Feel like your job search is stagnating? Your feeling might be right if you haven’t pursued your education in a while. Continuing education makes a huge difference in the impression potential employers may have of you. That’s especially true if you are hoping to make the jump into a management position, or out of middle management into upper management. On the job training is great–and realistically it may be a better indicator of how you’ll fare in the position in question–but that doesn’t mean employers will see it that way. There’s a reason continuing education comes up in interviews. It’s not just about book learning, or even about real life skills. It’s about your commitment to bettering yourself, your ability to continue learning throughout your life.
And that’s a quality that is essential to management. It’s not just knowing the job anymore–gone are the days when working your way to the top from an entry level position was likely. Because not only is the workplace shifting, the pace of change is always getting more hectic. Technology advances at breakneck speeds. Showing that you’re committed to continuing your education, learning new skills, and participating in training programs shows that you are mentally flexible enough to keep up.
Investing in continuing education doesn’t even necessarily mean you have to get a degree fast. Sure, a degree–or another degree, if you have one– can help. But just showing that you keep taking classes for self-improvement can transform your job search. Employers notice applicants with recent educational progress, and even without having a degree yet, your decision to better yourself will make finding a new career or being promoted more likely. Small investments in education can pay off big.