"Employers have become more reluctant to co-fund"

Caroline Schultheiss has been working at the Kaufmännischer Verband Zürich (KFMV Zürich) since 2017, where she has established a professional career counseling service.

MK: Continuing education is part of good manners in the professional world today. Is there some kind of unwritten code about the intervals at which you should dedicate yourself to new training once you reach a certain position?

Caroline Schultheiss: I'm not aware of a code, but knowledge becomes outdated quite quickly these days. That's why it makes sense to continue your education on a regular basis in order to stay up to date, i.e. to keep your employability high. At the moment, there is almost a hype about continuing education, that's correct. It has become a huge business, which naturally increases the pressure on employees. People often forget that continuing education cannot only take place in a school/institution: When I read technical literature, attend lectures and events, I am also continuing my education. And of course I can also continue my education on the job by using new tools or computer systems, exchanging ideas with experts or keeping up to date in my field.

Isn't there a danger that people will sign up for further training for image reasons, but which in fact brings them hardly anything apart from costs and loss of time?

It is important for me to answer the following questions before making a decision about continuing education: Why do I want to do continuing education? What do I want to achieve with the continuing education? Do I want to obtain a recognized degree or do I want to expand specific competencies? I recently had a client who was interested in a PR specialist and a CAS at a university of applied sciences. She had talks with the head of the program, studied the curriculum and finally sat in on a class. Only then was the decision clear for her. And not to forget: Many roads lead to Rome. In very few cases is there only one "right" continuing education program.

In your opinion, what conditions and framework conditions should be in place to ensure that the investment in continuing education is really worthwhile?

Interest and motivation in the subject is the most important thing for me. What skills and competencies do I have, which ones do I want to acquire or are important for my job? As far as the framework conditions are concerned, time is certainly relevant, that you plan your absences from work and family in advance and think about time windows for learning. Then, of course, the question of costs is important: Will I pay for the training myself? Will my employer support me?

Does further training, for example in marketing and communications, usually also result in a direct jump in career and salary?

It is often the case that employees change jobs after further training or take on more responsibility in the company. When there is a change of function, the salary is of course always an issue. You simply have to pay attention and ask whether the training you have completed is also relevant to your function - this is often forgotten. In my opinion, it's worthwhile to discuss this issue with your supervisor before you start your training. What's in it, what's not? Or do I see my next career step with another employer?

Is it advisable to ask the employer for a financial contribution for further training?

Employers have become more reluctant to co-fund in recent years. Often, when an employee reaches a certain amount, he or she is obliged to stay with the employer for a certain time after graduation. I think that's a fair solution per se, but of course you can always buy your way out. If the training is relevant to the job, then I would certainly ask the employer for a contribution. If I'm doing something to develop in a new direction, then probably not.

Before signing up for further training, should you always consider who exactly stands to gain from it? Only oneself or also the employer?

Each person always sits in a further education and invests a part of his life time in it. You always do continuing education for yourself - usually the technical aspect is only one aspect of it. Equally important is the personal development, the broadening of horizons and the change of perspective, and of course the network that one can build up.

What misconceptions should you avoid when starting a continuing education program?

Further training does not per se mean a career move or a leap up the hierarchy. The transfer of the acquired knowledge is important: How do I use it in practice, how do I implement it successfully? What can I take away for my own personal development?

In our fast-moving and increasingly digitalized world, the number of people changing jobs and career changers is on the rise. A clear argument for more training?

Yes, definitely. Changing industries without practical experience requires at least a theoretical grounding in order to learn the subject matter. The world of continuing education has also changed in recent years, and there are increasingly shorter courses to familiarize yourself with a subject - it doesn't always have to be a multi-year course of study.

Interview: Robert Wildi