Personal Development: Advancing your career through education
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The time when graduating with a four-year degree could guarantee you a place in the professional world has long passed. This is because the job market is already oversaturated with degree holders, and most of them are forced into positions that don't even require a degree or risk being unemployed.
A degree under your belt is not a guarantee that you will land a good-paying job. Most university graduates find themselves in positions where they are overqualified because the job market is fiercely competitive. It seems like the only way to advance in your professional job is by getting more education.
But don't worry because there are plenty of ways to improve your skills and knowledge, such as pursuing higher and further education or taking on lifelong learning. To find out which educational path can be more beneficial to your career, discover the main difference among the following three choices.
Get a Postgraduate Degree
A bachelor's degree can only get you so far into your chosen career until you are beaten out of the running by those who have more specialized degrees. Getting a postgraduate degree, such as a master's or a doctorate, is one way to stay ahead of the competition and climb the career ladder.
Having a master's degree increases your earning potential because it can lead you to better earning positions in the corporate world. It can also help you advance your career path because you will gain a higher level of knowledge in a specific academic field.
For instance, earning an online master's degree in business administration (MBA) can equip you with ample knowledge about what it takes to manage a business. Becoming an MBA graduate can make you a fitter candidate for managerial positions in the business and finance industry.
Of course, there are more fields of study in postgraduate education that you can take up depending on your career path, such as arts, social work, public health, and law, among others. It's important that the degree you take up is aligned with your chosen career path because otherwise, it will be pointless.
Pursue Further Education
Like earning a postgraduate degree, pursuing further education will take place after receiving your high school diploma. But unlike postgraduate degrees that provide you with in-depth knowledge on one academic field, further education focuses more on honing your vocational skills.
This can include improving workplace skills and getting hands-on experience in a specific career path you won't get inside a classroom. Further education is usually offered outside the university setting, such as in colleges and workplace apprenticeships.
You can earn diplomas or certifications after completing short courses to help you become more competent and invaluable in your professional field. Pursuing further education can be a more practical approach to. earning skills that can help you advance your career instead of getting a postgraduate degree because it can be achieved in a shorter time.
Begin Lifelong Learning
To become a part of a competent and skilled workforce, you have to adapt to the changes in the industry you belong to. This means that you must continuously develop your skills and knowledge to keep up with all the innovations in your field.
You will become more confident in your skills if you become a lifelong learner than if you try to compete against others with only your age-old stock knowledge. Discoveries in different fields of study are made every day, which is why you should take it upon yourself to learn them constantly.
Lifelong learners are in the undying pursuit of knowledge not only to help advance their careers but because they actually enjoy learning for their personal growth. They are self-motivated individuals who find value in continuous education that isn't limited to what is taught in the classrooms.
There are many ways to begin lifelong learning because you are no longer confined to the academic setting. For instance, you can do self-guided studying through the thousands of applications, videos, and other educational resources you can find online. You can also take advantage of the skills training provided by your employer because it's a more direct course of learning in your career path.
Learning shouldn't end when you get your high school diploma or bachelor's degree, not if you want to stay on top of your game and be on a continuous ascent up the professional ladder. So when you feel like your skills are becoming rusty, and you're no longer growing in
