6 Ways You Can Continue Your Education While Working

If you are thinking about continuing your education while working, you need to do your homework before heading back to class. Discovering your career goals and the best ways to merge both school and work are vital early steps in continuing your education while working. There are different reasons why people may continue their education with graduate school. Even though returning to school may not be the right option or be a realistic option for many people. It requires significant time and money investment. So, if you’re uncertain it’s for you, it’s probably a wise idea to put the plans on hold till you can figure out what you want to do. But if you are ready to continue your education while working, here are six simple ways to do that.

Getting educated does not always have to be within the four walls of a school. With the changing times, many people are getting relevant knowledge and even certificates and degrees from less traditional means. They include:

Attending Local Events

Humans are curious, and we desire to learn new things. Many cities have regular meetings for different industry experts. You can consider being a part of such meetings if you like to learn about your industry. Many open lectures, classes, networking events, and panels would allow you to learn for free, especially if you live close to a university. Following local news and social media are great sources of information about these events.

Taking Online Courses

Online courses are an excellent way to study while working because they offer great learning opportunities without debt. Several top universities offer online options for many degree programs, even for a dual master’s degree. Additionally, some courses are offered for free but may charge a fee to fr assignment submissions or to receive a certificate of completion. So, even if you lack the time or money for a full-time program, you can always make time for an online class, especially if you come back to little or no chores after work.

Following Industry Newsletters and Blogs

Emails are a great way to stay updated on recent happenings in your industry. It’s easy to go overboard with email newsletters, and most times, you’ll end up deleting them. So stick to a reasonable number (three-five) of newsletters per time. You can also follow updates on social media.

Taking Up Short-Term Part-Time Projects

A quick side project can help you hone a skill or discover a new field of interest. Are you a nonprofit you care about or a friend who could use your assistance? Offer to handle certain projects. You’ll learn a lot from doing it.

Reading Books

According to the ALA (American Library Association), there are over 116,000 libraries in the country, with many books in diverse industries that you can check out for free. So, when next you stumble on an awesome book recommendations list for your industry, make your way down to the local library and start studying.

Seeking Mentorship

Mentors exist to enable another person’s (mentee) personal or professional development. Some companies, who desire to build employees’ skills, initiate in-house mentoring programs. Find out if your company has one. You can still speak to a leader at your company if they don’t. People find pleasure talking about themselves and their work. They’ll be happy to let you in on what they know.

Truly, the thought of running a full-time job while still putting so much energy into getting another degree is daunting. Yes, it is a difficult task to accomplish, it may still be an absolute necessity for many who desire to climb up thor career ladders. Hence one or more of these methods will be extremely useful.