Advanced Career Training

When searching online for the keywords, "advanced career training," what frequently arises on the computer screen is the option of attending an on line college and receiving an Associate, Bachelors or a Masters or Doctoral degree. "If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Luke 12:28) However, when using the search keywords, "online career training," schools will surface from all over the country and online that are especially formulated to help adult learners gain enough knowledge in particular job fields to gain entry level positions in certain occupations. These institutions enable the student to complete a certification program in from two to twelve months on average. In either case these educational prospects give adult learners some savory options to consider.

With both of these possibilities in play for the student who is thinking about making progress in his or her life, which often translates to mean more money and additional job opportunities and more job satisfaction, there can be little choice other than to get more education. The beginning point for anyone considering going back to school is answering the question, "What are my strengths and weaknesses?" If one hates math, it isn't advisable to pursue a Bachelors degree to teach math. If a person is not mechanical, it would be ill conceived to consider career training at a diesel engine repair school. Career counselors often advise potential students to go after the thing that makes their motor start humming. What makes a person passionate? Few people are more miserable than those stuck in a job that they despise.

There are often employment and satisfaction ceilings that employees in vocational careers hit at some point in their work life. These are times when it appears that no matter how hard these employees try, progress is not being made to achieve the next level. These employees may find themselves continually being passed over for promotions or raises. As stated previously, these employees are usually in vocational careers, or positions that could provide a lifetime pursuit. These people might be the middle manager in a company who knows he/she will never climb higher without something changing. Some of these could be administrative assistants who really know more than the supervisor above them, but a lack of a college degree holds them back. Just as possible a situation is the plumber who wants to own a company, but lacks the business acumen.

These workers enjoy the vocation they are in, but cannot get ahead. Advanced career training is the only real option, unless someone's uncle is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. For the vocational career, a higher education degree is an excellent way of getting new tread on slightly bald tires. For this discussion, only online degree programs will be discussed. These educational opportunities are unabashedly aimed at the busy adult, who is already working a full time job, often already in the career field of which they are interested. Literally hundreds of majors are offered online for advanced career training. But there are some important issues to consider when choosing an online educational provider.

First, what kind of accreditation does the school have? Does the profession one is now in recognize only accredited degrees from certain certifying boards and if so, which ones? Also, are there examples of other employees using degrees from this school to forge a fresh career path that has an upward curve, and are they in my field of interest? In addition, what kind of interaction will the student have with teachers, professors, and other students as the college life advances, and will the word online appear on my diploma or not? Is there the ability to have direct video instruction for an actual classroom, and the opportunity to ask questions of the teacher during that class time? Is there a library that can be accessed online for resources to complete projects, theses, term and research papers, and what is the attrition rate of those who start with this school? What kind of financial aid does the school offer and will I have to attend any classes at the school's physical location?

But what if a person has been out of school a few years, and the realization has finally hit that a high school diploma will never provide anything more than a minimum wage job? It's a positive thing to finally recognize that some life decisions in the past really haven't been the best choices. Advanced career training, that is, going after a college degree may not fit into the picture. But online career training for a job that is a step up from the current one that a worker is in just might be the answer. This online career training typically offers preparation in areas like fashion design interior decorating, information technology, office assisting, medical billing and coding, court reporting, cosmetology and hundreds of other similar careers that do not require a college degree. But even with these online courses, there are questions to ask.

When considering an online career training course, the first question to ask is, "Is this career move out of desperation or is it a passion?" Clearly, career success in life will only come with doing work that brings someone joy and excitement. Anything less will be a disappointment. Secondly, consideration must be given to whether or not one possesses the discipline to sit down each day and do the work required. Also if a person is easily distracted by the phone or the television or with children or noise outside or any other invasion of the concentration zone, red flags should go off regarding the wisdom of such a decision. Finally, does this school offer an accredited certification and will it be accepted by the companies with which I choose to work?

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