Contributed post
The cost of living continues to climb at an exponential rate. Ironically while luxuries like smartphones and tablets seem more affordable due to easily attainable financing the essentials like good quality food, housing and utilities are increasingly difficult to make room for in the family budget. We work hard, we do overtime whenever it is offered to us, we may even have a side hustle that brings in a little extra coin in our spare time, but as long as you continue in your current job, there will always be a cap placed on your earning potential. That’s a glass ceiling that you’re going to keep banging your head against if you don’t make efforts to change your lot.
And it’s not like you haven’t tried!
You put in extra hours, you applied for promotion after promotion, you took on extra duties and responsibilities and you did all the things you’re supposed to do to show your employers that you’re ambitious, proactive and determined. But opportunities have eluded you and you feel like you’re stagnating in your job and your career.
Education is the answer
Maybe it’s time to have a word with your younger self. The version of you that was so full of ambition and drive, the one for whom every avenue seemed open. Just because your younger self chose a certain path, that doesn’t mean that you must continue to walk that path. It’s never too late to study the course you wish you’d studied, pursue learning in a field you’re passionate about and take control of your finances by learning new knowledge and skills and meeting new people. If hard work and determination aren’t getting where you want to be alone, education is the answer.
Online learning- the great leveller
The beauty of the digital age is that it offers us a plethora of opportunities to better ourselves through online learning. Online courses benefit people who, for logistical and practical reasons simply wouldn’t be able to fit campus learning in alongside their work and familial commitments. Wherever your passions lie, there’s an online course for you whether you want to study criminology online or pursue an MA in nursing. The sheer volume, availability, flexibility and affordability of online courses makes them a great way to transform your life and right the ship of your finances.
Get the skills, get the contacts
Education is a worthy pursuit in its own right. Knowledge, after all, is power. But let’s not forget that education (especially alongside full time work) gives us opportunities to hone our multitasking and time management skills. It also helps us to make contacts who can open doors for us in our chosen fields, liberating us from our day jobs and boosting us into the career we’ve always wanted.
Boost your value in a crowded job market
Let’s not forget that with every passing year, a generation of hungry young graduates is unleashed onto the job market. But let’s not forget too that you have already demonstrated some skills and attributes that give you an edge over them. You’ve already shown that you’ve got the initiative to change your life, the organisational skill to manage your studies alongside your job and the maturity to take your learning seriously.
Now get out there and make the changes that will assure your future financial success.