For many, the benefits of continuing education are clear, but others might question the value of returning to the classroom. If you’ve ever had the same question yourself, here are five important ways that continuing education could benefit you, and how organizations as a whole can benefit from employees that know the value.
Increased Job Opportunities
Whether you’re finishing your bachelor’s degree, earning your master’s or gaining new skills through a Certificate of Completion, your academic achievements can open doors for your career. The more you learn, the more you’re qualified to do and the more likely organizations are to take you and your potential contributions seriously. An educational credential in your field is your first step to becoming a valuable member of a team that needs you or a more valuable member of your current team.
Often times in today’s job market a degree is required to fulfill minimum job requirements. Earning your degree will put you over that first hurdle and, in the case that a degree isn’t required, it will help you stand out amongst fellow applicants.
Broadened Horizons
Education allows you to focus on the subject area of your choice while allowing you to diversify, whether this is in terms of your actual studies or interacting with and getting to know classmates from different backgrounds and walks of life. Continuing education isn’t just a great way of expanding your base of knowledge, it’s a great way to enhance your experience of the world.
Learning to Learn
One important skill you’ll develop as a lifelong learner is the ability to learn. Simply put, there are opportunities every day to grow and to develop as a professional. By returning to school and achieving new academic goals you condition yourself to learn new things every day, constantly building upon your existing skills and continuously adapting to the changing expectations and professional climate around you. It helps you turn every task, meeting and conversation into a valuable learning experience.
Critical thinking and time management are also skills that you will strengthen by taking courses. These skills are essential in terms of employment and career growth; the ability to manage many priorities, see how tasks fit into the big picture and think strategically about processes is essential, especially as you move into more managerial positions.
Keeping Pace with Industry Trends
The world changes, the workplace evolves and advances in every field faster than ever. Even if you have 20 years of experience in your field, education can expose you to new ideas and ways of doing things to help you be more efficient and effective. This will continue to be the case as hiring managers seek those with up-to-date, current knowledge of their respective fields. Continuing education is a great way to ensure that your knowledge is always relevant to modern day situations.
Job Satisfaction
According to the National Opinion Research Center in 2008, job satisfaction rates increase significantly for employees with higher-level degrees. The difference for workers claiming to be “very satisfied” climbs from 40 percent without a diploma to 58 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Adding those who report themselves as being “moderately satisfied” raises that number to a whopping 93 percent.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should consider continuing your education. Challenging yourself and adding to your skill set will benefit you both on a personal and professional level.
This article is brought to you by Colorado State University-Global Campus. To learn more about CSU-Global’s 100 percent online bachelor’s, master’s, and Certificate of Completion programs visit CSUGlobal.edu.