Many people are tired of attending the School of Hard Knocks. Some have been laid off — perhaps they never finished college, or they are finding their skills are outdated in the world of technology.
As the job market changes, it is important that employees stay current with their education and skills.
The good news is it's never too late to upgrade your employability. According to CNBC, 40 percent of college students are older than 25, and that number goes up every year.
One- and two-year degrees
Some people think it will take too long to go to school, but recent studies show education pays.
"In 2015, adults with bachelor's degrees took home more than those with high school diplomas. Degree holders earned $48,500 a year, while diploma holders earned $23,900," says study.com.
Multiply that difference over the course of a career and you come up with a more than $1 million difference for a few years of college. Even a one- or two-year degree in the right field will update people's skills and make them more employable.
Finding the right field
While some students enjoy the traditional liberal arts approach to education, others prefer to skip the philosophy classes and get straight to learning employable skills. For example, schools such as Career Quest in the Lansing and Jackson areas specialize in preparing students for high-demand careers. Growing career fields include information technology, health care and business.
Students can earn certifications or degrees in hot job markets in a few weeks, months or years. For example, Career Quest's Certified Nurses Assistant program takes three weeks and its Network Administration Diploma — where students learn A+ and Net+ — takes eight months.
Getting started
Chapman University identified fear of running out of money as one of America's Top 10 Fears in 2015, and found nearly half of us suffer from personal anxieties. One of these is atychiphobia — the fear of failure. This keeps people from trying new things or taking steps to better their situation.
One three-step process for overcoming atychiphobia is, first, change your everything-is-always-going-wrong mindset to one of all-things-are-working-out-for-me. Second, take small steps toward improving your life and, third — just do it.
For many, the hardest part is getting started, but even small changes make a big difference.
It's a process
"The thing I like most about working at Career Quest is the transformation that we see in these students and the privilege that we have to be a part of their lives," said Melissa Soderberg, president of the Career Quest campus in Lansing. "We see them come in for their first appointment — they’re nervous and scared. Then we see them transform and come out the other side as a professional."
As the great Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." The same is true for personal improvement.
Being employable changes your world and the world for those you love.
