When circumstances prompt a midlife career shift, many people are forced to scramble to find the right skills and credentials to land a job. What some of them don't know is that career schools offer a credible and quality route into a new career.
A mother of four, Robin Lightbourne, 34, had always wanted to be a nurse. But it wasn't until after her divorce that she decided to get a start on her education. Now, only a year after the starting at Keiser Career College in Florida, Lightbourne is set to graduate the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program and already has two job prospects in sight -- as well as the option of entering an RN program to gain more skills.
"It's been an up close and intimate experience," recalls Lightbourne. "There's someone walking with you, encouraging you... You're not leaving here with a big question mark over your head."
And that, states Frank Schoeneman, chief executive officer of Empire Education Group one of the largest cosmetology education providers in North America, is what makes career-focused schools beneficial for students. "career schools allow a student to get education and training in exactly what they are interested in," he explains. "Our students start their careers basically when they begin attending school; graduating from working on mannequins to real clients in the student salon."
From culinary schools to computer technology schools, career schools offer students courses focused on their fields of interest. Unlike traditional colleges that require students to take extra courses in different subjects not a moment is wasted in the career school world. "I'm a single mother and I need a career, " asserts Diana Lemos, 29, also a nursing student at Keiser Career College. "I can't sit around and wait."
For many, the hands-on training -- right now when you need it -- offered at career schools is key. Rather than focusing purely on textbooks and theories, most career schools require students to spend time at internships, externships, or even at school-run facilities. For careers like nursing and cosmetology, the first-hand experience with patients/clients and real-world scenarios helps to prepare them for the demands of a day on the job.
Career schools won't stop at job-related skills, either. As Lightbourne herself can attest, many career schools will take the steps to prepare you both for landing the job and the day-to-day soft skills that many professions require. Giving presentations, working in groups, interviewing with prospective employers, and resume preparation, are all topics typically covered by career schools.
Anne Loria, director of the Rochester campuses of Bryant and Stratton College, stresses the importance of these skills as a way to accent career-readiness. "Critical skills are integrated into every course we offer," says Loria. "Students [then] have the skills to articulate the skills and the competency they have."
Most importantly, the small-campus style of career schools allows students one-on-one time with teachers and faculty. Says Lightbourne, "They've been my family. It has really helped me believe in myself."
About the author:
Genevieve M. Blaber is the editorial assistant for The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.
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