But some mid-career professionals are working with the cards they’ve been dealt by going back to school. Many are turning to data analytics, cybersecurity, AI-focused courses, health care, MBA programs, or trade certifications for an “immediate impact on their careers,” Metaintro CEO Lacey Kaelani told Fortune.
“We absolutely see this trend [of adults going back to school] accelerating,” Kaelani said. “In combination with layoffs over the recent years plus the rise of required AI skills, experience is no longer enough.”
While it’s not necessarily a completely new phenomenon, it’s becoming more frequently now that the job market is the pits.
Still, Szamet sees “very consistent” reasons for people considering higher education at a later stage in life. Some believe they’ve “plateaued” in their career, and education is the only option. Others have been affected by layoffs, and there are some “who have simply become burned out with work and want a meaningful profession,” she told Fortune.
“Then, too, come life circumstances. Some people have fewer responsibilities, better financial security, or a sense they will never make a change if they put it off now,” she said, adding she’s seeing more people pivot out of “dying industries,” those whose salaries have stagnated, or those who have job-security fears.
Sometimes going back to school can also just feel like delaying the inevitable: student loans and other living costs.
“Going to school can be very beneficial, but it can be very costly too,” Szamet said. And when people are older and going back to school, they should consider “the cost of education and how stressful it can be to juggle work and family responsibilities with education.” Overall, “one ought to assess if it will be a good investment,” she added.
Still, 40% of master’s degrees actually “have no net financial value at all,” according to the report.
“In today’s job market, going back to school only works when it’s strategic and targeted [like a] specific technical certification in a high-demand field, but fails when it’s vague,” Kaelani emphasized. “It’s no longer ‘more education equals a better job.’”
