Career Change Process: Leverage Your Current Employer

conor-gaughan — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 14:42:13 +0000

Background: I am currently learning front-end web development in an effort to make an eventual career shift. I set out in search of a formal class setting to learn Javascript, but could not afford a Bootcamp nor did I have the time to dedicate myself to one. As a result, I had to find a sweet spot - something that was both reasonably priced and not a huge time commitment. I found some coding workshops by General Assembly that fit exactly what I was looking for time-wise but were still slightly out of my budget. I started to brainstorm ways that I could enroll in the class and find a way to have it fully (or at least partially) paid for.

Employer Funding

I currently work for a software company as a Customer Success Manager where the day-to-day functions of my role do not require any coding whatsoever. My employer provides a quarterly training budget from which I have not requested a penny. In the past, I was hesitant to request funding because the classes I wanted to take were out of my job scope. But, not asking for it was a guaranteed no so I finally decided to go for it.
So - how do you make the argument to your manager?
- Explain the Value. It's key to identify your current responsibilities and how a class can supplement or improve your performance. In my example, being a product expert is imperative for communicating with clients effectively. The only way I can improve on that is by becoming more technical, so knowing how our products website works increases your value to the company.
- "I want to make sure I am providing our client base with as much knowledge about the product as possible. To do this, I would like to become more technical with the product and I think this class would help me holistically understand what our clients experience every day."
- Continued Education. Showing management your desire to further your development & education is a sign that you want to learn & grow. Learning skills that are specific to what you do every day is unrealistic and by doing this your ceiling of potential is limited. Learning skills somewhat outside of your current role can drastically impact your development, or in my case hopefully, help find a new role & interest.
- Be Reasonable. Your current employer is likely not going to agree to pay thousands of dollars for coding Bootcamp, so find some more affordable options. For example, I am taking two coding workshops through General Assembly that are around $250 each. It might be worth asking colleagues what they've had covered by the company to figure out a baseline.
- You Have to Ask. I have worked at my current employer for over two years and they provide a quarterly training budget. I have been interested in web development for over a year now, but was always hesitant to ask for additional training outside of my core job functionality. I recommend putting time on your manager's calendar to discuss why you think you should have this training, or use time during your 1:1.

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Career Change Process: Leverage Your Current Employer

Employer Funding