether it’s higher salary, better environment, slower working pace, or less interpersonal interactions. You need to find a program that will best assist you in finding jobs in a new industry, and sometimes you may need advice from professionals. If you do this correctly, you’ll graduate with a major career asset and on the path to a better future.
You can do it while having other commitments
It’s not unreasonable for working professionals to feel overwhelmed with their current responsibilities. As a result, adding school on top of everything else can be intimidating. If you’re working full-time, raising a family, and also fulfilling other responsibilities, attending school and receiving further education can make your schedule even fuller. However, it’s possible to make time to return to school – and many adults do it quite successfully. It may require sacrificing time spent enjoying leisurely activities, but it is possible to make the time.
Setting goals while making commitments according to timelines you set for yourself can help you develop the ability to make sacrifices, as well as to further accomplish your educational objectives. For working professionals desiring to return to school but are concerned about scheduling and time commitment, many schools provide online or virtual programs that bring students more flexibility in their learning experiences. Moreover, most educational institutions are equipped with counselling professionals to help you with time management as well as stress management while you undertake numerous responsibilities in life.
You need to choose the right school
Although the rise in continue education has offered major opportunities for adult students, it’s important to remember that not all programs and schools are created equally. If you’re interested in earning a legitimate diploma or degree that your future employers will respect, it’s important to choose an properly accredited educational institutions. When researching schools, always look closely at their accreditation status and the organization providing the accreditation.
As the largest career college in Canada with 50 campuses across the country, Academy of Learning College attributes the growth in our success to identifying the gap between the formal education available and the realities of the working world. We fulfill the needs of learners by developing customized programs for each student, while meeting the requirements for convenient and effective training at an affordable cost. Academy of Learning Colleges are registered with their respective governing Provincial Authority. Many colleges are members of their Provincial Private School Associations and members of the National Association of Career Colleges. Academy of Learning College is extremely proud of each college that has received a Consumers’ Choice Award as it represents the hard work, commitment and dedication to our students of each team member of the college. Campuses in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Winnipeg are recipients of this great honour. Browse our program list by province and find the best program that suits your needs!