How to Know if You Should Go Back to School
Date: August 22, 2023
Reasons to go back to school vary from one individual to another. Sometimes, one’s wish to climb the corporate ladder is a motivating factor to return to the halls of academia. Other times, outdated tools or “rusty” skill sets necessitate the return. Below are some popular reasons people opt to go back.
1. Too Short of a Ladder—a.k.a. the Need to Grow
In today’s competitive job climate, standing out is crucial. Let’s face it, the ladder you’re standing on may be too short to give you any type of edge. Should this seem so, take an honest inventory. Be realistic regarding your position within your current industry and the aptitude and altitude of your skill set.
Perhaps you’ve obtained certification at each professional level. Or you’ve maxed out the number of available company rungs—yet are still going nowhere. You may just need a “better ladder.” Returning to school can robustly extend your vocational autonomy. This is because learning helps you acquire new tools and hone underdeveloped ones.
Many companies require specific degrees or certifications for higher-level positions. Often returning to school can help you meet advanced requirements. Whereby furthering your education in core areas may open up new job prospects previously inaccessible. Employers are also often impressed by candidates committed to continuous learning and self-improvement. 
2. The Broken Ladder—One Can No Longer Work in Their Field
Situations change. Geographical moves happen. Age can bring physical limitations. Loss of certification or extenuating circumstances can alter vocations forever. Sometimes, one can’t work in their accustomed industry for one reason or another. In short, their “ladder is broken.”
Admitting the “ladder,” you’re using just isn’t working sooner rather than later is generally helpful. However, selecting another industry can be challenging. Because of this, you might not know where to turn.
Returning to school is a sure way to gain access to a new world. As such, academia provides a “softer welcome mat” into a new vocation. This is because school brings an automatic professional network. Further, it helps one adapt to a novel vocabulary. Moreover, it immerses a student in a field’s reading materials, thoughts, and ideology. When a career pivot is necessary, returning to school can be just the right jumpstart to crank up the proverbial “career motor.”
3. A Ladder Was Taken—Your Trade is Obsolete
If you’re standing on a ladder with no rungs above you—that’s sad. Your trade is obsolete if all the rungs on your ladder are gone. Remember, the telegraph industry once gave way to the telephone. While cars replaced horses and buggies. A leech collector was a popular job that’s become extinct today, as has the gandy dancer (a railroad worker who carried out any task related to the railroad track).1 The key to progress has always had tradeoffs.
While having a vocation “dinosaured out” can be hard to navigate. But it can also be a time of reinvention. Returning to college can help you transfer relic skills into newer, more relevant ones. While sometimes, an overhaul is needed. Most often, a mere refreshing of skills can dust off and realign outdated résumé items.
Further, college career advisors are trained to help you identify core strengths. Most are adept at helping one formulate new goals. They may show you how to place yesteryear’s expertise into modern models. After all, the telegraph and the telephone were wire-based electrical systems that needed operators.
4. A Ladder to Extend Further—You Need More Income
Should you currently have more month than income, now may be the time to enroll in higher education. Albeit your economic reach isn’t covering what it usually would. Or inflation has caused you to be financially upside down. It may be time to return to school.
“Data show that workers who typically have higher levels of education earn more and have lower rates of unemployment compared with workers who have less education.”2 Moreover, higher education is associated with higher earning potential. So investing in your education can pay off in the long run.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, “workers with bachelor’s degrees had median weekly earnings of $1,305 in 2020, compared with $781 for workers with only high-school diplomas. And the unemployment rate for bachelor’s-level workers was 5.5 percent, compared with 9.0 percent for those whose highest level of education was a high school diploma.”2
While there are exceptions to every case, by and large, increasing one’s education level can maximize earning potential. This is because one can ask for more when armed with a degree. Additionally, with higher education, one can move into management or niche areas once unavailable. Even if one is uncertain about what they want to do, adding skills and education generally provides new options and upward mobility. 
5. The Ladder as a Platform—The Need For Credibility
On seeking new heights, not just any platform will do. Or, if credibility is at play, you’ll desire to be distinguished as an expert in your field. You’ll want to use your vocational ladder to leverage ideas and philosophies, such as speaking or writing. You may lean toward academics for authority. Such schooling employs advanced degrees for credibility. I.e., having a Ph.D. or a doctorate.
