Career Education Options For Working Adults

Ask yourself this question: "Do I like what I do for a living?" If you answered "no", what are you doing about it? Maybe you have a "good" job, but it's not very rewarding to you personally. Maybe you have job with good pay, but bad hours or worse ? a job with good hours, but bad pay. Perhaps you've just done your job for too many years, or are excited to work in some of the new careers that just weren't available when you finished school.

Whatever the reason is for you wanting to switch careers, there are some practical considerations to take into account.

How long will it take?

How will I find the time to do it?

How much will it cost?

This article will answer these questions and point you towards a more fulfilling career.

How long will it take to train for a new career?

The answer to this depends on what you want to train for. But, the majority of well paying careers that are currently seeking workers, take two years or less to train for. For example, becoming a machinist takes about 10 months. Training to become an X-ray technician can be done in a year. There are other training options that can get you a new job in only six months!

Your experience can also count. For example, if you work with computers on your job now, you won't have to take word processing and spreadsheet classes if you want to be a medical coder. If you tinker with computers in your spare time while you're working a retail management position, you'll be ahead of the class when you train to become a help desk technician. Also, if you like working on projects around your house more than your job in an office, you'll be more likely to obtain employment as an HVAC tech or electrician.

How will I find the time to go to school?

If you decide you want to train for a new career, there are many educational options. Traditional universities and colleges are one option, but tend not to offer a lot of flexibility in their class times. Community colleges are a better option since they have flexible classes, but due to limited resources, some of the most in demand training programs like nursing and dental hygiene have several year waiting lists in many markets across the U.S.

The educational option many working adults choose is a career college. Career colleges offer flexible scheduling and have the proper resources to greatly reduce waiting lists, if they have any at all. The biggest drawback is they cost more to attend. Consider a career college to be like a private community college. However, the flexible scheduling and the shorter time to graduation compensate for the higher initial cost of a career college.

How much will career training cost?

This is probably the most difficult question. If you're like most working adults, you don't have an eight month emergency reserve fund stashed away but, you do have credit card bills, a car payment, possibly children and that nagging monthly rent/mortgage payment. Chances are you're not in a position to quit your existing job. Due to flexible class schedules you'll still be able to work and keep that income. Student loans or grants are a possibility to pay for tuition. Also, check if your company has a tuition reimbursement plan. Even though you're thinking about leaving your job, your company may have a need for the career you're interested in training in.

The bottom line is if you don't feel satisfied with your current job, you don't have to stay with it for the rest of your working years. There are a number of great careers available that pay well and require less than two years of training time.

Check out your career options here. WWW.top-colleges.com/s/site-map.html

Copyright 2004

About The Author

Max Stein is a freelance writer who writes about a number of business, education and marketing subjects.

Reprint/republish rights to this article are granted, as long as it is not modified and the resources plus signature remain unchanged.

