Keep learning on course

You're committed to furthering your career through additional study this year but the plethora of courses and executive programmes available has left you scratching your head as to which one to take.

Choosing the right course shouldn't be a dark science argues training provider David Glover - provided you have some sort of career development plan.

The trouble, says Glover, is most execs have little idea of how their careers will unfold over the longer term.

That's why he says they'll never know what course is right for them unless they invest sufficient time reflecting on both their short and long-term career objectives.

Even though most companies don't bother doing it, Glover urges execs to assess the career and personal paybacks from investing their time and effort (and possibly money) in further study.

"Ask yourself why you want to do a particular course, what specific outcomes it will deliver, and how those outcomes will be measured," advises Glover, managing director with David Forman.

To help you get the most out of your next course we have put together 10 cast-iron tips to help your career development.

* Discuss it with your boss:

Find out whether your interest in further study in a specific area coincides with the company's overall objectives. HR managers these days are much better briefed to offer sound advice on course options.

If gaining further qualifications will improve your performance on the job, it's reasonable to expect the company to pay. If your employer is "gung-ho" about you doing a particular course, find out what allowances it will make for your time off during working hours attending classes. It's also important to find out if the boss will provide the necessary support infrastructure to ensure the company doesn't suffer while you're studying.

* Check your motives:

Before you start evaluating different tertiary institutions, it's important to check your underlying reasons for committing all that time and the boss' (or your own) money to studying a particular course.

To do this properly requires some soul-searching into your short and long-term career goals. That means assessing how a particular course will complement your career development.

For example, are you looking for new skills or do you just like the idea of adding an MBA to your CV? Similarly, are you looking for a course that will enhance your opportunity for career advancement within your chosen industry or are you looking to apply newly acquired skills elsewhere?

* Do your homework:

Use the internet to quickly identify what courses are on offer in your area, and what distance learning opportunities are available. Once you've narrowed your options, ask for a full course outline plus any other relevant data. Remember, personal contact through a course co-ordinator should also be available to answer any questions on content. It's also important to balance the blurb you receive from a tertiary institution by talking with people who have done the programme.

* Identify quality hallmarks:

Once you've decided what type of course you're looking for, start evaluating the tertiary institutions offering them against your own evaluation criteria. Informal information sharing with friends and corridor chat with colleagues is a good way to find out what others may think of the options you're considering.

Try to benchmark the reputations these tertiary institutions have in the eyes of the local industry and other professional associations.

If some of these institutions have been awarded international quality accreditations, try to find out why.

It's important not to take these accreditations at face value as they often recognise post-graduate research more than quality teaching.

* Scrutinise course content:

It's important to drill down below tertiary institution branding, the glossy brochures and look at the specific papers each course offers.

How well does the core material align with your main reasons for doing this course in the first place?

Ideally you should try to identify a course that provides a continuum of learning - allowing you to build on the knowledge you have already.

Find out what readings and rationale underpins the course programme.

Also assess whether course text books are more academic or industry based. Another differentiator is what contact the course has with business and the quality of visiting speakers.

* Calibre of lecturers:

For "applied education" a useful acid test into the calibre of teaching staff is to assess how much relevant industry experience they have. Unless the teaching staff have a foundation of applied industry experience, you might find all you're doing on a course is "stamp collecting".

Other useful clues could be their methodologies for teaching and assessment. Find out if teaching staff fully appreciate that adults learn differently from younger students.

Interestingly enough, studies suggest execs most at risk of dropping out of a course are those who haven't studied for many years.

* Will I be able to cope?

Find out what time commitments are involved in taking a particular course and honestly assess how it will fit in with your overall lifestyle - including work and family commitments. For example, the time demands of an MBA programme can be tough on other family members. So, realistically assess the sacrifices you expect others to make on your behalf. If they're not prepared to make those sacrifices - you have a problem.

* What learning channel suits you?

You also need to discover what kind of course programme best complements both your timetable and learning preference. For example, if you prefer studying alone, then a distance learning programme - with block classroom learning - might suit your style. So ensure you're comfortable with the technologies such as the internet, paper-based correspondence or other electronic formats available.

Alternatively, if you like to share information with fellow students, then assess the quality of the peer group you'll be in the classroom with. Try to avoid taking the easy way out, for example you might not relish a classroom learning environment but it might just stretch your personal development.

* Assess the payback:

Before you embark on any course, try to identify the specific outcomes you want it to deliver and how those outcomes will be measured.

For example, list three qualitative and quantitative outcomes that will add value to the work you're doing.

If the cost of that short-term course is coming out of your own pocket try to establish how long it will take to deliver a commercial payback. If you can't think of any specific outcomes you're probably doing the wrong course.

Check what promises or guarantees courses make and whether they'll refund your money if you pull out. Some training organisations offer a money-back guarantee if (after following the prescribed processes) desired outcomes aren't achieved.

* Assume nothing:

A blind faith that any old course will add value is naive. So ensure that you're sufficiently briefed on any course you undertake, especially those the boss wants you to go on that you know little about.

The last thing you want to do is find yourself on a course where you're sitting down the back thinking, "I know it all - what can you teach the likes of me?" This will not only save you the frustration of attending a course you're ill-suited for, it will keep you positive about other courses.

* Mark Story spoke to David Glover managing director David Forman, Polly Parker senior lecturer University of Auckland Business School, and Stuart Middleton MIT's executive director student affairs.