Why Continuing Your Education is Important 

Continuing your education should be at the top of your life list of things to do. Keep reading for why continuing your education is important.

Once you leave school with a degree, it’s easy to think that the whole going to school thing is done. If you think that’s the case, you’re actually missing out on a lot of opportunities to further your career.

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, continuing your education can play a role in your career trajectory.

If you’re on the fence about furthering your education, you’ll want to keep reading. These are some of the reasons why continuing education is worth the investment.

1. Technology is Always Changing

Are you in the marketing field? You’ll know more than anyone how much technology changed the came in such a short amount of time.

It was only in 2012 when companies started to recognize the power of social media. In seven short years, if a company isn’t on social media, they don’t exist.

Even in search engine optimization, the world changes almost every day. You want to stay on top of these changes to make sure you’re using the most current and relevant marketing methods available.

Technology has touched every other profession, from farmers to medical pros. Continuing education will help you keep current with these rapidly changing times.

2. Networking Opportunities

Depending on your continuing education program, you may find that there are a lot of opportunities to meet and mingle with people in your profession.

Play your cards right and these networking opportunities can lead to new professional opportunities. You never know where your next job will come from. It very well could be through a contact you met at a continuing education course.

3. You Become a Trusted Expert

There’s something to having initials after your name, whether it’s Ph.D., M.S., or C.P.T. Initials look impressive, like you took the time to learn more about your chosen field of work.

Not only do you become more credible to people, but you also position yourself to become a trusted expert. That’s because you know more about your chosen topic that most people, due to continuing education.

4. You Become Better and More Confident in Your Work

How would you like to become more confident in your work? A lot of the time, that just comes from experience and having the right education.

Let’s say that you are a copywriter, even though your college degree is in a completely different field. You may find yourself in a position where you’re a good copywriter, but not a great copywriter.

You know that there’s a knowledge gap and seek to fill that gap with more education. As a result, you become a much better copywriter. You have the confidence to take on new projects and you know that you can deliver excellent results for your clients or your company.

5. It May Already Be Required

Depending on your chosen field, you may be required by your state to maintain your license. Even personal training certification programs require continuing education before you renew your certifications.

Real estate agents, contractors, and medical professionals are all required to maintain their licenses through continuing education.

When you do go back to school for CE credits, you need to make sure that you go to an accredited institution. For example, in California, Scrubs continuing education has the classes you need for radiology.

6. You Learn As Much About Yourself as the Topic

Socrates has been quoted as saying “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”

Nothing will challenge you or force you to learn about yourself than continuing education. You’ll learn about discipline and hard work. That’s especially true if you’re continuing your education while working full time.

There will be days when you want to come home from work and binge watch something on Netflix. Even on weekends, you’ll have a choice to make – do you do your homework, or do you go day drinking?

You’ll also make mistakes and sometimes, make the less than perfect choice. It’s in these moments when you learn the most about yourself.

You’ll also learn how to handle stressful situations. You may have a project that’s incomplete, or you just have too much homework and not enough time. You can adapt by learning what triggers your stress and learn ways to relax and get centered.

7. Retain Your Competitive Edge

It’s a great job market and unemployment is at its lowest rate in years. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The economy is shifting from an economy that creates products to one that is about services. Plus, there’s automation on the horizon that’s sure to impact the job market.

As artificial intelligence figures to take away jobs like shipping and receiving and even driving jobs, you need to make sure that you’re ready for anything.

8. Make a Career Change Possible

The average tenure for employees is about eight years.

You may be nearing that point where it’s time for a job change or pivot to a new career. Some job changes are lateral moves, like from sales to marketing. Other jobs, like from marketing to personal training require a whole new skill set.

Whatever your reason for changing jobs or careers, you can make sure that you’re well-positioned for the shift by taking continuing education classes in your new field.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Continuing Education

If you’re living, you probably have something to learn. Continuing education can be pricey, but it’s well worth the investment.

It can pay off in a promotion, higher pay, or enables you to pursue your dream career. Not only that, but you challenge yourself and you will gain confidence from your remarkable achievements.

Would you like to know more about financing your continuing education? Check out these tips before you apply for a personal loan.