If you are worried about robots taking your job, the good news is the more educated you are the less likely that is to happen. According to researchers at Oxford, people who are more educated are at least risk of having their jobs automated.

But, how do you manage going back to school if you are already mid-career? Most people are not in a position to quit their jobs and go to school full-time.

I got two master’s degrees while working full-time, so I consider myself an expert on the topic. I did not quit my job to go to school for either degree, partly because my employer paid for one of them. If I left my job I would forfeit tuition coverage. The other reason is I was already a working adult with real financial obligations like a mortgage. I needed a job to pay those bills.

There are ways to make full-time work and school gel together, even if it sounds overwhelming. Here are tips from my experience working while earning two master’s degrees.

Tip #1: Make sure your employer knows you are going to school.

Some people do not tell their employer they are going back to school because they think it will look like they are less dedicated to their jobs. They worry their employer will see it as a way out of the job, whether that person plans to continue or not.

This way of thinking is not helpful and could not be further from the truth.

Most companies want to see employees become more educated. This especially true if you can bring what you learn to your job. You will actually be a more valuable employee with updated skills and a broader set of knowledge.

It is also important that your employer knows about your school work so they can help you balance any school-related obligations.

As I mentioned, my employer paid for one of my degrees. I was required to inform them I was in school to get the tuition benefit.

On top of that, letting my company know about school opened doors to opportunities I would not have otherwise known about. For example, one of the managers thought of me for a Nurse Educator role teaching health information systems. This is because she heard I was getting a degree in Nursing Informatics, and thought the job would fit.

Tip #2: Shop around for flexible programs.

You never know what may happen in life once you start school – you may become a parent, get married, experience a loss, or any number of things. Make sure you find schools that are flexible so you can roll with life’s punches. Look for options like:

• Both in-person and remote learning:

Even if you are the type who likes classrooms and socializing with other students, prepare for situations where commuting to class on time is challenging.

• Offering evening, weekend, ‘intensives,’ and ‘asynchronous’ schedules:

Having the option of evening and weekend schedules will be important if your work schedule changes, or you can only concentrate on school work at certain times in the week.

Some schools offer intensives – classes held over a short period of time such as twenty-four hours over two weekends, or eight hours per day for five days. These classes allow you to complete an entire course over a short period of time. When I got my Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), I took intensives to knock out credits during less busy times of the year at work. This allowed me to take fewer courses during times when I knew work would be crazy.

Asynchronous schedules are ones where there is no set class meeting time, and most of the coursework is done as independent study. There are usually requirements that you post comments, short papers, and feedback on classmates’ work by a specified deadline. Many online courses are structured this way. I chose this option for some of my Nursing Informatics classes, and I found there was a lot of reading since we did not have formal lectures.

Word of warning: You do need to be good about scheduling your time to make sure you get through the material by the deadlines.

• The ability to pause participation in the program without penalty:

Again, life happens. If you ever need to pause participation in your degree program, make sure there are no penalties to doing so. Unfortunately, some schools are very rigid about following a specific sequence of classes in a specific amount of time. Know that before you enroll.

I chose my MBA program because they did not require me to start from the beginning if I ever needed to pause. A friend of mine did not look into that before enrolling in his MBA program, and felt the consequences when he needed to pause after his father’s death.

Tip #3: Schedule time for schoolwork and keep it consistent each week.

Some people try to tackle schoolwork in the gaps of time during work, but I found the most successful approach was to schedule specific time each week for my schoolwork. That way it became a habit, and I just knew Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-noon was school time. It also helped my family adjust because the hours stayed the same each week.

Making it a consistent habit also helped me to be a better student and employee.

As a student, it was my time to concentrate, stay on top of reading, and complete assignments. I performed more consistently than I ever did as an undergraduate. As an employee, I was not distracted at work trying to squeeze school assignments into my workday. I knew exactly when I would focus on schoolwork, so I could focus on my job during working hours.

Tip #4: Study topics that will help with your career.

This seems like an obvious one, but a lot of people select topics outside of their field to try something new. There is nothing wrong with expanding your horizons. However, it can be hard to hold brain space for what you learn at work and what you learn at school when they are not related.

As I made the move from bedside nursing to healthcare technology, I chose Nursing Informatics classes related to what I did as a bedside nurse. For example, because I worked in home care, I did two of my Nursing Informatics practicums with home care agencies.

It can also be easier to learn a topic when you apply the knowledge. Choosing a topic related to work gives you that opportunity.

Aligning your studies with your job also provides a clear way to show your employer the value of your education. You can bring your knowledge back to your workplace.

Tip #5: Take your time.

Remember that flexible schedule I mentioned? This is where it helps. There is no race for completing your degree. While some schools do have deadlines, they are usually pretty generous.

For example, my Nursing Informatics program required completion within six years of enrolling while most part-time students finished in three years. When life happened, I trimmed my class schedule.

There were times I took only one class in a semester. And guess what? I still graduated. I still built a career.

No one knows how quickly or slowly I completed my degrees unless I tell them. And if I do mention it, I also mention I held down a full-time job while in school.

Key takeaways:

Having worked full-time while in school for two master’s degrees, I can tell you that it is doable. You will have an easier time of it if you:

• Are upfront with your employer so they can support you.
• Find a flexible program that gives you lots of options to fit your schedule.
• Set aside consistent time each week for school work – this will make you a better student and a better employee.
• Align your studies with your work so you can practice what you learn in the workplace.
• Work at your own pace.

Also remember that you will get tons of respect from employers for balancing career and school. You would be surprised how many hiring managers out there got where they are because they also balanced a full-time job with school.