Change Your Perspective On How to Pursue A Good Career

What makes a good career? In this new era of gig economy, new roles are being created every hour somewhere in the world and existing jobs are also constantly evolving. A small range of traditional suit-and-tie jobs such as lawyers or sales executives is no longer the most coveted or popular career paths.

Despite the stories of many entrepreneurs who followed unconventional paths to success, we are still seeing a good number of people pursuing university degrees - over 40% in OECD countries and 50% in the United States. In Australia, one of the most well-educated countries in the world, the number of adults with postgraduate degrees grew 46% since 2011.

But there are different, new trends on the rise. Many do not want to fork out $10,000 to AUD $50,000 a year for MBAs and want more relevant, immersive training to help them quickly develop new skills to survive and excel in such a fast-changing environment.

Vocational or Technical Training and Higher Apprenticeship

In today’s decentralised and digital marketplace, personal development and growth can be achieved without going bankrupt. Continuous learning are now expected from the increasingly more educated workforce and it’s easy to learn new trades to pivot their careers. The world is changing fast and new technologies are constantly being introduced into our lives both at work and at home.

Vocational education, in lieu of the university or postgraduate degrees, is presented as an attractive option to many with its hands-on and employment-focused approach. Experts believe that 'microcredentialing' will be a requirement in the future as employers invest more in employees who are able to learn quickly and willing to upskill themselves constantly.

It is predicted that the jobs in the future will require 30% more time or experience learning on the job. Higher apprenticeship, a nationally recognised vocational program that provides certifications in certain fields, is apparently now considered as the best pathway to better jobs - 74.2% of vocational education graduates vs. 67.4% university degree holders found jobs within 6 months after completing their education.

Entrepreneurial Experience

We all want to broaden our horizons, expand our knowledge, and become more skilled at a lot of things. Best way to learn, sometimes, is for us to create opportunities to learn and practice on the job. Hence, the rise of 'side hustles.'

Platforms such as Meetup groups where you can easily host or find workshops, industry events, or like-minded people with whom you can pursue new opportunities have become very popular. Most people are not lucky enough to have jobs where all their curiosities and ambitions can be fulfilled. So many pursue side projects or side hustles during non-business hours so they can get the kind of hands-on experience they desire and acquire valuable skills.

Tangible experience speaks more powerfully on your resume than any degree. These days you cannot afford to be pigeon-holed into just one type of role. Employers expect you to be versatile and well-rounded. You get to take on responsibilities outside your day job or usual occupation on your side projects as you are not bound by your degree. Many claim that side projects make you smarter and happier and that's why Google actively encourages their employees to spend up to 20% of their time exploring various side projects.

You don't have to necessarily start your own company to gain entrepreneurial experience; you can simply spend your idle time doing something out of your comfort zone just to see what you can learn from it.