DegreeSource.com

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:44 GMT Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad - New York Daily News ABC News Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad New York Daily News - 36 minutes ago BY THOMAS ZAMBITO The rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - is suing the fast-food chain for using his hip-hop persona to tout its tacos. 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign The Associated Press Rapper 50 Cent says Taco Bell stole his endorsement Reuters E! Online - MTV.com - CNNMoney.com - KWCH all 187 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:15:09 GMT Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort - New York Times Boston Globe Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort New York Times - 27 minutes ago Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced their antismoking initiative on Wednesday in New York. By DONALD G. MCNEIL JR Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop ... Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking AssociatedPress The $500 million war on smoking Minneapolis Star Tribune BusinessWeek - eFluxMedia - Bizjournals.com - FOXBusiness all 471 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:48 GMT Discovery may boost statin safety - BBC News InjuryBoard.com Discovery may boost statin safety BBC News - 7 hours ago Scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation as a major cause of a rare side effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. They hope the discovery could lead to a simple test to identify patients at increased risk of myopathy - severe muscle pain and ... Gene May Predict Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Risk, Study Says Bloomberg Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found Washington Post U.S. News & World Report - Reuters - The Associated Press - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com all 172 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:14:24 GMT Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song - Reuters ABC News Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song Reuters - 2 hours ago By Ivana Sekularac BELGRADE (Reuters) - Radovan Karadzic lived the good life while hiding from justice for 11 years: he watched his diet, fell in love and hung out in a small bar where hardliners gathered to sing about his wartime exploits. Video: Karadzic's arrest sparks clashes - 23 Jul 08 AlJazeeraEnglish Karadzic's secret life enthralls his fellow Serbs The Associated Press Reuters UK - euronews - New York Times - Voice of America all 5,771 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:05:33 GMT Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports - Bloomberg ABC News Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports Bloomberg - 28 minutes ago By Carli Lourens July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties may sign a power-sharing agreement soon as they have already agreed on a wide range of issues, Business Day reported, citing people it didn't identify. Fearsome Zimbabwe militias are afraid Los Angeles Times Delayed Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Seen Beginning Thursday Voice of America BBC News - guardian.co.uk - AFP all 3,609 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:06 GMT Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale - Los Angeles Times ABC News Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Los Angeles Times - 4 hours ago Like the Dark Knight/Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is a real-life man of mystery. Averse to personal publicity, he is well-known for not wanting to discuss his private life. Christian Bale, Wife "Solid" at Knight's Spain Premiere E! Online Bale's family feud led to scuffle The Star-Ledger - NJ.com People Magazine - New York Daily News - Boston Herald - Variety all 2,386 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:10:31 GMT Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently - USA Today Bleacher Report Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently USA Today - 4 hours ago By Matt Ludtke, AP By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY He no longer sounds like a retired player after seemingly passing on the opportunity to lead a talent-laden Packers squad. Video: The Rift Between Favre and the Packers AssociatedPress Finding new home for Brett Favre won't be easy Chicago Tribune Minneapolis Star Tribune - Kansas City Star - The Canadian Press - Tampa Tribune all 512 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:06:18 GMT Increase Website Traffic Make Money With Blogs

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Why Choose A Professionally Written Resume?

Good question, considering that nowadays you can find many useful... Read More

Mystery Shopping for Fun and Profit

How would you like to get paid to go shopping?... Read More

The Top Ten Strategies of A Great Interview

You've just received a call to interview with your dream... Read More

How To Write A Resume Cover Letter That Will Get Your Resume Read

A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to... Read More

8 Steps to Getting On-Track When You Start a New Job

Starting a new job can feel like moving to a... Read More

What is My Calling?

"What is my calling?" Do any of us really have... Read More

Free Resume Examples: Use Them, But Dont

There are lots of free resume examples (or free resume... Read More

4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers

The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out... Read More

Your Goals Must Be Within Your Reach

FIRST STEP -- Set short-term, incremental goals.... Read More

Youre Bright And Talented -- TooT Your Own Horn --

Obviously, there are RIGHT ways to move UP the ladder.... Read More

Losing a Career When Youre Moving for Love

Those who watched HBO's Sex and the City (SATC, now... Read More

175 Power Verbs and Phrases for Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews

While you're revamping your resume or cover letter or constructing... Read More

Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door!

Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate... Read More

Everyone Should Have a RED BALL in the Job Search

May I explain what about what a red ball means... Read More

Salary, Raises, & Perks: Negotiate to Get Paid What Youre Worth!

Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It's important to... Read More

Growing Up On A Delaware Farm

Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and... Read More

Feng Shui Your Desk for Career Success

Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a... Read More

Don?t Discount the Temporary Position Interview

If you think, 'it's just an interview for a temp... Read More

Are You Suited for Self-employment?

A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! Small Business showed that... Read More

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated... Read More

Corporate World: Jungle Or Paradise?

The road to the top is not easy, it is... Read More

Minding Your Own Business

Think you have gone as far as you can in... Read More

Job Trap; Relationships with Co-workers

Most of us interact with our co-workers on a daily... Read More

Dont Get Caught In The Security Trap

The day you begin to think of your job in... Read More

The Organized Job Search

Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work... Read More