How Fast-Track Career Programs Help You Avoid Wasting Time
Posted On September 4,2025
You want a career change. Maybe you’re feeling stuck in a career with no room to grow. Maybe you hate the idea of doing your current job for the rest of your working years. Maybe you just feel drawn to a different career? Whatever your reason for wanting a change, what stops most adults from changing their path isn’t that they don’t want to, but that they don’t feel as though they can put their life on hold while they get the right degree. Taking a hiatus from work and investing in a traditional four-year university program isn’t easy – or even possible – for a lot of people. However, it’s also not necessary. With a fast-track career program, you can streamline your education and make that career change without wasting time or money.
A Focused Track, Not a General One
Why can a career academy get you out of the classroom and working a skilled job in two years or less, while a traditional college or university takes four years or more?
The answer is simpler than most people think. Traditional colleges still put a lot of emphasis on general education classes, meaning that no matter what your focus is, you will still need to take a full year or more of introductory courses that cover all subjects, even if they’re unrelated to your career goals. Conversely, career academies are based on the concept that you know what you want to do, so the focus is on relevant classes and relevant training designed to get you out of the classroom and into your new job. Every class you take is specifically designed to prepare you for a career.
Fast Doesn’t Mean You’re Cutting Corners
Judgy people are everywhere, and they love to make comments on how other people are living their lives. These people hear that you’re getting a degree in 18-24 months as opposed to years, and think that you must be taking a shortcut, and you won’t be ready when it’s time to get your first job. This could not be further from reality. As mentioned earlier, this isn’t because career academies cut corners. In fact, career academies ensure that they don’t cut corners when it comes to preparing you for a career. Every moment you spend in the classroom in a career academy is relevant to your new career. Career academies use their knowledge of what employers want to build a comprehensive curriculum based on the practical knowledge you need to have. With no filler classes, they can take all those relevant classes and training hours and fit them neatly into an accelerated program. Instead of graduating with a lot of credits but no real career readiness, you’ll graduate knowing that you are ready to step out of the classroom and into your first job. Whether you are looking for a career in healthcare or education, you will be practically prepared for your first job when you finish.
Career Programs are Designed for Busy Adults
Traditional colleges are designed for young adults who enroll right out of high school, with the primary responsibility of attending school. That’s not the reality for those who didn’t go straight to college or want to make a career change later in life, and career academies are designed for busy, working adults. At a career academy, you can juggle your career and family alongside your classes, and you don’t need to worry about losing your income. With the flexible schedules and plenty of faculty support career academies provide, you can continue to work at your current job while training for your new career. Unlike in a traditional college, where working alongside your classes isn’t expected, career academies assume their students are busy with their own lives.Classes are held throughout the day, evening, and even on weekends to accommodate all students’ schedules and allow them to work their curriculum into their schedules.
A Financial Investment That’s Easier to Handle
There’s no question that college is expensive. Even at the most affordable four-year college, a degree is a substantial investment.Many college students take on thousands of dollars in debt to earn their degree, only to find, after graduation, that it will take years for their income to catch up. Career academies are a far more manageable investment. With a focused curriculum, every class you pay for is an actual investment in your career. Without a massive campus to support, these classes are far more affordable than you’d find at a four-year university, letting you prepare for a job at a fraction of the cost of a university. That means that you’ll graduate with significantly less debt – if you took on any at all. Most career academies have financial aid available and will work with you on a payment plan that you can afford. Since you can still work your current job while taking classes, you can keep your financial security.
If you know what you want to do for your next career, don’t waste time and money on classes that aren’t relevant. Cut out the clutter in your curriculum and look for a career academy that will focus on real preparation that will set you up for success in your new career. When you enroll in a career academy, you don’t need to put your life on hold, and you can streamline your education with classes that are designed to get you out of the classroom and into a career. You’ll save time, you’ll save money, and you’ll leave with a new career you’ll love.
Ready to make a career change without putting your life on hold? Athena Career Academy’s fast-track programs can help you get there. Contact us today to get started.