5 Benefits of Continuing Education

For many, the benefits of continuing education are clear, but others may question the value of returning to the classroom. If you’ve ever had the same question yourself, here are five important ways that continuing education could benefit you, and how organizations as a whole can benefit from employees that know the value themselves.

Increased Job Opportunities

Whether you’re finishing your bachelor’s degree, earning your master’s, or seeking a Certificate of Completion, your academic achievements open doors for your career. The more you learn, the more you’re qualified to do, and the more likely organizations are to take you and your potential contributions seriously. A degree in your field is your first step to becoming a valuable member of a team that needs you, or a more valuable member of your current team.

Broadened Horizons

Education allows you to focus on the subject area of your choice, but it also helps you to diversify. Whether this is in terms of your actual studies – students at CSU Global customize their degrees with a Specialization of their choice – or from simply interacting with and getting to know classmates from different backgrounds and walks of life, continuing education isn’t just a great way of expanding your base of knowledge; it’s a great way to enhance your experience of the world.

Learning to Learn

One important skill you’ll develop as a lifelong learner is the ability to learn. Simply put, there are opportunities every day to grow and to develop as a professional. By returning to school and achieving new academic goals you condition yourself to learn new things every day, constantly building upon your existing skills, and continuously adapting to the changing expectations and professional climate around you. It helps you turn every task, meeting, and conversation into a valuable learning experience.

Keeping Pace with Industry Trends

The world changes, the workplace evolves, and advances in every field come faster than ever. This very much means that a degree from twenty years ago – or even ten years ago – may not be as valuable or relevant as one earned today. This will continue to be the case as hiring managers and seek those with up-to-date, current knowledge of their respective fields. Continuing education is a great way to ensure that your knowledge is always relevant to modern day situations.

Job Satisfaction

According to the National Opinion Research Center in 2008, job satisfaction rates increase significantly for employees with higher-level degrees.  The difference for workers claiming to be “very satisfied” climbs from 40% without a diploma to 58% for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.  Adding those who report themselves as being “moderately satisfied” raises that number to a whopping 93%.

At CSU Global, we design each of our courses with these benefits in mind, and tailor them to the busy schedules of working adults. We host regular programmatic advisory boards to ensure that every program we offer is up to date and prepares students for an increasingly competitive marketplace. We’re acutely aware of the value of continuing education, and employers are, too.