Is it time to go back to school Heres how to tell. - When I Grow Up

Is it time to go back to school Heres how to tell. - When I Grow Up There comes a time in many of my clients career change discovery where we come to a crossroads and have to ask: Is it time to go back to school? Can they create the dream career theyre seeking without a degree or certificate? Do they need to spend the time, money and energy on school in order to offer what they envision? When are classes necessary, and when are they a procrastination tool? One of the saddest things I encounter are creative, intelligent, driven women with a grad degree that they never wanted. By the time they come to me, theyre tens of thousands of dollars in debt and regret the years behind them. Grad school is an easy answer to So, what do you do? (aka The Dreaded Question). Theres no need to ramble about what youre currently doing for work and what you yearn to do theres just a simplified truth thats digestible for the person who asked. Grad school is also a good way to trick yourself into feeling busy and action-oriented, and therefore productive. But when you know you have no interest in pursuing what you went to school forits actually an enormous procrastination tool. Grad school is also how we tell ourselves we become legit in something or the other. Our society rewards higher education with expert status, and we often convince ourselves that theres no other way to get that expertise than to get a degree. What Ive learned is that higher learning is something, but not everything. A few months ago, I struggled with the decision as to whether to renew my International Coaching Federation status of being a Professional Certified Coach. Getting certified in 2009 and then advancing my credential in 2012 was a major source of pride for me. In 2015, though, I could see that it wasnt  the reason I was getting hired. I can actually only remember one conversation with a prospective client who asked me in-depth questions about my training its barely been mentioned otherwise! I know firsthand that my certification or any certification! is not  what my successful creative career most  hinges upon. If youre not looking to be in a regulated profession, deciding to hit the books needs to boil down to being genuinely interested in the topic youll be studying.  For serious. If you have little to no interest in learning about professional organization, then dont sign up to for a course thatll give you your certification to be a professional organizer. Now, this doesnt mean that  you shouldnt hang out your shingle as a professional organizer. If you have the skill set, the interest and the personal mission to make that your career, then go for it! Just know the route you can take first can be the lets-get-some-guinea-pig-clients-and-experiment rather than the lets-get-a-certification route. The good news is that both routes are totally valid and can lead to equally successful businesses! building your confidence  as a lead-in to the work you want to be doing.  This is really the main goal for any beginning business owner. Whatever you offer, whoever you work with, whatever you work on or study needs to be a confidence-building experience or relationship. Just like every beginner, I had no idea about the results my first coaching client would get working with me back in 2008 but because I had already started my life coaching classes, I was pretty sure I wouldnt break her (and I told her as much!). A certification program or degree can give you the structure you need to do your best work with your clients but so can trial-and-error work with guinea pigs, when youre still certain  you can deliver on what you promise them. And remember, theres plenty of benefits of being a beginner, so dont rush through it! fitting  into your lifestyle goals and timeline.  Two big reasons I became a certified life coach instead of a social worker or psychologist was because (a) I didnt want to go back to school in a way that would take years of mine or leave me in major debt (b) I knew I was too sensitive to talk to people about their heavy issues, going back to their childhood or exploring things that were traumatic for them. When I decided to get my certification, I settled on a program whose classes were taught over the phone. The modules could be  taken  in any order, classes  were occurring 15ish hours a day during the week, and  you had two years to complete the training without paying any  additional fees.  That type of learning fit with my full-time work schedule, and the cost of the program fit within my budget. That all worked for where I was in 2007, and what my goals were.  Since Ive yet to help a client find their  what without finding their  how, I  know theres a program out there that wor ks for you should you decide you want training, a certification or a degree. your personal value system.  School has to be important to  you. It has to be something  you are proud of. Ultimately, I decided to renew my PCC credential this past December not because its a make-or-break for my clients, but its a make-or-break for  me. Im proud of my certification. Im proud of my credential. Im proud of the letters that I can put after my name. That speaks  for me to those who decide to look into what those letters mean and how I got them. Ultimately, my own value system and sense of pride led to me putting my time, energy and money into that credential renewal. Whether you decide to go back to school or not, take action in a way that aligns with the vision you have for your career in the future. I know people that take classes  only because they have a personal interest and hear a tiny voice telling them to, and  that leads to them discovering a career path theyre passionate about. Listen to your gut, stay away from the shoulds, and  move forward in a way that feels freeing and empowering to  you. Did you go back to school in some way? What made you make that decision, or take a pass? I wanna hear it in the comment below!