You know all the obvious reasons to get a college degree: a better job, higher pay and opportunities for promotion. You also know a degree is practically a must-have if you want to change careers and go into a specialized field like nursing, teaching or criminal justice. And yes, you know going back to school as an adult sends a positive message to your kids and friends about how important it is to keep learning and pursuing your dreams at any age.
Still need a little extra nudge to say yes to pursuing an online degree? Here are a few more reasons you might not have thought of.
- The job market is changing. The Fourth Industrial Revolution—where disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence change the way we live—is here. What does that have to do with getting a degree? Experts say the most-needed skills in 2020 will be complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity and people management, in other words, things that robots aren’t that great at.1 Challenging yourself to learn, interacting with instructors who have real-world experience and balancing school, work and family are great ways to develop or fine-tune the skills employers will want.
- Retirement could be rosier. Research shows people with a college degree are up to 23% more likely to participate in an employer retirement plan than those who didn’t go any further than high school.2 With a degree, you’ll have a better chance of landing a job that offers this benefit and having the money to contribute.
- You’ll have a built-in network. Most people will tell you networking is the #1 way to find a job. Even if you pursue your degree online, you’ll have access to all the contacts you need, provided you pick the right school. At Averett University, for example, you can interact with highly-credentialed instructors who know people in your field, share information and connections with classmates in chat rooms and discussion groups, and talk to your Student Success Counselor any time. Averett’s Center for Community Engagement & Career Competitiveness is another great way to meet people while giving back to the community.
There are lots of other great reasons to get a college degree, of course. Contact us today to learn how to get started.
[1]The Future of Jobs and Skills, World Economic Forum.
[2]Retirement Plan Access and Participation Across Generations, Pew Research, February 15, 2017.