As someone who tended to follow conservative finances growing up, one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn is that sometimes you just have to spend money to make money. Well this applies to many area of business, a common place to see this is in higher education.
The cost of education is growing every year and more people are considering trade schools or learning on the job as an alternative. But in the “considering” is the key point, it is to evaluate the different options. Both options have costs, risks, and possible returns. It is only with all three can a choice really be made.
My first University degree is in Computer Science and to me was just a piece of paper as I had been writing code and building products for over a decade. I did learn a few new things when it came to data structures and other specialized knowledge for the field that had some little impact on my actual job due to the type of software deveyo went into.
After working as a software developer for a few years, I made a career change into the management path. At this point, I could do what many managers have done and learn on the job as experience is a great teacher. However, many managers in the technical field have either a technical background with no formal management training or vice versa. This creates a situation where having both was an advantage, combing that with my love of learning, I decided to go back to school for a Masters of Business Administration. At the time, the price tag of $50,000 for the 3 year program was crazy, however it would give me the potential to very quickly move in my career and easily add approximately the 3 year cost to my yearly salary. In this case it made sense to spend the money to make more money.
These types of evaluations come up all the time in life and work. It might be buying some graphic design software so you can then turn around and make logos for others or save the cost of contacting that work to someone else. It could be taking a course on project management, writing copy, or many other topics which would add a new skill for you to sell. Well it is always possible to try and learn on your own or start from the ground up, it is frequently not worth trying to reinvent the wheel yourself when others have already walked that path.