Starting A New Career: What Are My Options?

The global job market is becoming an increasingly competitive place, and beginning a new career – whether you’re looking to make a change or just getting yourself off the ground – can be an incredibly daunting prospect.

However, this certainly doesn’t mean that it’s not possible, especially not with the right preparation! Here are 3 ways to get yourself ready for a new start!

1)      On-Campus University Study

Benefits:       In-depth regimented study with regular access to expert academics. Dedicated spaces for uninterrupted learning.

Drawbacks: All these advantages come with plenty of strings attached: the rigid structure and constant pressure of on-campus study has been linked to a worrying increase in student mental health problems, whilst full-time and even part-time study can often require students to put their lives on hold to facilitate the demands of their course. Even the dedicated learning spaces can cause students to feel disconnected from the rest of the world, hence the ‘University Bubble’.

Cost:              High – a full-degree in the UK can often cost as much as £9,250 – or £35,000 for international students! This is to say nothing about the costs of repaying maintenance grants, relocation to the university’s location, and expensive course materials either.

2)      Work Your Way Up

Benefits:      Get started straight away, entering your chosen field immediately and building experience in relevant areas. If you can find the right job, there may be no need to take any time off work to prepare yourself for your new career as you’ll have already started it.

Drawbacks: With enrolment in Higher Education on the rise, it can be difficult to stand out as a candidate for advanced positions without significant experience or relevant qualifications, meaning that starting out like this often means working your way all the way up. Even then, some companies have been known to withhold promotions from non-graduate employees, regardless of their merit or hard work, turning once promising career paths into dead-end jobs.

Cost:              Free! – whereas university study involves incurring heavy debt, beginning a career in this way can facilitate your earning. However, some employers have been known to require new entrants to their field to start out in unpaid internship positions in order to develop experience, meaning you’ll need to either juggle multiple jobs or dip heavily into savings in order to make this a viable option.

3)      Study Online

Benefits:      Combine the best of both the previous options whilst ditching the drawbacks. Online study at an institution like the UK’s Online Business School provides students with the opportunity to develop their qualifications in competitive fields whilst also fitting their learning around a schedule that works best for their own needs. These courses are taken entirely online and all contact with tutors can be made by email, video-call, and over the phone, meaning that students can study from home, regardless of where that is. Indeed, students at these institutions often come from all over the world!

Online courses can often be undertaken at a pace that best suits the students, and certain institutions – the Online Business School in particular – have even done away with deadlines entirely to provide an experience that prioritises the students needs first.

Drawbacks: Due to the personal nature of these courses, some students can feel a little overwhelmed during their studies. This is why the Online Business School has assembled a dedicated team of tutors for their students to rely on for any support or guidance that they might need.

Cost:              The Online Business School offers courses for as little as £1400, and this can either be paid in manageable instalments or in one up-front lump sum. The savings don’t stop here, though, as students can often transfer their course credits to other institutions, allowing them to finish the final portion of their studies at a discounted rate at one of the UK’s top universities. This means that whilst a university degree can cost up to £27,000 (£105,000 for international students) when studying exclusively through the university itself, an Online Business School course can lead to exactly the same qualifications for as little as £5,000.

So what are you waiting for? Get your career off to the right start by enrolling at Online Business School today!