Do you need more education to make a career change?

As a graduate instructor for both ground and online courses I am biased in favor of education. Still, my best advice is this: don't enroll in an educational program until you carefully analyze whether or not you need it to make a career change.

When we are under stress and/or eager to achieve our career goals it's easy to make decisions that are unnecessary or unwise. Haste makes waste - as the saying goes.

Pursuit of additional education can be a good decision but ask yourself these questions before enrolling:

Do I have the time, money, and energy to meet the requirements of an educational program? Think about it. If you are struggling with work-life balance, you probably do not have time for additional education.

Additional degrees can take from 1-3 years to complete. Even convenient online education programs designed to fit personal schedules do require dedication and determination. There is more to an online class than logging in. You will definitely save time driving and sitting in class, but plan to spend a lot of time doing homework assignments. All solid academic programs are sufficiently rigorous to ensure learning.

Am I willing to take on a student loan to pay for my additonal education? Remember, you must pay back the government after you are no longer enrolled in school whether you complete your degree or not. Student loans are not "free money". Know your ROI (return on investment)! Will the money you pay in tuition or student loans be earned-back when you have a new career? If so, go for it! If not, maybe additional training is a better option for you at this time.

If you do decide to pursue additional education, be sure to compare tuition and program costs of multiple accredited universities before making your final decision.

Once you begin gathering information from various institutions, you will find the enrollment counselors to be rather "pushy". Their job is to enroll students. Ignore this pressure and hype until you logic checks with your internal compass. Hold your ground until you are ready - they will wait for you.