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 its 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 youve just done your job for too many years, or are excited to work in some of the new careers that just werent 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 wont 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 youre working a retail management position, youll 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, youll 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 youre like most working adults, you dont 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 youre not in a position to quit your existing job. Due to flexible class schedules youll 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 youre thinking about leaving your job, your company may have a need for the career youre interested in training in.
The bottom line is if you dont feel satisfied with your current job, you dont 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
Copyright 2004
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 resources plus signature remain unchanged.
DegreeSource.com
