Choosing a school: Which career training program is right for you?

Career training programs are offered at thousands of schools nationwide and are as varied as the jobs they prepare you for. All that choice can be exciting ... but it can also be overwhelming. If you’re not sure what exactly you want to study or where you want to enroll, the Imagine America Foundation (IAF) has resources that can help you make some big decisions that set you on the path to a new career.

Picking the right program

When it comes to career education, your options are generally broken out into three major occupation areas: healthcare, business/IT, and mechanical sciences. Each area has characteristics and benefits that might make one a better fit than the others, so take your time to figure out what makes the most sense for you.

Do you want to help people and their families? Consider healthcare! Do you enjoy building and repairing things with your hands? Check out mechanical sciences programs. Are you interested in computers, new technologies, and critical thinking? Consider an IT/business program.

Think about what you naturally enjoy doing, about skills that you already have, and about career paths that sound satisfying as a long-term option. Also take advantage of IAF’s information on different industries and career choices; we use the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to show students which programs are most in demand, which industries are expected to grow over the next ten years, and what average salaries you can expect.

Check out the programs offered by our schools

Finding the right school

Once you have a program in mind, search for schools that match your interests. IAF can help you narrow the choices down by location, accreditation, schedule, and cost. Compare schools based on the criteria that matter most to you:

• Location: Some students may only want an online program, while others may prefer to visit a nearby campus for all their classes — and still others want a hybrid. This is often one of the first factors students consider when choosing a school.
• Program schedule: Career colleges typically design their schedules to best accommodate working adults, but make sure you find a program that not only offers classes at convenient times — but also have terms that start and stop at times during the year that work with your schedule, including employment, kids’ school schedules, and more.
• Accreditation: Accreditation can be very important in a number of ways, including reputation with future employers, quality of training, and eligibility for financial aid. Make sure that the school you choose is properly accredited — and that the program you select also maintains any program-specific accreditation to ensure its credibility and value.
• Prerequisites: Some schools and programs require that incoming students have one or more courses (or other activities, like having letters of recommendation or official copies of your transcripts) completed prior to enrollment. Check with the school’s enrollment center or your advisor to make sure you have done everything you need to in order to begin when school starts.

There is a lot to think about when deciding where to enroll in a new career college, but there’s no need to worry — you don’t have to make your decisions alone. IAF is here to guide you every step of the way. Get started today!