{"id":699,"date":"2020-02-14T21:23:22","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T04:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/?p=699"},"modified":"2020-02-17T19:18:44","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T02:18:44","slug":"do-you-really-need-a-bachelors-degree-to-have-a-good-career-why-trade-programs-may-be-a-better-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/do-you-really-need-a-bachelors-degree-to-have-a-good-career-why-trade-programs-may-be-a-better-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Really Need a Bachelor\u2019s Degree to Have a Good Career? Why Trade Programs May Be a Better Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>If you\u2019re a member of Generation X, a millennial or Gen Z, you\u2019ve probably had the importance of getting a good college education lectured at you since you were learning to walk. When getting a bachelor\u2019s degree is no longer a guarantee of securing any job, much less a great career, it may be time to look at other options. Although college is still a good choice for a variety of reasons, recent studies show that the bachelor\u2019s may not be the gold standard as it once was. If you\u2019re thinking about college, here\u2019s a few reasons that getting your associate\u2019s degree might be the better long-term choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lower Student Loans
\n<\/b>When the average college graduate leaves a California school with about $35,000 in debt, it\u2019s time to consider the return on your investment. It\u2019s true that graduates with a four-year degree tend to earn more than someone who only finished high school, but there\u2019s a wide world of opportunities between the two. By getting an associate\u2019s degree, you not only shorten the time to graduation. You also give yourself the chance to get the work done at a community college with a good trade program, which can dramatically cut down on the total costs for your education. Shrinking your loan potential to half or a quarter of what it could be makes it easier for you to find your place in the industry, wherever that may be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flexibility to Add Certificate Programs
\n<\/b>Any degree is an investment. It\u2019s just that a bachelor\u2019s takes more of an investment for a longer period of time. If you\u2019re trying to work while studying, like many Californians, you need to maximize the benefits you get from the program. Lots of two-year colleges offer certificate programs along with an associate\u2019s that you may be able to work on at the same time. And if you\u2019re not committing for several years into the future, it may be easier for you to do just that.<\/span><\/p>\n

More Time for Apprenticeships or Other Career Development Options
\n<\/b>In this industry, you need time to develop your craft. You can get some of it inside the classroom, but that won\u2019t be enough. In order to even take the contractor licensing exam, you usually need years of experience working for another licensed contractor in your field. This is true even if you get a bachelor\u2019s degree. With a two-year degree, you\u2019ve got more time to devote to finding the right fit, whether that means applying for and participating in apprenticeships or other options for career development. And since apprenticeships are an even more effective way to start on a great career path in the industry, this gives you a better chance of getting the job you want.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar Income and Growth Opportunities
\n<\/b>Although education is a worthy pursuit in its own right, there are many reasons that you might want to consider what you\u2019re getting from the work you put in. Higher income and greater choices for careers draw most people to college, especially the ones who finish their programs. But recent research indicates that an associate\u2019s degree might be just as effective for long-term income growth as a bachelor\u2019s, especially in industries like construction. Many construction jobs have flexible entry requirements. This often means that an associate\u2019s can set you apart almost as readily as a bachelor\u2019s, especially if you have certificates or other experience to bring to the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Foundation to Continue Education Later
\n<\/strong>If you decide that you ultimately want to pursue higher-ranking positions like a construction manager or executive of a larger company, you may need to add to your education. But getting your associate\u2019s and starting your career from there isn\u2019t going to stop you from taking other programs at a later date. In fact, by giving yourself the opportunity to apply your knowledge at first, you may make pursuing a bachelor\u2019s or even a master\u2019s more effective later on.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a member of Generation X, a millennial or Gen Z, you\u2019ve probably had the importance of getting a good college education lectured at you since you were learning to walk. When getting a bachelor\u2019s degree is no longer a guarantee of securing any job, much less a great career, it may be time … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[220],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-contractor-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}