We know words like undergraduate, postgraduate and Diploma can sound like gibberish, so we broke down the kinds of qualifications needed at any career stage – even if that stage is zero.
Start a career
Starting a career means you’re ready to dive into the professional world, whether that’s in the field of Business, Communication, Education, Psychology, Social Science or Design and have no prior experience.
You probably didn’t have time for uni and went straight to work or got busy raising a family or quite simply, life got in the way of further education. From here, your first step is to get qualified.
If you haven’t worked or studied in a while, you may want to start with a Diploma. A Diploma will begin developing your skills and is great for entry level jobs. Once you have a Diploma you can gain credit to pathway into an undergraduate degree.
If you are currently working or have past work experience, you may want to skip the Diploma and move right into an undergraduate degree, which has become a base qualification for most careers.
Many employers require those applying to hold a Bachelor degree at minimum, it will teach you skills such as research and analytical thinking and is recognised as a higher qualification to Diplomas. A Bachelor will also open new potential avenues to build your career.
Change your career
Did you know on average people change their career 5-7 times in their lifetime? If you’re at the career change stage – welcome to the club.
This stage means you have already worked or built yourself up in a particular field and are ready to try something new, which means you have a full range of qualification options to choose from.
If you are going from administration to teaching for example, an undergraduate degree is your best option even if you already have one. A Bachelor of Education equips you with the skills and on the job training to ensure you are ready to make your next career move.
But if you are considering taking the leap from marketing to HR and already hold a Bachelor, then a Diploma of Human Resources Management will give you the specific qualification to transition into a new career.
Advance your career
Advancing your career means you’re ready to go up the ladder, whether that means moving into a leadership or management role or gaining a higher qualification than a Diploma or Bachelor.
If your eyes are on a promotion, this is the time to look for an area of study to equip you with the skills to manage people, initiate strategies and have a better understanding in how a business works.
At this stage you would want to look at postgraduate options. An example of a postgraduate qualification is a Master’s degree or a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma.
For example, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a great way to achieve career advancement because it builds on your experience so you can take your skills to the next level.
No matter what career stage you’re at – there’s a course ready to take you to where you want to be.
