Everyone who goes to varsity or college has a different reason for being there and varied end goals in mind. Some are there pursuing their calling, their passion and dream. Whereas some enroll in tertiary education because they are concerned about securing a prosperous financial future for themselves and families. There are some students who are simply there because their parents paid for them to continue studying and so they are simply following their parents wishes. No matter the reason for being there, every student has to walk away with the most prized possession of all and that’s the qualification.

Follow your passion or follow the money?

The jury is still out on whether you should study your passion or study what is bound to make you more employable. Both sides can be debated, with studying your passion being underpinned by the importance of doing something that makes you happy and satisfied. But studying something that secures you employment in the long run and choosing a degree that will remain valuable for years to come is underpinned as being the best decision in our unstable economy. Ultimately, whatever you decide to study you must do it well enough to earn money from doing it and then be able to substantiate the investment you’ve made.

Get yourself some backup

No matter what degree you decide to study, whether it is your passion or just a good decision, you should always consider backing it up with business training courses. These courses differ between the various service providers but they all cover some important basics about the business world that won’t necessarily be covered in your degree studies. You can expect topics to range from written communication to understanding how to harness your natural leadership skills. Most business training courses are soft skills training and the courses can be completed at a later stage once you’re in the working world but it’s something to start investigating now, especially if you’re coming to the end of your degree.

Business basics are invaluable

No matter what type of degree you end up with, no matter whether you find yourself in a creative or vocational space, wanting to be an entrepreneur or in a corporate space, you will always need to know the basics of business. For instance, backing up your chartered accountant qualification with training in business writing skills or customer service. Similarly, if you have studied fine art and hope to negotiate your pieces being exhibited through a gallery, business skills are going to come into play. Ignorance in this area will leave you learning the hard way that business is more than your skillset. There are communication skills, conflict resolution tactics, sales strategies, writing skills, diversity courses and so on that are invaluable to your career no matter the industry you’re in.

Management is always on the cards

Any career path has a simple and mapped out trajectory and the minute you’re moving up the ranks in your company you have to start thinking about management. Or perhaps, you are not going to be promoted for the various bureaucratic (albeit unfair) reasons in the company you are currently employed at. This would mean then that you need to look elsewhere to ensure you’re given opportunities to grow. But growth inevitably means management. Growth is in its simplest form, looking after other people. Having a business training course on your CV will look very good when you begin applying for positions that are senior to what you’re currently doing. This type of training does not need to be at a degree level, in fact the more practical training the better. However, as a student readying themselves to enter the working world having this type of training shows you have already thought about the type of path you would like to take. For example, if you are a designer or writer you could easily sit back and remain working only within the creative space. However, if you have completed a business training course you will be perceived to be open to becoming involved in other areas within the company. This is attractive to prospective employers, since they can rest assured that you are likely able to handle clients when the time arises, you are probably eloquent and can be trusted to play a part in maintaining a peaceful work space.

As a student it can be difficult to enthusiastically embark on extra studies. Most students simply want to complete their degrees or diplomas and get cracking on starting in the working world. However, entering the working world with more than just the qualification that all your fellow students received  stands you a better chance of nabbing the job of your dreams.