The global economic landscape is undergoing significant changes. Advancements in technology have allowed for increased automation and digitization of the workplace, which have changed the nature of traditional corporate roles while creating multiple new ones. Thriving in this environment requires knowledge of emerging trends, new skills, and an ability to be adaptable to transforming methodologies and trends.
Higher education plays a crucial role in equipping individuals with these skills, and this article will explore the multiple ways in which prioritizing your higher education has become necessary for those looking to achieve career growth and success in 2023.
1. Lack Of Higher Education Is a Barrier to Entry into The Corporate World
There’s clear research that shows a link between employability and level of education. Not only does your educational status positively affect your chances of employment, but the quality of work you’ll likely be exposed to is also significantly affected by it. Students entering the job market with only a high-school diploma are less likely to land stable jobs, and even if they do find them, they will likely be low-paying.
The reasons for this make sense, as the corporate world becomes more advanced, and many mundane tasks for which a large labor force was once needed are automized, the demand for skilled professionals grows while that for those with limited and outdated skills declines. While there are still stories of entrepreneurs making millions on their high school education, most people will do better in life with a higher degree.
2. Getting Higher Education Is Easier Than Ever Before
Increasing technological access has made pursuing higher education easier than before. Complex areas of study have become less expensive and can be completed from within the comforts of one’s home. For instance, those willing to enter the construction industry can earn an online construction management degree from anywhere around the globe.
Previously, students were required to be on-site to earn a college education, with expensive tuition, lodging, and daily expenses being a barrier to entry for many. Not only are the tuition fees of online courses lower, but many additional expenses, like purchasing course materials, are eliminated. Online degrees are also more conducive to those looking to juggle their day-to-day responsibilities with their education, being more friendly towards those working alongside their study.
Higher education does not need to be a class marker anymore. The proliferation of alternative education schemes like online degrees makes higher education more accessible. As such, people can and should prioritize their college education.
3. Higher Education Is Crucial for Networking
Within the corporate sector, networking is a crucial skill to possess. In today’s increasingly competitive job market, where there are often many candidates with similar levels of qualification, what makes an application stand out are the people who are referring you.
A higher education setting is the perfect place to build your network. It differs from previous educational institutions in a way that your education is specialized in a particular field rather than being generalized. Your instructors will usually be respected voices within the industry, who can guide you in choosing the right career path, and whose advice can help amplify the strength of your application to hiring managers. For example, if you were studying economics, your instructors would represent industry leaders in specific areas. Some may be renowned in business economics, while others in developmental. Each represents a source of guidance for a particular career path that can be crucial in engendering your future success.
Similarly, your peers are also potent sources of networks. As people entering the same industry as you, students within your department are a valuable source of information about potential job opportunities and referrals within whatever company they join. Focusing on your higher education, and taking advantage of the many relationships you develop during your studies, can play a vital role in furthering your career goals.
4. Higher Education Helps Develop Valuable Skills
The benefits of getting a higher degree aren’t limited to the potential career opportunity having a degree provides you. While the practical benefits associated with college are significant, these are, if anything, secondary to the valuable skills higher education empowers you with.
First, there is the impact higher education has on your critical thinking abilities. Getting a college degree exposes you to multiple perspectives within any field, imparting you with the skills to analyze these competing practices and objectively evaluate their information. Within this, colleges will also focus on developing your research skills, teaching you how to access information and assess its validity and reliability as a source.
Finally, higher education improves your overall communication skills. It engenders the development of both your oral and written skills and focuses on ensuring that its students can persuasively present ideas and make well-structured and reasoned arguments. These are also crucial for ensuring that students have the skills to collaborate with others, helping foster good dialogue that enables efficient work amongst a diverse group of people.
5. Higher Education Offers Access To Resources
Higher education institutes offer valuable resources that help promote personal and career growth. Your college library (both physical and online) offers free access to various educational resources, from journals, articles, and research papers to academic and non-academic books, etc. Accessing these journals otherwise would require you to be a member of multiple publishers, which are considerably expensive. Your college institution can enable access to various reading resources that can broaden your horizons, both within your field of study and outside, which would not be possible otherwise.
Like books, college campuses usually house state-of-the-art research and technology facilities for their students. From the newest technology to help conduct biochemistry experiments to having the capacity to run advanced analytics, these research facilities allow students to conduct studies that would not be possible without a personal capacity.
Conclusion
Technological advancements are changing the global job market. As more tasks are performed through technology, a greater focus is needed on developing the critical-thinking, analytical, and holistic skills that differentiate human beings from technology in the first place. These skills will keep us competitive within the context of the current corporate world, and it is precisely these skills that higher education works towards developing, which explains why prioritizing it is becoming a necessity in 2023.
