Dear counsellor,

Presently I am pursuing my bachelor’s degree, and since I have a lot of free time, I was considering doing a diploma course in another field to boost my competitiveness. However, my friends are telling me it is wastage of time and money. I am confused. I need your thoughts about this.

Edwin

With jobs becoming increasingly complex, supplementary skills and qualifications are desirable on the global job market and this puts you at a competitive advantage. Doing an additional vocational course will add value to your initial qualifications and will advance your skills into a well-integrated competitor in the labour market. Such supplementary credentials definitely boost a person’s employment and earning potentials. This is an investment that you make at some point in your career and such ventures can be more than worthwhile pursuits with a massive turnover. It’s intellectually stimulating and opens out many fascinating opportunities for you to explore unique academic, social and economical heights in life. Net working opportunities get much closer as you connect with like-minded people who are all equally ambitious and passionate about what they do.

However, special attention should be put on the quality of the course you choose to take. A poor quality programme won’t reflect well on you and your investment of time and money. Don’t be driven by your friends but rather go for something that will potentially pay off towards boosting your status and enhance your repute. This is what matters to you.

Keep in mind that it’s important to maintain a balance between study and practical work experience to maximise your opportunities. Use your time well. Don’t wait until it’s too late, or spend your life regretting that you never went for it. Wake-up and pursue it immediately for it could open up a whole new world of opportunities and possibly more lucrative ones.

Good luck in your struggle.