The Importance of Education

One of the best things you can do for your career is to add education to your portfolio. The type of education that you need and should pursue depends on where you are with your career.

Perhaps you are getting ready to graduate from high school and college isn't the right path for you, but you would like to pursue a career in technology. You should try to find a program like YearUp. YearUp is a training program that teaches students computer and work skills. After completing six months of classroom training, students are placed in six month apprenticeships with companies. The YearUp students are skilled in areas of PC maintenance, help desk, and web design. Many of the students get hired following their apprenticeships and find themselves on their way in a professional job. YearUp started in Boston and is now in Providence, New York City and Washington D.C.

Perhaps you are interested in going to college. There are many companies and positions that require a college degree so it will certainly give you an advantage to pursue an undergraduate degree. Do you need to major in computer science? The answer depends on what you are interested in doing for your career. If you want to land a job in some of the more technical positions such as an applications developer, a database administrator, a security or network engineer, then yes, you should major in computer science or another specific IT major. But, there are also plenty of other jobs within an IT organization that require analytical skills, business knowledge, and excellent organization skills. A solid liberal arts degree will help you with these positions.

Maybe you already have your college degree and are wondering if you should go for a masters degree. If you are interested in moving into management or becoming an expert in a particular facet of technology, a masters degree would be the smart thing to do. Having a masters degree will also give you an edge over others. Not only will it give you additional knowledge and experience, but it will also communicate to others that you have the drive to devote the time and energy into your professional development.

I pursued my MBA from the Simmons School of Management ten years after I had received my Bachelors degree in psychology from Allegheny College. I wanted an MBA so I could learn about the various areas of business such as marketing, operations management and finance. I also wanted to learn about all of the things that would help me with managing others.

I got all of this from Simmons plus so much more. When I look back on my career, I credit my Simmons experience as a major factor in helping me achieve what I have accomplished.

Education doesn't always mean a formal program or degree. Hopefully you are in a job that provides opportunity for ongoing learning--conferences, on the job training, technical training courses. Even if your company doesn't provide these types of opportunities, find ways to keep learning on your own. Remember, you want to be the person that others see as someone who can learn to take on new and different things.

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