Best Careers Worth Going Back to School for

Back in our parents’ and grandparents’ day, the average career entailed doing the same kind of job in the same company for forty years and then retiring. Maybe there would be a promotion here and there but there wouldn’t be much scope for doing something completely different. For the younger generations – including younger Gen Xers – this kind of life would be the exception rather than the rule, though.

We question whether it’s worth slogging day in and day out at something that’s lost its lustre years ago and we’ll change careers in our mid-thirties or even forties without batting an eye if it will help us stay sane. Covid-19 has also changed the way we work and has forced many of us to re-evaluate what we do for a living and just how precarious our job security may be. Are you thinking of making the change? Here are some of the best careers worth going back to school for.

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Registered nurse

If you’d like to switch to a career in healthcare but don’t want to spend years in med school, one of the best degrees to get is a bachelor’s degree in nursing and then comply with the requirements of the regulatory body in your province or territory to become a registered nurse. It’s one of the Canadian careers that will be in demand beyond 2020 and the pay is pretty good as well. Be aware though that as doctors’ right hand, your job will be physically and emotionally demanding and the hours can be long.

Respiratory therapists and patient in a hospital room

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Respiratory therapist

One of the best careers 2020 has put in the spotlight is that or respiratory therapists. They have been at the forefront in the fight against Covid-19 and will continue to be in demand as survivors may deal with lifelong lung damage. As a respiratory therapist, you provide treatment and support for people who have trouble breathing, whether it’s a temporary symptom or a chronic condition. Training involves either a three-year diploma course or a four-year degree course and offers those looking for a prospective career change with the opportunity to do meaningful work.

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Psychiatric technician

Especially if you’ve had to overcome mental health or addiction struggles, going back to school at 40 to become a psychiatrist may be tempting. It’s not very practical, however, considering how many years you’ll have to study and how few years you’ll be able to practise before reaching retirement age. A great alternative is to become a psychiatric technician, also called a mental health worker.

You’ll work closely with psychiatrists and other healthcare workers to monitor patients, guide them through therapeutic activities, administer medications, and the like. It may not be one of those jobs that pay over $400,000 a year but training courses typically range from only a semester to a year or two and you can use your own life experience to help others.

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Epidemiologist

A pandemic like Covid-19 has showed us just how important an epidemiologist’s job is. Epidemiologists analyze data about diseases to help develop public health policy and prevent or manage outbreaks of infectious diseases.

To become an epidemiologist, you first need to get a bachelor’s degree in a field like health science, nursing, biostatistics, public health, biochemistry or biology. Then you need to get some work experience, which is often required to enrol in a master’s degree course in public health. This is usually the minimum requirement for an entry-level job as an epidemiologist.

Industrial and organizational psychologist running a meeting

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Industrial and organizational psychologist

One of the popular reasons for going back to school at 30 is to study psychology and become a clinical psychologist. However, once you’ve completed your training, you’ll have to build up a practice and deal with patients who may not understand boundaries. For a better work/life balance and a way to get a steady income right from the start, becoming an industrial and organizational psychologist instead is a great option.

In this career, you’ll apply your psychology training to the workplace, for instance by helping to improve job satisfaction, motivation, occupational wellbeing and dealing with problems like occupational stress or workplace aggression. Unlike clinical psychologists who need a doctoral degree, you may start working as an industrial and organizational psychologist after obtaining a master’s degree.

Recreation therapist painting with patient

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Recreation therapist

Who doesn’t want to play for a living? As a recreation therapist, you’ll use play – for instance, in the form of sport, dance or art – as a form of treatment for people with illnesses or injuries, or to help improve the wellbeing of people with disabilities. Training to become a recreation therapist in Canada involves studying for a bachelor’s degree in recreation therapy. If you want to be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist or CTRS, you also need to do a formal internship and pass the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification exam.

Software engineer looking at code on her screen

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Software engineer

Tech has become one of the most lucrative career fields to enter into. Because it’s changing so quickly, it’s also one of the most exciting. Software engineering allows you to work flexible hours and you can also work from home, so it’s easier to maintain a good work/life balance. If you want to go back to school to become a software engineer, you’ll need to enrol for a bachelor’s degree in software engineering or computer science.

Web developer and co-workers looking at a screen

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Web developer

If you’ve discovered that fine arts was probably not one of the best college majors to study and still be able to pay the rent, web development might be the career for you. As a web developer, you combine your eye for design with coding skills. It’s a job you can do on a part-time freelance basis if you prefer, so it’s a great option if you have young children to raise or want to travel the world and work from a hammock on a beach somewhere. To become a web developer, you can study for a bachelor’s degree in web development. Alternatively, you can qualify as a graphic designer and take a course in coding.

Information security analyst concentrating on their screen

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Information security analyst

These days, one of the biggest threats to companies and government organizations is cyber attacks such as hacking into their computer systems. As an information security analyst, your job is to help develop ways to prevent cyber attacks and the leaking of information. It’s one of the highest paying jobs for Generation Z but if you’re older, you have an advantage: companies often prefer information security analysts with work experience in their specific field, such as finance or government. To become an information security analyst, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, although a degree in math or engineering can land you the job too.

