Clock in, clock out. Repeat. Day in and day out. And if you don’t love what you do, that cycle can wear on you. Whether you’re looking to find a job, start over in a new career or move up the ladder in your current position, stacking more training, credentials and education on your resume is one way to achieve these goals.
Some fields require one specific certification to be hired, like a CDL for example. But for other careers, the more credentials you have, the better hire you are. Take Brittany. She works in the healthcare field, and after getting her phlebotomy credential and medical records credential, she went on to add certified medical assistant to help her advance in her company.
Brittany was lucky in that she had a job while she was earning more certifications, but if you’re unemployed, sometimes you need a quick training to get on your feet before you can pursue bigger goals.
“Especially for folks who do not have the current skills employers are hiring for and need to enter the workforce quickly, fast stackable certification training, like FastForward, is their opportunity,” said Adrianna Culbertson, a FastForward Career Coach at Southwest Virginia Community College. “Some of our programs can be done in a day. Others can be done in just a couple of weeks.”
Earning these credentials can help fast-track you into a full-time position with higher wages, giving some stability while you work towards a degree or a future career move.
Expanding your qualifications can be done in a couple of ways. Virginia Career Works provides localized resources to help you network, train and find a career, while Virginia’s Community Colleges also provide a variety of training and educational programs that can make you a stronger job applicant.