Quicker than either a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree, a top-notch certificate program can qualify you for a skilled entry-level position or give you a boost up the ladder at your current job in a remarkably short period of time.

Every company of any size needs personnel with some kind of accounting knowledge. A good certificate program can give you the skills to land that first job, or move up from the data entry job that is beginning to lose its appeal. The basics of financial and managerial accounting and a background in federal taxation will open doors to a wide variety of financial jobs.

Or maybe the hands-on nature of cooking and baking appeals to you. Start off with the nuts and bolts knowledge of food purchasing and culinary skills and procedures, and the management of safety, sanitation, and security, and then branch out into either the fundamentals of cooking or baking. Completing either the cooking or baking certificate program can gain you entre into any commercial kitchen in the country.

In addition to accounting, cooking, and baking, popular certificate programs include Human Resource Management and Software Development programs. They generally range anywhere from 15 to 24 credit hours; many of them can be completed easily in two semesters, while you're gaining work experience on your current job - a short-term commitment that can result in a dramatic shift in your career.