Even if you have your sights set on a particular career, choosing a pathway to take towards this can be difficult. There are many different options available to reach your career goals, and these include formal education, apprenticeships, or going straight into the world of work.
To ensure that you can decide on the right career and the path that you will take toward this, here is a guide to everything that you need to consider.
What are the requirements?
The requirements of the career in question are one of the most important deciding factors when you are considering whether you have chosen the right path for you. You need to check whether you have the correct grades and qualifications that you need for the role, as well as the experience and skills that will allow you to succeed once you have obtained the position.
Each career path that you choose will have different requirements. For instance, while apprenticeships may only need applicants to have a high school diploma, college courses may require you to have certain GPAs and SAT scores to get accepted. CampusReel explores the requirements of a variety of different colleges across the country, including the McDaniel College GPA, ensuring that you make the right choice when choosing a college to apply to, or when you are looking at multiple career pathways.
What will it cost?
You also need to consider what this career pathway will cost, as most formal qualifications, certifications, and licensure examinations will ask you to pay a certain amount of money towards them. Although this cost differs between institutions, the average cost of a private institution is around $36,000, whereas that of a public college in your own state reaches only $10,000.
However, alternative pathways, such as apprenticeships and industry jobs, allow you to earn while you gain the experience that you need. You also need to think of the income that you will be making on the job.
For instance, although apprenticeships can often lack the monetary income that you need to survive, they can give you a wealth of practical experience and education that can lead to a high-paying position in the future.
How do you want to train?
There are many ways to train for your job, and they each suit different types of people. College leaves you to learn without providing you automatically with the experience that you need. Instead, you should also consider options such as apprenticeships for high school graduates, entry-level jobs, and even starting up your own business.
When you are picking the right option, you should consider whether you want to study while you work, focus on getting practical experience, or simply aim for a promotion in the future.
What future options will this path give you?
It is also essential to consider what options this path will give you, as each career pathway leads not only to one job position. Instead, there are always a broad range of careers that you can choose from with the experience that you have. Although graduates can often apply for high ranking roles and can retain a much larger income, many job positions are available to both graduates and non-graduates.
To check your future options, you should ensure that there are no barriers to your career further down the line.
