Going through the traditional education system might imply working hard at school as one glides through the years, leading one to graduate. And even after high school, parents and teachers would most typically encourage their children or students to pursue further education or procure a college degree. It may sound cliché to some, yet most people do believe that “education is the key to success.”
As quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” His words ring true today as we continuously witness how education unleashes different potentials and nurtures them. Yet the question is, how far should one go to suffice their education needs? How can each of us be confident that we’ve done our part to feed our knowledge and get ourselves ready for the battle of the outside world?
As traditional education is vital, continuing education completes the puzzle. Are you getting interested to know why that is? This monthly newsletter will tell you the reasons why taking continuing education after traditional education is key to maximizing your options to greater opportunities!
Continuing education in the definition
Continuing education, in general, refers to any post-secondary learning or educational programs that adults pursue after formal education. It comes in different forms, such as seminars, online courses, one-time classes, and entire degree programs. Some professions require continuing education, whether in yearly courses or tests, to keep up with changes in their industries.
Though for other professions, to prepare themselves for new responsibilities and opportunities, they practice continuing education in the form of advanced degrees. While some require attendance at lectures or conferences to encourage employees to learn from other experts in their field. Below are some of the reasons why continuing education is critical:
Equipped skills for employment. As one progresses through continuing education, one should learn how to manage their time well, multitask, and develop social skills mostly with fellow students, professors, and industry professionals. These skills are vital, especially when working for different employers in the future. Carefully, one can hone their interpersonal and organizational skills while learning. And eventually, shine in the workplace as they expertly cope with the various challenges the professional world entails.
1. An increased opportunity for promotion
Employers often find one’s pursuit of continuing education an excellent reason to grant a promotion. These employers recognize the invested time and (sometimes) money into improving one’s skills and performance. And thus, the desire to want to reward such a gesture comes in handy. This newly-acquired education also enhances one’s qualifications for advanced work, and they quickly become an ideal candidate for promotions.
2. Career transition
If one is ready to move into a new career field, the first step will usually be to acquire an education that qualifies them for that new path. Like nurses, teachers, and accountants, many professions have rigorous requirements for degrees or licensure to qualify. Continuing education will pave the way to moving into a new career, mainly because learning and acquiring new skills is critical to preparing for a career transition.
3. Personal development
Whether or not one is completely satisfied with their job and lifestyle, that doesn’t mean continuing education is no longer for them. Experts agree that learning is a lifelong process, and continuing education can stipulate a personal development journey. While taking some time to learn more of a particular subject or gaining enriched skills to bring to the workplace, there are various ways one can use continuing education to their advantage.
Finish the race!
One way to look at it is that traditional education is like learning how to ride a bicycle with training wheels — continuing education trains you to ride as the big kids do and even gets you to the top of the mountain! Some of the ingredients you need to achieve success are fortifying what you’ve learned when you were younger and whipping them up with new and relevant information that will continue to build your skills, talents, personality, and more! So when the opportunity arises for you to learn, improve, and grow more, go for it, and don’t hesitate!
