Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not putting your educational credentials to work? If so, you are not alone. Many working people are frustrated when they discover that their degrees are not connected to the career path they eventually selected. Fortunately, it’s often possible to change jobs and reset your professional trajectory. In addition to refinancing student loans to enhance your monthly budget, consider using your educational specialty to write several unique courses you can sell via online platforms. Many college grads earn a solid side income creating classes that appeal to a wide audience.

Other degree holders start consulting businesses and offer their expertise for a fee. One way to get started as a consultant or course writer is to build an extensive alumni network. That way, you’ll have the advantage of making hundreds of worthwhile business connections before starting your business venture. Here are some suggestions for leveraging the full power of your educational background.

Choose a Suitable Career Path

There’s no shame in adjusting a career path to match the degree more closely you earned. Many college grads take the first job offer they receive but later decide to get back to the main field they chose in school when they opted for a major. Consider speaking with a vocational or career advisor to get some ideas about how to switch tracks without losing out on salary, seniority, or opportunities. Corporations tend to welcome applicants who are attempting to get back into their main field of expertise.

Pay Less on Outstanding Student Loans

One way to maximize the value of your education is to pay less on student loans. How do people achieve that goal? They refinance their school debt through a private lender. It’s a fast and simple way to gain access to a more competitive interest rate and more favorable terms. By consolidating multiple loans into one, you also get the advantage of simplifying your monthly finances. That’s an often-overlooked advantage of refinancing. Simplicity, combined with a lower total student loan payment, is a powerful combination of benefits for anyone who currently owes on their college or graduate degree.

Sell Unique Online Courses

One of the great benefits of living in the digital age is that anyone with a college degree can write and sell online courses and earn a decent side income by doing so. Whether you earn a diploma in business, literature, mathematics, engineering, or something else, choose a specific niche and outline a course that could introduce newcomers to the topic. This is also a way to turn your hobbies into a career since you are not limited to creating courses with educational content only. Film yourself teaching the class and offer it for sale on one of the high traffic educational platforms.

Offer Consulting Services

The consulting field is currently enjoying a golden age, primarily because people can offer online sessions to clients anywhere in the world. There’s no need for office space or overhead. All you need is a college degree, the ability to help people who want to learn about your field, a computer, and a high-quality webcam. Building a professional network based on alumni contacts from your school is a great way to get started and land those first few clients.