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Ask yourself this question:
“Do I like what I do for a living?” If you answered
“no”, what are you doing about it? Maybe you have a
“good” job, but it’s not very rewarding to you
personally. Maybe you have job with good pay, but bad
hours or worse – a job with good hours, but bad pay.
Perhaps you’ve just done your job for too many years, or
are excited to work in some of the new careers that just
weren’t available when you finished school.
Whatever the reason is for
you wanting to switch careers, there are some practical
considerations to take into account.
How long will it take?
How will I find the time to
do it?
How much will it cost?
This article will answer
these questions and point you towards a more fulfilling
career.
How long will it take to
train for a new career?
The answer to this depends
on what you want to train for. But, the majority of well
paying careers that are currently seeking workers, take
two years or less to train for. For example, becoming a
machinist takes about 10 months. Training to become an
X-ray technician can be done in a year. There are other
training options that can get you a new job in only six
months!
Your experience can also
count. For example, if you work with computers on your job
now, you won’t have to take word processing and
spreadsheet classes if you want to be a medical coder. If
you tinker with computers in your spare time while
you’re working a retail management position, you’ll be
ahead of the class when you train to become a help desk
technician. Also, if you like working on projects around
your house more than your job in an office, you’ll be
more likely to obtain employment as an HVAC tech or
electrician.
How will I find the time to
go to school?
If you decide you want to
train for a new career, there are many educational
options. Traditional universities and colleges are one
option, but tend not to offer a lot of flexibility in
their class times. Community colleges are a better option
since they have flexible classes, but due to limited
resources, some of the most in demand training programs
like nursing and dental hygiene have several year waiting
lists in many markets across the U.S.
The educational option many
working adults choose is a career college. Career colleges
offer flexible scheduling and have the proper resources to
greatly reduce waiting lists, if they have any at all. The
biggest drawback is they cost more to attend. Consider a
career college to be like a private community college.
However, the flexible scheduling and the shorter time to
graduation compensate for the higher initial cost of a
career college.
How much will career
training cost?
This is probably the most
difficult question. If you’re like most working adults,
you don’t have an eight month emergency reserve fund
stashed away but, you do have credit card bills, a car
payment, possibly children and that nagging monthly
rent/mortgage payment. Chances are you’re not in a
position to quit your existing job. Due to flexible class
schedules you’ll still be able to work and keep that
income. Student loans or grants are a possibility to pay
for tuition. Also, check if your company has a tuition
reimbursement plan. Even though you’re thinking about
leaving your job, your company may have a need for the
career you’re interested in training in.
The bottom line is if you
don’t feel satisfied with your current job, you don’t
have to stay with it for the rest of your working years.
There are a number of great careers available that pay
well and require less than two years of training time.
Check out your career
options here. WWW.top-colleges.com/s/site-map.html
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About
The Author
Max
Stein is a freelance writer who writes
about a number of business, education and
marketing subjects.
Reprint/republish
rights to this article are granted, as
long as it is not modified and the
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Copyright
2004 DegreeSource.com |
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