Should You Be Taking an Occassional College Class?

In a day and age when a company can go from Fortune 500 to nonexistent, what can you do to protect yourself from becoming obsolete? Unfortunately, one of the major things the recession has taught us all is that we are expendable. From the CEO to the pizza delivery guy, our position in our workplace is entirely conditional on how the economy is doing; however, there is a way to improve your chances of not being laid off. As teenagers entering college we are told that getting a degree is the only way to ensure financial stability. We forget this as we get older and revert back to thinking that what we know about the world is enough. Sadly, we are mistaken.

Newbies to the workforce can expect more than their fair share of learning and may even be hired at less than their expected income, even with a college degree. Many recent college graduates go months without finding a job and the one they do find is less than ideal. During this transitional period continue taking at least one college class. It looks better on a resume than some missing months after college, in which you were job hunting, and you can job hunt too because one class should not take up too much of your time. When you do find a decent job, the only sure way to ensure getting promoted and maintaining job stability is by continuing to take college classes when not at work. Learning more about the business you are in will pay off in the long run because you will not be considered as expendable as those who only work.

People who have been at their jobs for years tend to get comfortable and relaxed and forget that they were hired for a specific reason. As these people stay in their jobs unwilling to acknowledge or unknowing do not acknowledge that the world around them is changing, their job position becomes more and more endangered. In this day and age, new jobs in the computer field have evolved practically overnight. Computer skills are absolutely necessary for everyone. For this reason, basic computer skills are no longer considered proficient for the workplace. Administrators, assistants, and even cashiers should have more than proficient computer skills. Administrators and assistants need advanced computer skills to even be considered worthy of their titles. Complex commands and formatting in Excel and Word can be learned in a classroom or online. Even a basic knowledge of html coding is preferable than non at all. Do not get left behind in the computer evolution. Take a few classes on learning how to use a computer for more than checking email and writing a business letter. Or take a class or two to learn things you find yourself struggling with at work. These skills will help you strengthen your weakness and make you a valuable asset in the work place.

It may be difficult to juggle work with school and personal lives, such as raising a family but with good time management skills it is possible. In the long run you will appear motivated and enthusiastic about your job to your employer and, if lay offs are inevitable, you will have a better chance at finding a job because you have experience and fresh education. In fact, in today's society where unexpected changes in the economy happen over night, it is better to invest in yourself than in businesses.