Created: 20 December 2021

How to Choose the Right Business Course for Career Progression

Are you looking to take the next step in your career? Try taking a course meant for your career progression. We'll help you choose the right one.

Keyword(s): career progression

According to experts, continuing education is vital for advancing your career, no matter what level you're at.

Whether you have a business or want to change jobs, taking a business course can help skyrocket your career progression. A business course can also help increase job security, develop your strengths, and expand your network.

But how do you go about choosing the right business course? After all, you want to pick the right course the first time, instead of wasting precious time and money on courses you don't want or need.

Don't worry, because this article has you covered. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about how to choose the right business course to boost your career progression.

Decide on Your Career Goals

Since there are so many business careers you could do, you need to decide on what your career goals are. What are your reasons for taking a business course?

Are you looking to completely change careers? Do you want to switch roles within your company? Or are you looking to get a specific certification, such as becoming a Certified Local Change Agent?

Business is also a very broad field of study, so you could take courses in categories like:

• Project management
• Enterprise architecture
• Agile and scrum
• IT service management
• Business analysis
• Business skills, such as facilitation

When you're deciding which course topics to pursue, be sure to look at your ultimate goal and think about how a course can help you get there.

Don't forget to consider how much professional development you'll need to do even after you get certified. For example, accountants often have to attend professional development events like seminars to stay on top of tax law and best practices for their job.

Consider Your Passions

When you're looking at all the options for career paths, you'll want to stay focused on what you're passionate about.

While many people will urge you to be practical in your career choices, you don't want to choose something you're going to hate. You may want to go one step further and think about what you actually like to do rather than something you are neutral about.

In fact, you can take a couple of hours to think about how you can connect passion to your career.

Keep in mind that just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should pursue it. For example, you might be great with numbers and math, but hate the day-to-day work life of being an accountant.

So to pick the right business course, you want to pick a course that will level up your skillset while also putting you on the right path to a career you're passionate about.

Go Broad or Specific

Next, think about how you want to expand your business knowledge. Are you uncertain of what kind of business-related career you want to pursue? Then choosing an overview or foundational course is a great option for you.

But if you already know what you enjoy and want to focus on, then pick a specific course that goes more in-depth on a subject.

When you're looking at courses in the subject you want, make sure to look at the course descriptions. Even if it's the same course topic, the course could cover entirely different subject matter depending on the school and the instructor.

When choosing specific courses, you also need to look beyond the course itself.

Research what types of jobs you'd be qualified for with the course, and whether it would advance your business career goals. This way, you can make sure you choose a course that will give you the knowledge you'll need, so you can plan for the future.

Focus On Skills Development

If you've already done a business degree or another degree, chances are you've developed effective writing, time management, and analytical skills.

The new business course you pick to advance your career should be more specific to what kinds of skills you need for your current or prospective workplace.

Let's say you're currently working as an agile team member at your company. You now want to transition into working as a business analyst.

But if you have no previous experience in any business analysis roles, then you'll want to start with a foundational business analyst course to build up your vocabulary, skills, and knowledge.

A foundational course is a great idea for those looking to transition into different business roles, because it can also help you decide if you like what the job requires you to do.

Another beneficial thing to check would be whether the course has a mix of instruction and hands-on learning, like a practicum. This way, you can help cement the skills you learn in class with real-world experience.

Time Commitment and Cost

Finally, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right business course is its time and cost commitment. If it's one course, it will probably be more affordable than a set of required courses for a certificate.

Take a look at the courses you want to take and see how long they are. If it's only a couple of days, then you may be able to get time off work to take the course if it takes place on a weekday.

This is most important if the course delivery is live with an instructor. If it's a self-paced course, it will be easier for you to watch the lectures between responsibilities like work and parenting.

You can use SMART goal setting to help you manage your course deadlines if you have a lot on your plate.

Jumpstart Your Career Progression Today

Choosing the right business course goes far beyond picking a course with a fancy title attached to it.

When you pick the right business course, you can skyrocket your career progression and make sure you're investing your time and money into skills that matter for your dream career.

At Advised Skills, we've helped over 6,000 graduates in 20 countries achieve their career goals with top-notch professional training.

To find your next business course, take a look at our extensive catalogue today.