Tag: studying

There is a lot of debates on whether to get a certificate or a degree for any sort of specialize job. Essentially, it all depends on your career goals.

Certificates:

Certificates are offered at trade schools and even at some colleges. Although, going through colleges for certificates will require you to take some core classes with no guarantee of a certification. They may only offer lectures to cover the materials for your specific certificate.

• Duration: Typically shorter. Some are self-paced and requires passing difficult exams.
• Cost: Often less expensive than degrees.
• Focus: Highly specialized in a particular skill or area of focus.
• Career Impact: Beneficial for career advancement, skill development, and career field specific.
• Examples: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), coding bootcamps.

Degrees:

Degrees requires a lot of commitments. Some of slow paced, some are accelerated. Depending on the school, it also offer networking and alumni resource that is priceless.

• Duration: 2-4 years for undergraduate degrees and additional years for advanced degrees
• Cost: More expensive.
• Focus: Provides a broad or in-depth understanding of a field, covering theoretical and practical aspects.
• Career Impact: Required for specific professions (e.g., engineering, law, medicine) and can open doors to higher-level positions, promotions, or career shifts.
• Examples: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

I am currently working both. I’ve learned that the resource and learning material is very broad in a degree specific coursework. But it doesn’t prevent you from using that knowledge or skills to apply to your own research. On the other spectrum, earning a certificate was definitely quicker and cheaper. Although, I believe it was harder because I was cramming a lot of information in a short time just to pass an exam.

One work to keep in mind: Research.

There are lot of pieces that makes up a business. If you are not familiar with everything that has to do with your business then others can exploit you. Ex. Low ball offers on material and labor.

Most business fail to grow because they fail to do research. Business evolves and changes often (or even daily), so it is important to keep up-to-date with your market and how it reacts to the season, customers, and your workers.

While traveling, I was seated next to a lady that express herself as a career woman. She believe that every opportunity to learn and acquire new skills gave her the ability to move higher and higher in the respective company she worked for. She use her companies benefits and training courses to become a candidate for higher position she wanted to pursue.

Alternately, not everyone is blessed with opportunities like this lady. Fortunately, we can create our own by sparing some times to improve ourself. I have mentioned before that starting off with just 10 minutes a day on a new skill will eventually turn into 15… 20… 30 mins… or more. Once, it becomes a habit to expand your knowledge and skills, it becomes addicting and watch how more door open up for you.

Since I am moving forward to study into two masters programs. One particular studying technique that I recently learn take up between 30 sec to 1 min. Simply pick a particular section of the subject you’re learning and list out all the facts and concept associating with it. Once you have that, build on it and list out more. Then, you will ask that same question again the next day and see if you can repeat all the answer. Repeat until you get it 100%. Once you got that, erase and move on to the next section.

This particular technique is use to remember a lot of different types of information (or definitions). Test that are concept or solving problem doesn’t work.