Staying Competitive with a College Degree

Many of us feel stalled in our career endeavors. We know we're doing a good job, and we want to move up, but somehow we seem to go unnoticed. There are several ways to combat this problem; one of the best is to advance your education by obtaining an advanced degree.

More and more high school graduates are seeking bachelor's degrees, making it almost a given that anyone entering the business field will carry an undergraduate degree. It's estimated that over your lifetime, a bachelor's degree has nearly twice the financial yield of a high school diploma, so it's easy to see why many high school graduates are attending undergraduate school. But, in a world where everyone has a bachelor's degree, it can take an advanced degree to really get ahead.

In addition to just putting you ahead of the pack on your resume, an advanced degree can really improve your earning potential. Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those employees who earn a master's degree earn 21% more than people with undergraduate degrees. In addition, more and more jobs simply require a master's degree; meaning that even if you are already employed by the company with many years of experience, and performing at a very high level, you may be ineligible for a promotion simply because you don't have an advanced degree.

It certainly seems that people are seeing the writing on the wall. Our memory of college as a place filled with 18-22 year olds is no longer accurate. Today's average college student may be well over the age of 22. In fact, an estimated 40% of today's college students are 25 years old or more--meaning people are returning to or staying in school. In fact, according the to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people obtaining college degrees at the age of 25 or older increased by nearly 50% between 1992 and 2004.

Here's the best news - you're never too old to obtain an advanced degree. In fact, you may be able to combat some of the discrimination that often faces older people in the workforce simply by obtaining an advanced degree at a later time in your career. The newly acquired degree may make a very good impression on employers because they may see you as more ambitious and in the know than someone else your age who hasn't been in school for many years. And, with the advent of degrees that can be obtained either completely or almost completely online, it's even easier than ever to get that advanced degree.

So, give your career a boost! Choose the advanced degree that is most interesting to your or best suits you and get started!

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