To find the right career: list what you enjoy and what you need (pay, schedule, training time), take a career interest quiz, research three to five matches in detail, test them with a conversation, shadowing or a short course, then choose the fastest credible training path. The answers below cover each step.
What career is right for me?
The right career sits where three things overlap: work you enjoy, work you are or can become good at, and work that meets your needs for pay, schedule and training time. Start with the free Career Match Quiz, pick three to five results, then read each one’s day-in-the-life and salary pages. Our guide on how to choose a career walks through the full process.
What career can I start with no experience?
Many: customer service representative, warehouse associate, retail sales associate, construction laborer, delivery driver, home health aide and security guard all commonly hire beginners and train on the job. See jobs with paid on-the-job training and how to get a job with no experience.
What jobs can I get with online training?
Online training alone can prepare you for many office, customer service, IT support, bookkeeping and digital marketing jobs. For hands-on and licensed jobs, such as nursing assistant, electrician or truck driver, online training covers the knowledge side and in-person training or an exam completes it. Our online career training page explains the difference.
What is vocational training?
Vocational training (also called career and technical education or trade school) teaches the skills for a specific job, such as welding, medical assisting or HVAC, rather than general academics. Programs typically last a few months to two years and often prepare you for a license or certification exam. Compare it with college in our college vs. trade school guide.
What is career training?
Career training is any instruction aimed at preparing you for a particular job: vocational programs, apprenticeships, certificate programs, employer training and short online courses. At Career Education Institute, career training means a self-paced course built around one job title.
What is job readiness training?
Job readiness training teaches the workplace and job-search skills needed to get and keep a job: communication, reliability, teamwork, problem solving, resumes and interviews. See job readiness training.
What is workforce development?
Workforce development is the system of programs that helps people gain job skills and helps employers find skilled workers: American Job Centers, WIOA-funded training, apprenticeships, community college programs and employer training. Programs for organizations are on our schools and workforce programs page.
What online courses help you get a job?
The courses that help most are tied to a specific job and teach what employers screen for: the duties, vocabulary, tools and safety rules of the role, plus resume and interview preparation. Courses that lead to a recognized credential employers ask for, such as CompTIA A+ for IT support, also help.
What are the best online career training programs?
The best program is the one that matches your target job and is honest about outcomes. Look for clear course content, a realistic length and price, a sample or practice test, and plain statements about whether it leads to a license, certification or credit. Our guide to choosing online career training has a checklist.
Are online career courses worth it?
They are worth it when the price is low relative to what you gain: a clearer career decision, a head start in a longer program, or stronger interviews. They are not worth it if a course promises a license, a job or a credential it can’t deliver. A $29.99 to $49.99 course that saves you from enrolling in the wrong program is money well spent.
How long does career training take?
It ranges widely: a short online course takes hours, a certificate program a few months to a year, an apprenticeship three to five years, and an associate degree two years. Our job-title trainings take 6 to 14 hours. See the fastest careers to train for.
How much does online career training cost?
Short online job courses often cost under $100; ours cost $29.99 to $49.99. Certificate programs commonly cost a few hundred to several thousand dollars, and trade school programs can cost more. Federal financial aid, WIOA funds and employer tuition help can lower the cost of eligible programs; see financial aid basics.
Do employers accept online career courses?
Employers value what a course shows: that you understand the job and took initiative. A course is not a substitute for a license or certification the job requires. List the course in a training section of your resume and be ready to talk about what you learned.
What is the difference between an online certificate and a career course?
A certificate program is usually longer, may be offered by a college, and can prepare you for an industry exam or carry credit. A career course is shorter and focused on learning a job. Our trainings end in a certificate of completion, which shows you finished the course but is not an industry certification. See certifications vs. degrees.
Is career training better than a college degree?
Neither is better for everyone. Career training is faster and cheaper and leads directly to many well-paid trades and technical jobs. A degree is required for professions such as teaching, engineering and nursing (RN) and tends to raise lifetime earnings on average. Take the College or Trade School? quiz.
What skills are employers looking for?
Employers consistently ask for communication, reliability, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability and a willingness to learn, along with the technical skills of the role. Our guide to soft skills employers want explains how to show them.
What are the fastest growing careers?
These careers have the fastest projected employment growth in our profiles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Nurse Practitioner: +41.0% projected growth, median pay $132,300
- Solar Panel Installer: +36.5% projected growth, median pay $53,140
- Data Scientist: +34.6% projected growth, median pay $120,230
- Wind Turbine Technician: +29.5% projected growth, median pay $64,120
- Medical and Health Services Manager: +24.2% projected growth, median pay $123,860
- Physical Therapist Assistant: +23.0% projected growth, median pay $68,380
- Psychiatric Technician: +22.3% projected growth, median pay $45,130
- Occupational Therapy Assistant: +21.5% projected growth, median pay $72,300
See the full fastest-growing careers list.
How do I change careers as an adult?
Get clear on why you want to change, shortlist careers that fit your skills and life, map your transferable skills, test the new field cheaply, close skill gaps with the most efficient training, plan your finances and rebrand your resume. Our step-by-step career change plan and career change at 30, 40 or 50 guides go deeper.
How do I choose an online course for a new career?
Choose the career first, then the course. Check that the course covers that job’s real duties and tools, read what it does and doesn’t lead to, look at a sample or practice test, and compare the price with the time you will spend. Avoid courses that guarantee jobs or licenses.
What can I learn online to get a better job?
Learn the skills your target job asks for in postings: software (spreadsheets, CRM, QuickBooks), industry vocabulary and procedures, safety standards and certifications that can be studied online, such as CompTIA A+. Our working professionals hub covers raises, promotions and upskilling.