After several years of being in the work world, you are likely to find yourself in a position where you are wanting to move jobs, get a promotion or start your own business. It is definitely a period of change and a deepening of understanding which direction you want to go into. It is often the pivotal point in your long-term career, where you have built some experience and have had some exposure but not if you’re ready to forge a clear way forward. It can be hard knowing what to go on to study that will equip you with what you need to make the next move. Here are a few ideas to picking your next learning pathway.

Project management course

You can do a diploma in project management because project management is underlying that supports just about anything you do in business and in your job. Having good project management will help you know how to manage people, manage budget and prioritise and execute tasks. You can choose whether to do your course online or through a university or college, but make sure that it is a recognised certificate or qualification that you can use to improve your resume.

Business acumen ability

Being in business you will want to have a better understanding of how business works overall, whether it be how money is made, money flows through the business or how the practice of management strategies, such as lean management can help improve cash flows and profits. There are several courses that can help develop your business acumen. Popular ones would be a diploma or master’s in business administration and while the name is a bit misleading, you will learn the basics of all aspects of business. This includes marketing, economics, accounting, and even human resources and logistics.

Go industry-specific

Depending on what industry you are in and what direction you are wanting to go and grow into, your further learning may be best suited around doing something that is industry-specific and helps. It could stand you in a good position if you’re looking to improve or motivate for a bigger paycheque because if you’re better skilled and qualified in your position, you will be highly valuable to your company.

General short courses

There are tonnes of short courses available online which don’t necessarily have the credibility of a university or college but do offer comprehensive learning tools to learn a particular skill. This could be a great way of identifying and boosting your skills and knowledge in something like software skills or in public speaking. The range of what is available is vast and you can almost do just about anything. Try to find a way to map your skills and identify the areas that you are lacking. Speak to your colleagues and bosses about what they’d like to see you do better at and find a course that can address that. The cost of these courses can be incredibly low because they work on a model of scale.