An education is the key to success. Very few would disagree with this statement, but which qualifications are the best to see you succeed in your career? Well, it really depends on your aims, is it money? Or have you a certain industry sector that interests you or do you have a particular job role that is for you? Here we are going to look at some of the available qualifications.
Undergraduate University Degree
Quite often this is the first type of qualification thought of when people talk about education and certainly, it’s the most common type of university degree. It’s commonly known that on average holding a degree of this sort can boost your lifetime earnings, and be less likely to be unemployed during your working life.
Post-Graduate Qualification
Once you have completed your undergraduate degree there are two main options in your professional life, continue your studies or enter into the world of work. Continuing your studies will mean a course of post-graduate study, usually either a Masters Degree or a doctorate (Ph.D.). Masters generally come in two forms, a taught course, which is like an undergraduate degree only more difficult or a research-based Masters such as the MRES. A Ph.D. is a research-based degree lasting at least three years in which you complete serious academic research that should add to the body of knowledge in your subject area.
Vocational Qualifications
If university is not really your thing then there are plenty of vocational qualifications that can be studied at college. These are of a lower educational value than university degrees but have the advantage of being geared towards specific jobs and you will leave ready to work in that particular job. Examples of this could be professions such as mechanics or engineering, or something like IT.
Apprenticeships
Sometimes it’s better to learn by doing. If this sounds more like your way of doing things then perhaps an apprenticeship might be the best fit then. It is a course of learning on the job and combines learning your craft with getting an apprentices wage at the same time, a big advantage over more expensive forms of education. Traditionally apprenticeships were in trade jobs such as plumbing or joinery but they can be offered in all types of industry these days, in areas like retail, business, IT, tourism and many, many more. There are even opportunities for mature apprentices for those who are looking at a career change.
Leisure Pursuit Qualifications
Many people are looking at earning money in different ways these days and training to be an instructor in some kind of leisure pursuit is becoming an ever more popular way of making a good part-time wage. It’s easy to even find methods of gaining these qualifications that can work around your current schedule, you can become a personal trainer by doing an online course these days, for example. But there are so many sports and activities that you can do this type of thing for, like martial arts or any number of others.
Did you know that personal trainers earn on average £24.82 per hour, based on 324 salary profiles, according to PayScale (last updated on the 28th of September). As of 2020 the average UK hourly wage was £15.14 according to Statista. If you are passionate about fitness these figures clearly state there is an abundance of opportunity to be successful within the fitness industry. According to CIMPSA’s latest report over 80% of the leisure industry, is short staffed. By taking a personal training course, you will have the compulsory qualifications to work within the fitness industry, as well as all the skills and knowledge.