The Importance of Continuing Education

In most people’s life, there is a time that one sometimes ponder if continuing education is worth the time and money. Perhaps an opportunity presented itself that forces you to decide if you should take the opportunity or continue your education. While continuing your education may not be exciting compared to other things in life, but the benefits are life-long. Hence, if you are undecided, then below are some facts that support the importance of continuing education.

Increasing Qualification  

Some of the individuals who think they don’t need to continue their education, reason that not all jobs will require a higher educational degree. While this is true on some levels, but, if you want a higher paying job, then continuing your education is almost a must. Look at the entire situation as if you are the employer.

Imagine checking two resumes from two applicants. The two have about the same level of experience. However, one applicant gained a higher education in the field. Who would you pick?

Unless the other applicant is a prodigy, you would most likely pick the applicant with a higher degree of education. Now, compound the situation.

These days, employers are not only checking two applicants, but lots of them. This means that you need to try harder in terms of making yourself more attractive to the employer; and a higher degree of education may be the tipping point that puts the odds in your favor, rather than against it.

Increasing Income

You probably have a good hunch that individuals with higher levels of education earn a lot more. However, let’s leave that hunch, and put numbers into it.

According to a study, on average, a college degree holder earns twice as much when compared to someone without a degree. Of course, there are some exceptional individuals that don’t have a college degree and still earning good amounts of money. But these are rare cases. On average, college degree holders trumps over high school graduates.

Better Lifestyle

It is not uncommon for the society to label you in terms of your educational attainment. While it’s true that this may be stereotyping, and that’s not necessarily good. However, when it comes to the clash between what’s ideal and what’s reality, reality wins every time. Maybe in the future, this will change.

For now,  the importance of continuing education is it can get you a higher pay, and also a lot more respect from your peers and/or society in general. In fact, it’s possible that your job ceiling is what’s holding you back in terms of lifestyle. Even if you are continuing your education because you want more respect, but having a better education is not a bad thing by itself. It’s a win-win situation for you.

Gain Confidence

Confidence is a tricky business. You probably heard the phrase “Fake it, until you make it”, and some like to relate the phrase to confidence. While this may work for a time, but real confidence comes from the inside. If you feel that your education is lacking, then no matter how much you “fake” it, sooner or later, people will be able to tell that you are way over your head.

Hence, continue your education and gain confidence from a good foundational source. If one of the sources of your confidence is your educational attainment, no one can take that away from you.

 

Improves Social Network

These days, networking is one of the buzzwords. This means that the wider your connections, the more people you can help and the more you can find people willing to help you. Getting a higher degree of education can help you widen your social network, and that’s another reason why the importance of continuing education is very high.

Of course, you will meet professors, students and other people that may share a common interest. You can even meet new individuals who are on the same path as you, and that makes everything a lot easier than doing it solo.

Securing Your Future

These days, the marketplace is so competitive that downsizing is becoming more and more common. Well, in reality, you shouldn’t be surprised. If you really want to know the odds, then 6 out of 10 business will go bust in the first 10 years. Of course, there will be downsizing along the way. So, what this got to do with continuing your education?

Again, look at the situation from a different perspective. Specifically, put yourself in your employer’s shoes. If it’s inevitable that you need to lay off some people, then who are you going to lay off? The one’s with better education and helps a lot in the company, or the ones that do the menial work.

It’s no brainer that people who do the menial work will get the axe sooner than people with higher education. This translates that continuing your education gives you a better job security. But, the benefits doesn’t end there.

Once you have finished a certain credit or degree, that will stay with you in the future; which also makes you a good candidate for some other employer looking for your skill sets, experience, and educational attainment.

Improves Discipline

Let’s face it, going back to school may not be the most exciting thing in the word. However, you are sacrificing the now, for a better future. And, you certainly can’t finish your degree if you don’t develop yourself discipline.

This goes to say that continuing and succeeding with your education will greatly improve your discipline, and that’s value that should not be taken lightly. As most successful people would say, discipline is what sets the difference between mediocrity and greatness.

As the job market becomes more and more competitive, the importance of continuing education gets higher and higher. One of the things you can do to set yourself above the competition is to continue your education. Yes, continuing your education may cost you time and money, but the benefits are invaluable. By continuing your education, you can expect to increase your qualification, increase your income, get a better lifestyle, improve your confidence, widen your social network, secure your future and improves your discipline. Remember, these are only a few of the many benefits; In fact, these are just the tip of the iceberg.