Building Functional Career Skills with Your Degree

In today’s competitive job market, candidates need to have a degree that goes beyond book smarts. Employers expect to see concrete skills that directly relate to job functions. More importantly, with the rapid speed of today’s working world, employers need people who are able to add value from day one.

Your tangible skills set you apart from competitors. They’re earned through relevant experience, practical application of lessons and a learning environment that encourages you to apply your knowledge directly. You need an education built upon professional feedback relevant to employer demands and expectations. Learning from faculty who already have a wealth of professional success in your field of study ensures that your class time is more than just an academic exercise. Employers don’t just want to know that you’re smart, they also want to hire knowing what you are capable of accomplishing.

Faculty in your degree program need to take this competitive job market into account. They need to understand the urgency of preparing you for the high demands of your field. Your time in class should address the professional relevancy directly and consistently.

They should also take into account your previous professional experience. The best way your education can help advance your career is by building on the skills you already have and strengthen them. This encourages students to stay motivated and optimizes your credit hours. In the long term, it can also cut down on academic fatigue.

For example, with Herzing’s Badge to Grad Initiative firefighters and police officers receive a free evaluation of academy training and can test out of classes that are redundant of their professional experiences. In many cases, a bachelor’s degree may be required for higher up positions in these departments, but those who have been on the job already have a wealth of knowledge compared to those who have not entered the workforce in this field. Such initiatives encourage industry professionals to go back to school to advance their careers. Meanwhile, young learners benefit because they can learn next to seasoned professionals in their field.

Herzing University offers degrees and a curriculum that empowers you to combine what you’ve learned in life with what you are learning in the classroom in meaningful ways that will help you be of value to your next employer, company and community.

Jason Morgan is the campus president of Herzing University’s New Orleans campus.