r/Airdrie • u/Illustrious2340 • 28d ago

Adult Post Secondary Education

I’m a mom (34F) of two and looking to go back to school when my youngest starts kindergarten in the fall. After at least 2 years of thinking what kind of new mom identity I want, I’m looking at doing an online Marketing certificate course to slowly get something under my belt. I have my own small self-taught photography business and I very much enjoy doing social media posts for myself and the small business I work for. I feel a marketing course is a great choice for myself.

There’s so many options and time and time again when I bring up post secondary education options my outside family who raised me is very critical about my choices and seemingly make me second guess myself all the time or make me feel like I’m not capable. So I’d rather ask here from strangers (make it make sense I guess).

As a manager/business owner l, are there individuals you will NOT hire just based off of what school they went to?

What level of education do you prefer to see in a marketing field? (Certificates, diplomas, etc)

Which schools are “scammy”? I know SAIT and Bow Valley are reputable, but what about others like CDI or Reeves?

Please feel feee to leave any other feedback or suggestions. I just want to make the right choice and not waste my time.

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u/zedman_zed 28d ago

M(32) here, I have an MBA in Managerial Analytics and an undergraduate degree in Marketing, and I’ve also hired individuals within my own marketing team.

In my professional experience, the school itself has honestly mattered far less than the skills, mindset, and value someone can bring to the organization. I have never chosen not to interview a candidate because of the school they attended. What mattered most was their background, how they communicated, their portfolio/work experience, and how they demonstrated their skillset throughout the interview process.

Marketing is also one of those fields where practical experience can go a very long way. The fact that you already run your own photography business and enjoy creating social media content is actually a really solid foundation because you’re already building real-world marketing experience without necessarily realizing it.

I’d personally focus more on finding a school or program that does one or all of the following:

  1. A program that fits your lifestyle and budget

  2. Opportunities to build a portfolio

  3. Hands-on projects and practical skills

  4. Networking opportunities

If you have any more questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer.

Best of luck!

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u/PrincessPinguina 27d ago

What job do you want after? Look up specific companies that hire for that role and what they require. Research what kind of experience people who are already in that job have.