{"id":36911,"date":"2016-05-25T20:48:54","date_gmt":"2016-05-26T04:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=36911"},"modified":"2017-05-27T08:50:01","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T16:50:01","slug":"5-ways-hack-education-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-ways-hack-education-career\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Hack Your Education and Further Your Career"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Although there are a handful of success stories about people who made it big without any formal learning to back them up, such as Steve Jobs or Richard Branson, for most of us the reality is that education can open doors and help us advance in our career in a way that hard work and talent alone simply can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

But what can you do if the typical university route hasn\u2019t worked for you or just isn\u2019t accessible? There are a number of reasons why university might not be right for you, from a lack of time or money to not knowing exactly what direction you want to take your career in.<\/p>\n

Whatever the case may be, if you\u2019ve decided that university isn\u2019t a good fit for you at this point in time, but still want to learn and advance in your career, here are a few alternative ways to educate yourself and earn qualifications.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Consider taking a certificate course<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are many professions you can get into without a university degree, and in many cases, successfully completing a certificate with an accredited education provider is enough to get you off to a good start for far less than a degree would cost. This includes jobs in accounting and finance, real estate, tourism and hospitality, project management, fitness training and others.<\/p>\n

    Many certificate courses can even be followed fully or partially online, which allows you to plan your studies around your work and other commitments. If you decide to go this route, however, be sure to do your research and choose an online learning institution that is properly accredited and will provide adequate academic assistance.<\/p>\n

    If in doubt, the National Center for Education Statistics provides a\u00a0College Navigator tool<\/a>, which will allow you to verify any school\u2019s accreditation and even check things like graduation and retention rates.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Invest in short courses and workshops<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      If you don\u2019t have time to take on a degree or even certificate course, taking short courses or attending workshops can be a great way to fill any gaps in your knowledge and show employers that you\u2019re serious about your professional development.<\/p>\n

      Short courses may cover any area from soft skills such as communication and leadership to industry-specific skills like accounting, web design or photography, so think about what skills you\u2019d like to develop further or the areas you want improve in.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Take introductory courses online for free<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        If learning is your primary goal and you aren\u2019t too concerned with qualifications, there are plenty of college-level courses or MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) you can take online, and most won\u2019t cost you a thing.<\/p>\n

        Some of the most popular providers include\u00a0Coursera<\/a>,\u00a0EdX<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Khan Academy<\/a>. While some of these do offer certificates of completion, it\u2019s important to be aware that most employers still tend to be skeptical of such certificates. MOOCs are, however, an excellent way to learn more about a particular topic or skill at no cost, or even find out whether or not a specific area of study actually interests you before you make a monetary commitment.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Use your prior experience to get qualified<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Even if you\u2019ve been in the workforce for a number of years and feel competent in your field, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll run into problems when changing jobs or looking for a promotion if you don\u2019t have any formal qualifications to back you up.<\/p>\n

          In this case, recognition of prior learning (RPL) can help you turn the skills and knowledge you\u2019ve gained through informal learning such as work, training courses or volunteering into a recognized qualification, without having to start from scratch.<\/p>\n

          Alternatively, if you already have a bachelor\u2019s degree but want to enhance your professional prospects by earning a graduate degree, you may be able to fast track your MBA by\u00a0converting your experience\u00a0<\/a>and seeking credit exemptions from a university.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Volunteer in the field you hope to enter<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            One of the biggest hurdles newly graduated students face is a lack of experience. By volunteering in the field you hope to enter, you\u2019ll be able to learn on the job and gain transferable skills while also making contacts within an industry, which can be invaluable once you start looking for a job.<\/p>\n

            Another big benefit to volunteering is that it gives you the chance to explore the career you\u2019re interested in and make an informed decision rather than spending a lot of money on a degree or diploma only to discover that it\u2019s not what you want to do after all.<\/p>\n

            Sites like\u00a0Volunteer Match<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Idealist<\/a>\u00a0can help you find volunteer opportunities that match your skills and interests. Just make sure that whatever you end up devoting your time to will be a good fit and help you develop or sharpen your skills in some way.<\/p>\n

            Marianne Stenger is a writer with Open Colleges<\/a>. She covers career development, workplace productivity and self-improvement. You can connect with her on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google+<\/a>, or find her latest articles here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n


            \n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Although there are a handful of success stories about people who made it big without any formal learning to back them up, such as Steve Jobs or Richard Branson, for most of us the reality is that education can open doors and help us advance in our career in a way that hard work and talent alone simply can\u2019t. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9130,"featured_media":36915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2162],"tags":[4645,5179,1104,66,4731,49,4629,513],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways to Hack Your Education and Further Your Career<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If university isn\u2019t a good fit for you at this point in time, here are a few ways you can hack your education in order to keep learning and growing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-ways-hack-education-career\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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