Herzing Blog

On November 4, 1964, Henry and Suzanne Herzing stood on a street corner across from the Empire State Building in New York City.

Updated December 2023

Do you need a university degree to be taken seriously as a graphic designer? Can you avoid school altogether and just teach yourself the basics? 

What about free graphic design courses you can find online—isn’t that the best option for an up-and-comer who doesn’t want college debt? 

Graphic design is one of those fields where there are no clear rules on how to start a career. Some professions—like doctor or lawyer or licensed teacher—have very clear pathways for training. You must go to university. You must get certified. It’s not negotiable. 

Becoming a graphic designer is a little different. There’s endless debate between self-taught and schooled designers, and whether formal training is really “worth it”. 

But the truth is, with the growing complexity of design software and digital technology, many designers need formal training to stay ahead of the curve. 

Updated July 2023

The short answer is yes. You can become a programmer without earning a university degree in computer science or software engineering. 

The longer answer is a bit more complicated. Starting your career without a degree will mean doing quite a bit of self-study and self-training. You need to be a hard worker and highly motivated to succeed. 

The truth is, this field is big (there are hundreds of programming languages!) and it’s changing all the time. Even with a degree, you’ll spend a lot of time studying new tech and teaching yourself new skills. 

So this begs the question: If you don’t want to go to university, what’s the best way to get your programming career off the ground? 

Updated December 2023

Administrative assistant sounds like a fairly straightforward job. Don’t assistants just answer phones, get coffee, and do filing? 

Not exactly. Maybe this job used to be simpler—before the internet, complex office software, and growing demands on business administrators.

But today, administrative assistants play an absolutely vital role in every successful company and organization. Filing and phones are part of the job description, but there’s a lot more to it. 

So why is this role so important, and what does an admin assistant really do? Let’s break down the 10 most common tasks and responsibilities. 

Take a look at what the position involves and see if office administration is the right career for you.

Dorian Pai enrolled in Herzing's Building Design Technician program when he discovered his architecture degree was too theory-based to get him hired.

Dorian needed practical knowledge of the Ontario Building Code and design software to be taken seriously as a job applicant and break into the architecture field.

Like so many other students, he was looking for fast, affordable training that delivered job-ready skills. Did Herzing measure up?

Agnes Perez graduated from Herzing's Accounting and Payroll program in 2019, and got her first full-time job in Canada working on the finance team at Venture Healthcare.

Agnes Perez's story is very similar to many other students at Herzing. She moved to Canada from the Philippines with a good education, but her credentials and work experience were not recognized by Canadian employers.

Back home, she was a successful optometrist with 12 years of professional experience. But Agnes quickly realized that if she wanted a successful career here in Winnipeg, she would have to go back to school and earn a Canadian diploma.

Seriously considering a career in building design? You’re probably looking around and noticing many different training options in the GTA. 

Should you do a university degree in architecture? Would it make more sense to take a shorter diploma program in drafting? What about getting licensed as an architectural technologist?

Which path should you choose?

Michelle Riedner graduated from Herzing's Accounting and Payroll program in 2018, and now works as a Financial Officer for Electra Sign Ltd. in Winnipeg

Michelle Riedner had never even used a computer when she enrolled in the Accounting and Payroll program at Herzing College. She could barely work a mouse or keyboard, and had zero experience with Microsoft Office applications.

Now she's a successful Financial Officer. She uses Excel and QuickBooks on a daily basis, manages files, enters data, and handles a range of computerized accounting and office tasks.

Community Support Worker students in class at Herzing College 

Updated December 2023

Thinking about a career in social services, but don’t want to invest four years in a university degree? You’re probably leaning toward community support worker training. 

There are quite a few colleges offering this program (or something similar) across Canada. Most students do their research, compare all the programs, read all the reviews, and try to figure out which school is right for them. 

William Rapisarda teaches the online Supply Chain Management program at Herzing, and is an Associate Category Manager with Cabela's Canada

We started offering a Supply Chain Management program at Herzing a couple of years ago, when we saw big demand in the field across Manitoba.

But the truth is, not many people are aware of how fast this industry is growing...or what supply chain management even is!

We got so many questions about the training, career path, and job options that we decided to bring in an expert to answer them.

Who better to ask than William Rapisarda? He teaches the Supply Chain Management program at Herzing and has been working in the field for almost 25 years.