Top Career Options After Community College

by A Guest Author

Many high school graduates enter community college with certain goals in mind.

Most are looking to save some money by staying close to home while obtaining their general education.

This, of course, will help them to earn the grades they need to transfer to a four-year college or university while allowing them to continue saving for the bump in tuition and living expenses that come with attending school at a distant location.

Those students should read the post Transferring From Community College To Ivy League

Some students, however, have no plans to continue their education after community college.

They simply want to have some college experience on their resume (an associate's degree) or they are looking to take courses that will prepare them for certification or licensure (in medical fields like nursing or technical occupations, for example).

For these students, the pickings are bound to be a bit slimmer than for counterparts with 4-year (or greater) degrees.

But they'll also have better prospects than, say, high school graduates seeking work.

So what are the best career options for students coming out of community college?

In truth, an associate's degree may get you a foot in the door at most businesses, but you will likely have to start at entry level just like any other applicant with no experience.

Certainly an associate's degree puts you ahead of prospective hires that have only a high school diploma or GED to their credit, and it may even help you to advance more quickly through the ranks, but at some point you may wish you had gone for a 4-year degree and the knowledge and skills that come with it.

On the other hand, community college students that specialize during their 2-year stint in higher education could find themselves ahead of the game when it comes to starting a career.

Community College Career Options

You may have noticed nursing mentioned above, and medical certification programs are a great option for a number of reasons.

You will have to take certification or licensure tests once you complete your program to become a nurse, a radiation tech, a medical billing and coding expert, or some other specialized member of the medical community, but this industry is currently one of the few that is growing, meaning you're more likely to find job opportunities right out of school, especially if you're willing to travel.

Plus, many schools set students up with internships at local hospitals in order to help them earn their required clinical hours.

If you make a good impression during your tenure as an intern you could find yourself with a standing job offer (or at least a killer reference) upon obtaining certification.

And of course, these jobs pay better than average wages for the amount of schooling required.

Other Career Options That Community College Can Prepare You For

Then there are other types of preparatory courses you might take, in fields as diverse as paralegal studies, telecommunications, CAD (computer aided design), culinary arts, human services, and more.

You won't come out with the same level of knowledge and preparation as a student at a law, business, or urban planning school, but you will be able to start down your career path two years ahead of your peers and you're likely to earn far better wages than students who skip college completely and go to work immediately following high school.

This post was written by A Guest Author

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