How to talk to your employer about returning to study

Prepare for the conversation

1. Align your study with the company's goals

Ensure your course and its benefits align with your employer's needs and the company's long-term goals.

Ask yourself why you want to study. Figure out how your studies enhance your capabilities in your role and how it benefits your workplace.

This can help present your study plans to your manager more favourably, potentially encouraging more flexibility.

Present your study as a new qualification with a set of valuable skills, and you’re actively investing in yourself while providing additional abilities and expertise to your workplace.

This could benefit your employer as they effectively support you to upskill while you continue carrying out your usual responsibilities.

2. Plan for flexibility and support

How are you planning to study? Will you study part-time or full-time? Online, on-campus or a mix of both? These aspects of returning to tertiary education must be considered when balancing study with your career.

You should estimate the hours per week you will need to dedicate to study, planning out how it fits around your work.

Consider if you might require further flexibility. Will you need to adjust your work start or finish times? Will you need extended deadlines to produce work, or will you need to work outside of the office?

Depending on your study type, you should go in with a plan on what to discuss with your manager.

The more thoughtful your approach to balancing work and study, the more your employer is going to feel comfortable allowing increased flexibility.

3. Identify areas for growth

Depending on your study area, you could conduct research on areas for improvement at your workplace.

Perhaps you work in the marketing department, and you note the company’s customer engagement or retainment can be improved.

Effectively, you should find areas in need of further development and make them align with your study.

For example, if your study covers areas of business engagement analytics or responsible leadership, this equips your workplace with new expertise leading to measurable and impactful results.

4. Schedule a dedicated time for discussion

Try to align this discussion with a period of relative calm at work. Avoid busy stints or scheduling after large projects so your manager can focus solely on you.

It’s important to allow enough time to discuss each aspect of your study and any related questions or issues. Consider scheduling multiple meetings, allowing for an initial discussion about your return to study, then a later meeting to discuss details and any concerns.

Keeping an open line of communication with your employer is vital when making changes like balancing work with study.

Have the conversation

You’ve now discovered how your study will benefit your workplace, decided on relevant flexibility arrangements, and identified an ideal meeting time with your manager.

Next, you’ll put your knowledge and planning into action.

1. Keep an open mind

An initial discussion may be useful to gauge your manager’s preliminary reaction to the idea of studying while balancing work,

Your employer may have hesitations about flexibility for your return to study. Unless they understand the benefits to both you and the company, they may view study as a distraction or interference.

Even if you present your plans, advantages and requests, the company may still be unsure about allowing further flexible practices. This is more common in workplaces with less hybrid work and more rigid management styles.

Depending on your work-study arrangement, you may reassure your manager that you plan to continue to fulfill your role to the furthest extent possible while studying.

Take time to highlight boundaries between work and study. This may include no study while on the clock at work and no work-related activities outside of working hours.

2. Create a plan for professional development

Suggesting a compromise may help sway your requests for flexibility. Perhaps your manager will meet with you weekly or fortnightly to check in and ensure your work isn’t being neglected or affected.

Showing your employer that your research, planning, priorities and boundaries around work and study are well researched may present your plans in a better light.

If you discuss aspects of study that may impact your work (and vice versa), you may increase your chances of a positive reaction from your manager and workplace.

3. Build confidence and skills to return to study

Whether you choose an undergraduate or postgraduate course, you need discipline to balance seminars, lectures, exams, assessments, work projects and meetings. If it’s been a while since you studied, then most universities will offer support to help you build the study and planning skills to make it work around your life.

Effective communication is important both with your employer, academics and support network of family and friends. Keep your employer and study contacts informed to assist their understanding of your circumstances.

At La Trobe, there are many ways we’re supporting students, whether you’re starting your first undergraduate degree as an adult, or if you’re returning to study as a postgraduate student. Our courses offer flexible study and early exit options to help you manage your studies around work commitments.

4. Consider the possibility of your employer helping to pay for your study

You may want to discuss the possibility of your employer contributing financially to your education. This may be something you can negotiate as part of your contract or agreement. Look into your company's staff education resources and whether there may be a budget for personal or professional development.

It would be helpful to have an approximate cost of your studies or subjects to refer to during your discussion. Find more information on the cost of studying at La Trobe University.

Still deciding

Still deciding on whether to return to study? Check out our top 6 reasons to study a postgraduate degree or our range of flexible and industry-relevant postgraduate degrees at a uni that’s #1 in Victoria for employer satisfaction.*

*Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), 2024, 2023 Employer Satisfaction Survey [PDF, 4.7MB]

Talk to us to understand your options