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Search engine optimization specialist

As a search engine optimization or SEO specialist, you need to find ways to draw traffic to your clients’ websites by using search engines’ algorithms. It’s a relatively new field that blends web development, market research, data analysis and advertising. Because it’s such a new field and it changes so quickly, there aren’t university or college courses in search engine optimization. A business, marketing or data analytics degree will help you but this job will require you to continuously go back to school for short certificate courses in, for example, Google Analytics, AdWords and HTML.

Market research analyst and colleague discussing a project

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Market research analyst

As a market research analyst, you’ll be studying market trends and conditions as well as consumer behaviour to help companies understand their target markets and develop the right products for these markets. To enter the field, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, psychology or even data analytics. However, it will be totally worth going back to school if you then get an MBA or a master’s degree in market research analysis, since this will secure you a higher level position.

Public relations specialist in a meeting

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Public relations specialist

When you realize that your bachelor’s in creative writing is one of the most useless degrees, you don’t necessarily have to look for a career that doesn’t involve any writing at all. As a public relations specialist, you can still use those writing skills to create press releases, social media campaigns, and the like. However, your creative writing degree isn’t going to land you the job.

For that, you should consider going back to school and getting a degree in public relations, communications, business, marketing or even journalism. You need to be outgoing to do this job well, which makes public relations specialist one of the best jobs for extroverts.

Solar energy technician working on an array of solar panels

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Solar energy technician

Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing career fields and one of the jobs with the highest growth rate is solar energy technician. As a solar energy technician, you’ll be responsible for installing and maintaining solar panels. It’s a great option if you want to work outdoors rather than spend the rest of your life behind a desk. You don’t have to spend years at university qualifying for this career either: typically you can complete a certification course at a trade school and do an apprenticeship to learn the ropes.

Wind turbine service technician checking their tablet

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Wind turbine service technician

Another energy job with an excellent growth rate is wind turbine service technician. If, for example, you’re uncertain about what the future holds for your job in the oil and gas industry and find yourself asking, "What should I go to school for?" learning to become a wind turbine service technician may be just the option. You’ll still work in the energy sector and you’ll still work outdoors. Getting an associate’s degree at a trade school usually takes only two years so you won’t be out of the job market for too long. However, you need to be okay with heights if you want to be a wind turbine service technician.

Aerospace engineer working on a jet engine

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Aerospace engineer

One of the most in-demand jobs in Canada and also one of the highest paying is that of aerospace engineer. As an aerospace engineer, your job entails designing and developing aircraft. Several universities in Canada offer undergraduate degrees in aerospace engineering. However, if you already have a degree in a related field like engineering physics or mechanical engineering, you can go back to school and do a master’s degree in aerospace engineering to secure a higher pay.

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Project manager

Do you feel like you know all the ins and outs of your job and you really need a new challenge? Why not become a project manager, then? As a project manager, you’ll be overseeing a project from start to finish. A wide variety of industries use project managers, including construction, engineering, tech and publishing. While your qualification in project management will help secure the job, it’s crucial that you understand the specific industry and what a project entails. This makes project management the perfect back-to-school option for someone who has already worked in the industry.

Human resources manager interviewing a candidate in their office

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Human resources manager

Another good second career for someone who already has some work experience is human resources manager. This job entails handling a company’s employee matters. You’ll be responsible for recruiting and hiring the best people for the job and to find ways to ensure they’re happy and productive. Work experience in other positions in the industry will help you understand what the different jobs are about so you can come up with the best HR strategies. To become a human resources manager, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in human resources management and excellent people skills.

Teacher with her students in a classroom

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Teacher

Teachers in Canada aren’t as underpaid as their colleagues in some other countries and it’s one of the jobs that let you retire early, so it can be well worth going back to school to complete a postgraduate teaching course. Teaching can be a very rewarding job if you love children. The field you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree in and in which you may have some work experience can help determine which subjects you’ll teach: if you’ve studied geology, for instance, you could become a geography teacher.

To become a teacher in Canada, you need to either study for an undergraduate teaching degree or get a bachelor’s degree in a different field and then study for a postgraduate teaching degree. Then you need to fulfill the certification requirements in your province or territory.

University professor lecturing their class

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University professor

If you’re passionate about your field and would love to share your expert knowledge with others, becoming a university professor may be one of the best careers for you. It helps that it can also be one of the highest paying jobs in the world. Many universities prefer candidates who have some work experience in their field but in most cases you’ll need to go back to school and complete a doctorate degree before you can think of becoming a professor.

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Financial auditor

If you’ve been working in finance but would like one of the best jobs for wage growth in Canada, you may want to consider going back to school to become a financial auditor. Your job will basically entail going through a company’s financial records to make sure that there aren’t any errors and that there isn’t any fraud taking place.

To become a financial auditor in Canada, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, but more and more employers now also require an MBA or a CPA qualification.