Too Big to Fire: Upping Your Education to Avoid the Layoff

Imagine feeling that sinking pit in your stomach that comes when you hear about another round of layoffs at work. What if a simple training program could mean never feeling that way again? These top training options can mean the difference between an unclear career future and a stable outlook for years to come.

Richard Bayer, Chief Operating Officer of the Five O'Clock Club, a career counseling and outplacement firm, talked to USA Today about sharpening one's skills to avoid a layoff at work. Bayer encourages employees to take steps to train before their jobs are in jeopardy. "Once the axe is falling it can be too late. Before that time, if you see trouble on the horizon, make sure your skills are on the cutting edge," he said.

Get Business Savvy with an MBA

Feeling like you've reached your career ladder's limit? Add a few extra rungs with some general business training. Use an associate's degree in management or business administration to get a first look at business tools, techniques, and technology.

If you already have a bachelor's degree, a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) can help advance your career with specialized business skills. Choose a broad-based general MBA degree, or specialize in finance, management, human resources, or even nonprofit business. You can even earn an online MBA, studying on your own time while you keep your full-time job.

Specialize Your Focus

Are you spreading yourself too thin at work? The more basic your tasks, the more replaceable you ultimately become when the office pool needs to be consolidated. Even hard workers make the mistake of completing a range of simple tasks instead of focusing their skills.

Use a brief certificate program or associate's degree to help specialize your ability. An associate's degree in accounting could greatly increase your value in a financial department. Courses in human resources could make you the go-to person for exit interviews and new-employee training. Determine what your company needs and train to fill that need.

Explore Online Options

Earn a degree or certificate from anywhere in the world with online education. An online MBA or online certification course can offer the level of training you're looking for with the benefits of logging on to earn your degree.

Explore online degree and certificate options and find out how easy it can be to organize your life around online education. Many full-time workers even choose to keep their jobs as they return to school online. Degrees and certificates are available at every level, from brief coursework programs to full doctoral programs, all at accredited online colleges and universities.

Upgrade Your Education

If you already have a degree, you might think you're safe from layoffs. Unfortunately, not even a college degree can save you from the dreaded pink slip. Keeping your skills current is an essential part of most careers.

Whether you complete technology certification courses, brush up on your software packages, or head back to school to earn a master's degree in education, you're making a smart upgrade that can mean real benefits to your career for years to come.

Feeling Stifled? Branch Out

In the end, your layoff nervousness could simply stem from the fact that you're stuck in a dead-end job. Check out degrees attached to the fastest-growing jobs across all industries. An associate's degree in nursing, for example, can lead to a rewarding job as a registered nurse. An associate's degree in engineering might mean a technician position after graduation.

Find the degree and certificate programs that appeal to you and use them to help ensure your future career survives any economic uncertainty. Take a fresh look at your career potential by considering training in an unrelated field.

Career Training Improves Your Job Security Odds

While no amount of education can make a job totally layoff-proof, upping your training and knowledge helps add safeguards to your career. Mix degree and certificate training with a high level of performance and years of experience--each new skill and day at work makes you more valuable as an employee.

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