You’re just about to leave high school, and you’re keen and eager to start out in a worthwhile profession. Or perhaps you’re stuck in a dead end job and can’t wait to break free and do something you’re actually interested in. However, the thought of spending 4 or 5 years stuck in a rut of university courses is decidedly off-putting. Not to mention out of your price bracket right at the moment.
In fact, for new school leavers who may not be sure of just what they want to do with the rest of their lives, investing a couple of years in a community college or online certification could be a wise choice. The good news is that there probably is a short degree course available that you can do either online or through a college, like a community college. These certifications allow you to enter the workforce, or take up your new career path, quicker than would otherwise be the case if you opted for a longer degree, like one through a university for example.
Pick an area of current interest, obviously one that has job prospects for those with qualifications, and go for it. If at the end of the course, or after a few years working in that sector, you decide it’s not really what you want to do after all, you haven’t wasted an expensive 4 or 5 years finding out! It’s also likely that by then you will have worked out what you are truly interested in doing. It could even be in a field related to what you’re doing, so your original studies and certification have provided a valuable stepping stone.
Finding Your Right Course Of Action
If you’re not sure which is the right course of action for you, make list of your goals for your life. Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 15, 20 years time? Do you have any definite ideas around your career path? Many people leave high school with an ‘idea’ they’d like to do ‘something’ in a particular field but don’t know exactly what that ‘something’ is. Others seem to be born knowing they want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a fireman, a police officer or whatever. They’re the lucky ones!
If you’re not one of them, and you’re not sure that committing to university is right for you at this time, but you still want to get some type of qualifications in a field you think you may be interested in pursuing, consider a college degree or online certification instead. Make a list of the pros and cons of doing this versus committing to a university degree. Don’t forget to factor in the financial aspects. At the end of this exercise you should be able to see which approach is best for you.
For example, if you’ve always wanted to help your community and fellow citizens, perhaps a career in the fire services is an option. By obtaining certifications or gaining experience in some of the areas you’re going to need in the fire services, you can ‘test the waters’ and see if this really is what you want to do. Learning about firefighting tactics and strategies for instance could be a good start. A course like this gives you a good introduction to the basics involved in fire emergencies and how to best use whatever resources are available to protect lives and property.