“Doctorate degree-holders are typically regarded as authorities in their field, and many note that a major reason for pursuing a doctorate is to increase a person’s professional credibility and improve the quality of their résumé.”3 Additionally, doctorate-level education may be pursued. This is especially true if someone wants to go into education, such as to teach at the college level. Often those pursuing positions in research or education also obtain doctorate-level education.
Suppose you want your education to cast you as an authority figure. I.e., speaking with gravity to audiences within your field. In that case, higher-level education may be a route to pursue.
6. A Ladder to Finish the ‘Climb’
Regardless of the degree or concentration, having a diploma signals to employers and others that you are trainable and finish what you start. So if you’ve been on the fence about returning to school just for the “piece of paper,” there are some natural and tangible benefits to completing what you started. For some, it may be finishing coursework they began decades before.
As you tackle challenging coursework and achieve academic milestones (even small ones), you’ll prove to yourself that you have what it takes to succeed. This newfound confidence can extend beyond the classroom. Further, it can positively impact your professional and personal life for a lifetime. A bi-product will be self-trust, self-esteem, and usefulness.
Additionally, the rigors and discipline of undertaking an academic program force you to work toward objectives, whether you feel like it or not. Using new habits, one can learn to complete small daily tasks. They learn to delay gratification and accomplish goals. As practiced, these life skills are invaluable.
Moreover, finishing a degree or certificate program takes dedication, hard work, and perseverance. You’ll gain a sense of achievement and fulfillment in the completion process. Your degree will serve as a tangible reminder of your capabilities. It can be a testament to your determination to overcome challenges.
7. A Ladder to Strengthen the Rungs
When a reboot is in order, returning to school can enhance one’s soft skills, such as communication and leadership. Coursework will also help you stay up-to-date with industry trends and innovations. School provides access to cutting-edge research, industry experts, and practical experiences that keep your skills relevant.
While taking coursework, students generally have access to specialized resources and facilities. If one is in medicine, they will likely practice in labs and clinical facilities. They may utilize specific equipment, top-notch libraries, and a network of academic resources unavailable to the general public. These items enrich the student experience.
Returning to school lets you learn about your field’s latest technologies and tools. Because technology is constantly advancing at an unprecedented rate, keeping pace with industry trends is crucial. New skills can be formed, and current skills can be honed.
Some also attest that college ultimately teaches them what and how to learn. This may have merit as training one’s mind to think critically and be adept at problem-solving generally provides the skills to make intelligent decisions. The same also makes a person more well-rounded. Whatever your modality of choice, academic enrichment strengthens one’s mind in new ways.
Conclusion
Deciding to return to school is a significant step that can profoundly impact your personal and professional life. Whether seeking career advancement, signing up for personal growth, or just fulfilling a simple desire to expand your knowledge, returning to the classroom offers numerous benefits that make the journey beneficial now and later.
With all that education offers, shouldn’t you check out a college program soon? You’ll never know the heights you might obtain with much hard work and perseverance. Now find your best personal rung.~
Citations
1 Bruce, Carolynn. “51 Jobs That Don’t Exist Anymore (and What to Do about It).” Career Guide, Indeed. May 13, 2023. (Accessed August 9, 2023.)
2 Elka Torpey, “Education Pays, 2020,” Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2021. (Accessed August 10, 2023.)
3 Kowarski, Ilana. “What Is a Doctorate Degree?” US News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report. December 17, 2018. (Accessed August 10, 2023.)
Illustrations
- Ladder to the Sky— Source: Canva
- Infoblocks—Nietzel, Michael T. “Finishing What They Started: One Million Adults Return to College and Earn a Degree.” Forbes, 30 Oct. 2019. (Accessed Aug. 15, 2023.)
- Changing Fields Graphic—ApS, Novorésumé. “60+ Career Change Statistics for 2022 [That You Didn’t Know!].” Novorésumé. Jan. 4, 2023. (Accessed Aug. 18, 2023.)
- Jobs that Don’t Exist Anymore Graphic—Bruce, SHRM-SCP, Carolynn. “51 Jobs That Don’t Exist Anymore (and What to Do about It).” Indeed Career Guide. May 13, 2023. (Accessed Aug. 18, 2023.)
- Financial Benefits to Education Chart—Elka Torpey, “Measuring the value of education,” Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2018. (Accessed Aug. 18, 2023.)
- Ladder Image—Source: Canva
- Helping Up the Ladder—Source: Canva
- Red Ladder—Source: Canva
