Online Classes Make It Easy to Switch Careers
You want a career working with animals.
As it turns out, this is a smart choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the animal care industry is expected to have above average growth of 11 percent from 2014 to 2024. It’s also an industry not limited geographically because pet ownership isn’t exclusive to a particular area. By choosing a career in the pet industry, your employment outlook is positive no matter where you live.
We don’t have to sell you anymore on the industry because your love of animals made the decision for you! So, how do you get started?
Assuming you want a career working directly with exotic animals, your first step is studying. It doesn’t matter which area you’re focused on whether it’s veterinary care, zookeeper assistant certification, grooming or animal training. They will all require schooling and certification if you want to have the most options and flexibility occupationally. You have options when looking at getting this animal career training, but the best one may be an online education. Before covering how online programs deal with the necessary hands-on portion of animal job training, let’s review the program’s positives.
Benefits of an Online Education
Location
You can access your classes wherever you live because they’re available online. All you need is Internet connection. You won’t have to worry about moving to a new city or state to attend classes. Also, you won’t have to worry about having reliable transportation, or concern yourself with getting to class during poor road conditions.
Convenience
Classes are available 24/7. Whenever you have time to study, you can do so on your own time. This is especially helpful if you need to work during the day or have children at home. Plus, when you need help, there are instructors who can answer your questions. You might not be able to get questions answered at 1 am, but most programs will offer at least a 24-hour turnaround.
Pace
Everybody learns at a different pace. You might have a good grasp on some concepts, but need extra learning time for others. In a conventional on-site classroom, it’s almost impossible for a teacher to set a pace that fits every student. With an online program, you can set your own pace and take the extra time you need to make sure you completely understand the material before moving on.
Lower Costs
Sometimes tuition prices for online programs will be less, but this is not always true. However, the associated costs will be less. There aren’t any commuting or additional housing costs from needing to live closer to campus. Often, the total spent on course materials will be less because much of the information will be available online.
Online learning is a great option for anyone, but especially for non-traditional students who might have a problem getting to traditional classrooms. Besides, who doesn’t want to take classes in your pajamas when the house is quiet and nobody will interrupt you?
But What About Hands-On Training?
No animal career training program would be complete without hands-on training or real world experience. After you finish the online portion of your studies, you will need to complete an externship portion. Every online organization will be a little different, but Animal Behavior College has relationships with relevant organizations all over the country. They make the externship portion of your training almost as easy as the online portion.
For the Veterinary Assistant Program, Animal Behavior College has relationships with more than 4,000 facilities in the U.S. and Canada. They have more than 1,900 locations where you can complete your groomer training for the Pet Grooming Program. Plus, they have relationships with animal shelters and humane societies across North America for the Dog Training Program. With their large network of pet industry professionals, you’ll be able to get hands-on training or real world experience in your community.
Along with the ease of their online studies and considerable network of externship facilities, Animal Behavior College also provides you with your own Program Manager to help you throughout the course. Your Program Manager will be available to answer all of your questions, grade your exams and counsel you. Even though you’re studying in your own community and not on a campus, you will have the support you need to succeed.
The Internet has made the acquisition of knowledge a simple process. All you need to do is determine which online program will provide you the education and training necessary for a career with animals. A successful certification program will combine the ease of learning theory online with a robust professional network to provide the hands-on experience needed. This potent combination provides a flexible format that works well for many students, but especially the non-traditional student. To get started in your career helping animals, consider attending one of the online programs offered by Animal Behavior College.
