How to Fast Track Your Career - CareerAlley

How to Fast Track Your Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The value of education in todays economy is measured in how you can apply it over the life of your career. College is just the beginning of your lifelong learning process, but its crucial to your immediate and future professional success. You only have to read a few job postings to see the potential and value ofa college degree. Hitting that Ceiling Many people simply hit a point in their careers where they can go no further without more education. Many management positions are closed to those who, although they have a lot of experience, dont have the higher education that many organizations look for in their managers. Likewise, some advanced positions require skills that are primarily found in people who have gone beyond a bachelors and earned a masters degree. To get to the next level in your career, you may need more education. But that introduces some logistical problems for people who are currently working, possibly supporting a family. Many professionals are busy and simply cant be flexible enough with their jobs to attend daytime classes and work toward that degree. And even when you can find night classes, commuting to school in addition to work is also a pain. These problems have traditionally kept many adult students from pushing forward with their educational goals, such as an online MBA Marketing degree. How a Part Time Degree ProgramCan Get You There The good news for anyone looking to get more education is that technology is transforming the world of higher learning for the better. More and more adults are earning online degreesor continuing their education at night while they work. Taking some or all of your courses at night or online can help you reach that next level in your education. This allows you tocomplete class-work on your own schedule, working it around your professional and family life. There are real, tangible benefits to earning your degree while working. The earning potential is certainly there for college graduates, as is the job security. Statistically, youll earn more with a degree than you will without one. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the difference in earnings between a bachelors and a masters degree can be substantial. The difference between a bachelors and a high school diploma can also be substantial (seeLifetime Earnings by Education Level).There are also large differences between types of degrees and levels of experience. Thisis where professionals who keep working in the industry while they learn have a distinct advantage over those who dont. Achieving both advanced levels of knowledge and putting that knowledge into practice while on the jobis the way to go. Differences between Degrees Certain degrees are certainly more valuable than others for fast-tracking your career than others simply due to the demand that exists for those skills in the economy. In IT, for example, salaries frequently reach into the six-figures for senior positions. Many job descriptions for project managers and other senior positions will accept either a masters degree or a certain number of years experience. The benefit of the degree is that the learning tends to be denser; you get more knowledge in a shorter amount of time, even if its more focused than comprehensive on-the-job experience. On the other hand, liberal arts degrees see a much lower return on investment than do more technical degrees in engineering and the sciences. More people tend to go into those fields, and they just arent growing as quickly as technical fields. Whether youre looking to move into a senior position in your current career, break into a new industry or just augment your current skill set with new knowledge, online education can help you do it on your own terms. And when you find yourself in the right industry, the payoff in earnings and job security can be significant. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+