You know that you want to advance in your career, or that you may even want a total career change. Either way, additional education may be your best bet to make it happen.

Whether you’re considering going back to school or getting new certifications, this guide can help you determine where to begin your continued education journey with expert advice from one of EdAssist’s academic coaches, Valerie Jaquith. 

Consider your educational history

If you aren’t sure where to start your continued education journey, it’s a good idea to first consider what education you’ve already completed.

If you have some college credits but no formal degree, for example, you could leverage those to complete an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. And if you already have a bachelor’s, maybe you’re considering graduate certificates or a master’s degree program.

This is an important starting place that will impact where you start your continued education journey.

Decide what your goals are

What’s your reason for pursuing additional education and training?

Do you want to obtain credentials so you can get a promotion at work, or change careers altogether? Are you interested in obtaining a certification or learning new skills to make a lateral career move?

If you have a very specific goal in mind— such as getting a master’s degree in nursing so you can become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)— then your path is relatively clear.

If you know that you want to advance at work but aren’t sure how, that’s okay. We’ll typically recommend that you work backwards. Look at job openings within your company or your industry, taking notice of trends like certain skills or keywords that come up. If you see frequent job openings looking for certain skills, that’s a high area of need.

Then, you can look at the requirements for the jobs that you’re interested in. Some may require certain degrees or certifications, for example. You can cross-check this with other companies’ requirements for similar positions. This will help you create a specific goal to tackle.

Speak to your manager

Your manager may have recommendations for training, certifications, or other credentials that would help you advance within the company. They may know, for example, that senior leadership typically prioritizes employees with a master’s degree for higher-level positions.

Your manager may also be able to refer you to internal resources or benefits, including education assistance programs or company career pathways that highlight different skill, experience, or degree requirements for career progression. 

Know that you can start small

Our academic coaches all recommended taking continued education one step at a time. It’s important to remember that adult learners typically have a long list of responsibilities, so “slow and steady” is the way to go.

Start small. If you’re going for a full degree, take a single class so you can understand the time and work requirements before you decide to add on another.

You can also start with a certificate program, which allows you to build up academic credits that can later be transferred into a formal degree. A graduate certificate, for example, is often only four or five classes but can be rolled into a master’s degree if you decide to continue with a program later on. This allows you to earn a credential you can put on your resume while you work towards an additional long-term goal.

And don’t forget: While degrees are always valuable, certificates and certifications can also create career advancement opportunities in certain fields.

Get academic coaching

If your company offers employee education assistance through companies like Bright Horizons’ EdAssist, you may have free access to academic coaching. All of our academic coaches are experts in higher education, and can help make program recommendations based on your specific circumstances.

Our coaches will often ask a lot of questions to help you narrow down what your goals are and how you can get there to help you choose a good starting point. We can recommend different types of programs or even specific schools to consider.

Start today

If you’re motivated to pursue additional training, upskilling, or education, then the most important thing to do is commit to getting started. Start by deciding what you’d like to pursue, and then start considering different programs.

And trust us: We know that going back to school can feel overwhelming, but it’s best to start now. It’s never too late, but the best time to start is now.

Ready to pursue continued education to support a career change? Get advice on how to start through EdAssist’s coaching services.