Page 82 - Marky Stein - Fearless Career Change_ The Fast Track to Success in a New Field (2004)

Fearless Career Change

much as 50 percent of their tuition. You might find that enrolling
in just one course is all that your boss needs to see to be convinced
that you’re really motivated, ambitious, and determined to master
new skills.

Discussing Tuition Reimbursement with Your Boss
If your employer is going to take on part of or all of the expense
for your tuition, he or she will want to know whether he or she is
making a good investment. Be prepared to show brochures and
computer printouts of the typical curriculum from several pro-
grams in your area, and plan a discussion with your boss so that he
or she feels included in the decision-making process.
It’s up to you to make a case for the value, both financially and
professionally, of what you’ll be gaining by returning to school and
in what precise way that will benefit your organization.
Your employer will be much more likely to buy into your
course of action if he or she is allowed to bear some of the respon-
sibility of making the decision. Set aside some specially appointed
time with your boss to meet and talk about your plans.
To set up a meeting, you might say something like this:

I’ve been thinking about pursuing some advanced studies that
would make me more valuable to our company. I have gathered lit-
erature on several of the best programs, and I’d like to have your
opinion about them. When can we set up a brief meeting to talk
about it?
You can also ask the human resources department whether your
company already has a tuition reimbursement program in place.
(Many companies do.) If you’re working for a smaller company or
one without formal tuition reimbursement perks, you might con-
vince your employer to chip in by saying something like this:

I’d really like to be able to contribute more knowledge and take
on more responsibilities at work. Would you consider covering a
percentage of my fees for an advanced degree if I could guaran-
tee that, in the long run, my new expertise and training would
save the company money and increase profits?

You must be creative in thinking about the concrete ways that
obtaining additional training will affect the employer’s bottom line.
The best way for you to persuade your employer to support your

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