Many full-time workers feel like they are at a loss for advancing in their careers when they need their job to make ends meet. The truth is that, even with full-time work, there are ways to move forward by using part-time coursework that aligns with your next career goals.

Managing a class load when pursuing a certificate or degree from Portland Community College is entirely possible. Still, you'll experience your days as less hectic if you do some serious prep before starting the work-plus-school lifestyle. Here is how to balance classes and full-time work because you still want your life to have balance during this busy season! 

While we linger on the difference in earnings between bachelor's degree holders and high school graduates, many people still find themselves in a situation where a four-year, traditional residential bachelor's degree wasn't the right fit after high school. Often, life has carried people to a time when they have to make different calculations than an 18-year-old typically must make when it comes to answering, "Why is college worth the cost?"

While average data can tell us a lot about how education improves outcomes for many people, from access to healthcare to financial stability, it's also essential to think through what you want that education to do for you. If your goals are to progress away from entry-level, less-skilled positions, you need to determine whether a four-year degree will even give you access to those higher-level roles. If you need a particular certificate or credential, that might be much less expensive to obtain while providing a similar result when combined with your prior experience.

Many of the benefits of attending college, things like forming social bonds, may not be your priorities when deciding if college is worth it. Non-traditional students of all kinds can find a valuable way to make post-secondary education work for them.

Here are three ways to make college worth the cost at different stages of life.

Every term, thousands of students benefit from the valuable in-person and online coursework at Portland Community College. While some coursework results in long-term enrollment for multiple years, shorter programs quickly move students from their first course into their first job in a new industry.  

Developing hobbies at any age requires attention and skill, and learning is no exception. Many individuals discover that taking a course here and there can bring back some delights from their favorite classes in school or college.  

Teachers tend to spend an outsized amount of their attention on just one or two students in a given classroom. These students sometimes are acting out, not completing work, or actively distracting other students from their tasks. Difficult students make it hard to feel in control of a classroom and create frustration when you cannot accomplish the goals of your teaching plans. 

If you've recently been furloughed or are out of work and wondering how recent events will affect your livelihood,  you might be looking to carve the path to a brighter future. We've been thinking about that too. Our diverse non-credit programming offer a variety of topics to allow you to explore potential career paths, side hustles or moonlighting projects - without having to revive a full-scale academic pursuit. In this blog, we're sharing a sample of some classes that may jumpstart ideas for those seeking to improve their current financial situation.

Cutting costs and boosting your income may be one way to get your financial life back on track if you've lost income during this challenging economic time. For many, additional income may come in the form of a side hustle, an activity you enjoy that can help you get back on your feet--outside of traditional 9-5 employment.

You're a talented artist. You were given the gift of making stunning creative works and have racked up the hours perfecting your craft. However, you still haven't found a way to monetize your creative pieces.

PCC Professional Development and Training's new Supervision series offers three 4-hr courses over three weeks with Instructor Carolyn Waterfall via Zoom. Practice Leadership Skills, Delegating and Coaching - and receive a discount for registering for the full series. To learn more, find the link at the bottom of this blog.

Updated June 15, 2022

In today’s business world, the right leadership skills are essential to help people achieve their best potential. Leaders have many different ways they can lead their teams. Advising and mentoring are both effective and positive leadership styles, but sometimes coaching is the best way to approach leading employees.