How Higher Education Can Make A Difference

(This is a guest article by Mary Acheson*)

There are a number of reasons why higher education plays a vital role in furthering your career; no matter what profession you plan to pursue. Some careers and career advancement opportunities will be limited - and sometimes eliminated - by not having sufficient post-secondary schooling. Even in careers that don’t require specific post-secondary education, having more qualifications and knowledge will give you a step up on your competition.

Screening applicants

Employers screen new job applicants all the time. They are constantly looking for candidates that have the knowledge and skills that they need to perform the functions of the job they are hiring. No news there. However, many employers are also looking to the future when they’re hiring new employees and job seekers sometimes forget about this.

One thing most employers know is that keeping great employees in the long term will determine the future success or failure of their company. One way that they can tell that you are serious about a particular position in their company is by showing them that you have spent significant amounts of time (and money) studying in that field. Higher education shows commitment and employers like that.

To recap – post-secondary education demonstrates to your employers the following:

1. You have formal training and have therefore gained the necessary entry-level skills to complete the tasks of your new job.


2. You are committed to a long-term career in your chosen field. An employer will have confidence because you have shown commitment to your education in this field.

These are just two reasons why higher education can be an important deciding factor during the hiring process.

Higher education = higher income

A huge advantage of higher education is that it will benefit you financially. Many employers use your level of education to determine the salary that you will receive when you are hired. At lots of companies, promotions, and pay raises are also tied to the completion of courses and programs specifically designed for career advancement. So even if you are able to get an entry-level position at a company, without a post secondary education it will be difficult to move up or make more money.

Statistics show that people with higher education make as much as $200,000 more over a lifetime than those with lesser education.

A qualification of higher education is necessary in many careers including dentistry, medicine, engineering, and architecture. Other professions such as law or speech therapy will require you to have a postgraduate qualification before you can practice.

College and university graduates are also more likely to have access to better healthcare and dental benefits that come with more established careers.

Life experience

Another thing that people often forget is that college or university allows you to experience a rich social and cultural scene, and meet all kinds of different people while pursuing a field you love.

It will also allow you to see different places, and for many people it is their first chance to live on your own.

Options

Monster.com and other job sites have thousands of different job postings every day. Most of these jobs require you to have some form of post-secondary education and without that education you have less options when it comes to finding a great career.

Studying also allows you to improve your reading, writing, and math skills that will help you with all aspects of your life. Improving these basic skills can help you do the following:

• Plan your money better


• Get a better job


• Give you new confidence in your working life

It also allows you to study in a field that interests you and to follow an area of study that you are passionate about. Pursuing things that you are passionate about and gaining confidence with an education will help you lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

*About the author: This is a guest post from education writer Mary Acheson. Mary works for a number of websites on education and insurance including LifeInsuranceCanada.org, a Canadian life insurance website.

*Image Credit: Photograph by lumaxart [via Flickr Creative Commons]

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