Back to School

Recently, I completed a short stint as a substitute teacher at a local school that specializes in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Most of the students there were enrolled because they wanted to attend an American college or university, something none of them can do without a very good score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). But there were some who were there simply to learn English so they could advance in their chosen careers as scientists, engineers or diplomats.

I was there because enrollments were up and classes were oversubscribed. A colleague explained it to me this way: "When times are tough and jobs are hard to find, people go back to school."

It's not a bad idea. Going back to school while jobless lets you freshen and update your knowledge in your chosen field - or even learn a new one if you would like to expand your employment horizons. Community and technical colleges offer many programs geared towards specific career paths, such as nursing, hospitality and restaurant management, or retail, and the better ones often have ties with employers that can give you a leg up on jobs after you graduate. If you attend an adult learning program at a four-year college or university, you may also be able to use the services of the school's career planning and placement office to identify career paths and jobs you can apply for after receiving your degree.

If you're in management, or considering becoming part of it, a number of area colleges and universities offer programs in organizational dynamics that can help you understand the "biology" and "sociology" of corporate hierarchies. One such program is Penn's program in organizational dynamics, one of the oldest and most respected in the region.

Many working adults find the flexible part-time schedules offered by for-profit career colleges like the University of Phoenix meet their needs for staying up to date on their skills on their own time. Job-seekers can also take advantage of such programs. A number of institutions, both nonprofit and for-profit, also offer degree programs you can complete online for the ultimate in flexibility and convenience.

For Pennsylvanians who are collecting extended unemployment compensation benefits, enrolling in an education or training program meets the job search requirements for filing weekly claims.

The Education Index at PhillyJobs.com contains links to hundreds of college and university programs geared towards working professionals. It's a great place to start your search for education that can help advance your career - or start a new one.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith has been blogging for PhillyJobs.com since 2010. In addition to launching award-winning newspapers and newsletters at the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, Sandy is a veteran writer whose articles and essays have appeared in several local and regional media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, and PGN, and on several Web sites. He is also an active participant on several discussion boards, including PhiladelphiaSpeaks.com, where he posts as “MarketStEl.” He has been supporting himself through a combination of freelance and part-time work and unemployment compensation since early 2009 and is himself an active job-seeker. Read more of his posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com and follow him to Beyond.com for more job opportunities.