Which Credentials to Choose through Army COOL - MedCerts

Is Short-Term Online Career Training Right for You?

There is no denying that higher education is expensive and leaves many people burdened by lifelong debt. The opportunity of getting that education at no-cost is an advantage you don’t want to miss out on – but choosing the right training can be intimidating. 

Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities Online) is a resource for finding useful, relevant career training programs or credentialing opportunities online. It’s designed to be an easy-to-use searchable database of credential programs for people in the Army to promote within their MOS or transition back into civilian life. With the $4000 available through Army Credentialing Assistance (CA), these credentials cost nothing for you to earn. 

However, even with this helpful resource, it can still be challenging to find a suitable career training program from CA-approved schools. Even more challenging is choosing an industry that will stay in demand. 

Why Choose an In-Demand Job?

For anyone looking for work, it’s smart to choose something that’s going to remain relevant for a long time. If someone is putting in the time and effort to learn skills and improve themselves, they deserve to use those skills for their whole career. They also deserve to make a reasonable salary for their work.

Fields with a lot of demand for employees are usually growing, which means they have lots of opportunities, and they will likely be around for a while. This also means there are generally fewer people who have trained for the job. When there are fewer qualified applicants for a job, those who do apply can often command a higher salary.

What Makes a Job In-Demand?

In-demand fields share a few common characteristics:

  • Long-term growth potential
  • Open positions
  • Requirements for specific, in-demand skills


If a field meets these three criteria, it’s likely an excellent choice for anyone considering retraining their skillset.

Long-term growth potential is deeply connected to whether a career is in-demand. When a field is growing steadily and already has open positions, it’s easy to see that more people will be needed in the future. Training for a job with a lot of growth, like a clinical medical assistant or a patient care technician, is a great way to find guaranteed work for years to come. At MedCerts, we also offer programs where you can earn the skills and knowlege to get multiple certifications.

Jobs that need specific skills and certifications are typically the most in-demand. Because these jobs have a relatively high barrier to entry, there are almost always openings for qualified people in the field. Information security analysts are an example of one such position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified this field as one that’s seeing 30% growth rates. It requires certification, but the area is only continuing to grow.

Certification Is the Key to In-Demand Industries

The Army COOL program is an excellent resource for finding training and certification programs. Choosing the right training opportunity requires an understanding of in-demand fields, though. By selecting a job and a training program that’s in-demand, it’s possible to enter a career that will offer steady work for years to come.

The Army, Department of Defense, and Department of the Army are not affiliated with MedCerts and do not endorse our services.

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Published on October 7, 2020