Recognition of Prior Learning & Investing in yourself: Have you thought about using your tax return to boost your career?
As we head towards the end of the financial year, most of us will be thinking about all of the things we need to get in order before 30 June.
For any of us who’ve undertaken study or used recognition of prior learning to graduate qualifications in the 2013/2014 financial year, it’s a good idea to save a copy of the invoice you would have received for study or qualification expenses. You may be able to claim a deduction for self-education expenses if your study was work-related, so ask your accountant!
You can find out more about self-education expenses at the Australian Taxation Office website here.
If you haven’t taken the opportunity to look at solidifying your skills or boosting your qualifications, why not make it a ‘new financial year resolution’? If you’re expecting a tax return this year, consider using it to invest in yourself.
Find out what you’re eligible for
You are your biggest asset when it comes to securing a new job or simply ensuring you are secure in the one you have, so it makes sense to spend some resources towards making yourself as valuable as you can to your existing or potential employer.
Before taking the plunge and investing either time, money or both in yourself, take the time to consider a few things:
- What do you want from a job? The answer may not be as simple as you think. Rather than focusing on the obvious things, like money, think about what you enjoy doing, what you excel at, and what motivates you. If your needs aren’t being met in your current role, look at jobs you think could fulfil these needs and make a plan to get there.
- Have confidence in your abilities. Building on your capability or securing qualifications that translate well on a resume doesn’t mean you’re not already a high-performer with a great deal of experience. You should be proud of the experience you’ve gained over your career, and take stock of the things you’ve learned along the way. Recognition of prior learning is an assessment method that allows you to offer up your years of on the job experience as your life exam for qualifications.
- Identify gaps and obstacles. What’s stopping you from landing the job you want? If it’s a formal qualification or a training gap, these are things that can easily (and surprisingly quickly) be fixed. Using recognition of prior learning can shorten your time to complete a qualification to as little as 28 days. If you’re willing to invest either the time or money in receiving formal qualifications, training or both, you may find these gaps and obstacles are easily overcome.
If you’d like to know more about changing careers and how we can help you to move forward in your career, call us now on 1300 793 002 and speak to one of our Skills Development Advisors who are experts in finding the way forward for you!
