The most important thing to consider when pursuing another degree or additional education is how it will benefit or affect your career as a working professional. Opportunities are endless in trade schools and master’s degrees, but each has challenges and benefits to examine before enrolling.

Here is a list of things to consider when pursuing another degree or trade school certification. 

Finances 

When considering more schooling, there is always the possibility of increased student debt when furthering your education. Finances can be stretched, especially if you need to forgo your full-time job to achieve additional education in a trade or master’s degree. Trade schools will be a less financial burden than a college degree program. Regardless, if cost is a concern, there are always potential scholarships to help ease the burden. Reach out to the institute you are considering applying to and see what options are available for your program.  

Time 

Deciding to pursue furthering your education is going to be a time commitment. Trade schools and master’s degrees are typically two-year commitments. Besides just the length of the program, there can be additional hours to study, class participation projects that take extra time, or job shadowing/clinical time, depending on the program chosen. Those who graduate from trade schools can typically find employment more readily in their desired field, while Master’s Degree graduates may have more difficulty finding employment. However, a talent agency (like Congruence Talent Agency) can help you find the best job without stress. 

Career Changes 

If you want to go back to school for a master’s degree or trade, you most likely have considered the possibility of what changes that will make to your profession in the future. But, a less thought-out issue is now taking on more schooling can impact your career in the present. The program being pursued and the timeframe in which you want to complete your education will determine if you can hold a part-time or full-time job while going to school. 

There also needs to be a plan for what type of career you will move into once your degree is completed. Communicate with your current employer to see what job openings are available at your current company if you are able. If there are none, research what potential job opportunities are available to you in your area. 

Difficulty 

Tying together all the things to consider is the potential difficulty pursuing a master’s degree or trade will have on you. Extra strains of time, finances, and life changes can be challenging to juggle. If you are in a stage of life where taking on additional stresses can be balanced out or maintained, then pursuing additional degrees & certificates can be doable. There will never be a perfect time to pursuing additional degrees, but you should be in a mental state to be willing to learn continually and deal with stress. Consider having a professional mentor to help encourage you during schooling or assist you with making a decision to enroll. 

In the end, there are certainly many options for working professionals to go back to school. It’s probably worth spending plenty of time investigating your options thoroughly before deciding what might be best for you. After all, furthering your education can be a big investment—one that could end up paying big time in terms of career happiness down the road.