In uncertain economic times, you may hesitate to spend money to advance your career. But some investments -- of money and time -- can really pay off.

    在經濟不穩定時期，你可能舍不得花錢來為自己的職業投資。但是一定金錢和時間的投資可能真的會帶給你不錯的回報。

    One of the main ways to invest in your career is through education.

    投資你的事業的一個主要方法就是教育。

    Don't think of it as going back to school, which sounds like you didn't get it right in the first place and doesn't feel good. Instead, think of it as a way to broaden your knowledge.

    不要認為教育就是再回到學校去，這聽起來就好像你當初沒學好一樣，也會讓你感覺不舒服。再教育是找到一個方法來拓寬你的知識。

    Here are three ways to invest in you career through education:

    以下有三個方法教你怎樣在職業教育上投資：

    1）Get a degree.

    取得一個學位。

    Complete your bachelor's degree or get a master's degree, MBA or even a Ph.D.

    完成你的學士學位或考取一個碩士學位，MBA甚至是博士學位。

    "We're looking at global competition," said Patti Wilson, CEO of CareerCompany.com in Silicon Valley. An advanced degree can help you get promoted or move between industries.

    硅谷CareerCompany.com公司的CEO Patti Wilson說："我們正面臨的是全球的競爭，高學歷能夠給你帶來晉升，也能讓你隨心所欲地轉行。"

    Some people say workers in midcareer or later won't have time to recoup the cost of an advanced degree. It's a calculation that may push you toward a program that you can complete while working. But there are other factors to consider, Wilson said. An advanced degree can facilitate the move to consulting for an experienced worker, for example.

    有人說在職業生涯中期或晚期的工作人士沒有時間來享受更高的學位帶來的益處。正是這種考慮可能會讓你隨便選一個能夠在工作期間完成的課程。Wilson說，其實還有其他的因素可以考慮。比如，高學位可以幫助你成為資深員工的顧問。

    2）Become certified.

    取得認證。

    Technical fields, project management and human resources are just some fields in which certifications can help advance a career. Certifications are generally less time-consuming and expensive than degree programs.

    在技術行業，項目管理以及人力資源等領域里，證書都可以讓你獲得職業的提升。行業證書和學位證書比較起來說，花費的時間更少，金錢成本也相對較低。

    3）Learn cross-cultural communication skills.

    學習跨文化溝通的技巧。

    If you're working outside your native country and not speaking your native language, consider taking classes in accent reduction and American business etiquette.

    如果你在國外工作，日常語言也不是母語，那就考慮參加有關消除口音以及美國商務禮儀的課程。

    How do you know if you need these classes? If you're lucky, your boss will tell you. But you may simply notice that you're not getting promoted to positions that require good communication skills.

    如何知道自己是否需要這些課程呢？如果你夠幸運的話，你的上司會告訴你。不過，你可能會注意到你不會被升到需要良好溝通技巧的職位。