More folks in my field are pausing jobs to go back to school

I'm in graphic design, and recently, several friends have stopped working to take full-time courses in web development or user experience. One side says this is needed to stay current, as tech tools evolve quickly and old skills can become useless. I saw a former teammate do a bootcamp and switch to a better-paying role at a startup. The other side worries that gaps in employment make you less attractive to employers and you miss out on office connections. Another person I know took eight months off for a certificate but then faced tough questions in interviews. It feels like a big risk with no sure payoff. I'm split on what to advise others. Where do you all fall on this? Is stepping away to learn full-time a good plan, or should people try to study while keeping their current position?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona29d ago

Totally get this! My friend who did print design left for a six-month UI course and said it was the only way she could actually focus and catch up. She felt her old skills were becoming irrelevant, like knowing specific Adobe tricks no one needed anymore. Yeah, the gap looked scary on her resume, but she just framed it as a dedicated learning period and landed a way more modern job. It's a gamble, but sometimes you gotta dive in full time to really switch gears, you know?

torres.pat29d agoMost Upvoted

Did your friend struggle with the course cost too?

fionab3722d ago

Read an article saying employers now see skill-upgrade gaps as a plus if you show what you learned.