Posts published on October 10, 2010

8 Ways To Make Your Online Degree Count

8 Ways to Make Your Online Degree Count

Guest blogger: Carrie Oakely ( see contact information at the end of blog)

No matter how popular they are, it’s no secret that online degrees are considered inferior to their traditional counterparts. Society accords more importance to degrees earned from institutions with good reputations (read traditional institutions) and employers tend to hire people with degrees from regular colleges rather than those who’ve studied online. But for most people, online education is the only way to continue learning because it allows them to advance academically even as they keep working at their jobs. So the key to making the most of your online degree lies in knowing how to make it count with the people who matter – in most cases, your current or prospective employer.  And to do this, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Choose a university that is well known and reputable in the world of education. When your employer recognizes the name of the school (in a positive way), the credibility of your degree is established.
  2. Choose a course that is the best in the business – for example, if you want to earn an MBA, some online institutions offer better courses than others. So choose your college based on the degree you want to pursue.
  3. Work on getting outstanding grades – no matter how good your university and degree are, you are taken seriously only if your GPA is above average.
  4. Augment your education through additional means – some people choose to undergo certification if they’re in the fields of accounting, nursing and similar others that are bound by industry standards; certification gives them credibility and adds to the value of their degree. Others choose to improve their knowledge through material extraneous to their degree, like books or tutorials on the net. And yet others choose to practice their craft (like photography or cooking) in order to improve their skills and augment their classroom learning.
  5. Experience speaks louder than degrees – if you have the opportunity to take up an internship, grab it with both hands. When you have relevant work experience to back up your degree, employers cannot afford to dismiss you offhand.
  6. First impressions matter – most employers meet you first through your resume, and unless it impresses them, you’re going to be among the thousands on the reject pile. So work on writing a great resume, one that tells employers enough about you to make them want to know much more. Never lie or exaggerate in your resume – just state the facts in an organized manner, and include only relevant information rather than writing your life story in those few pages.
  7. Work on your communication skills – most employers avoid online students because they tend to lack the interpersonal and communication skills needed to excel at the job. But if you’re an eloquent speaker and an avid listener, it’s easy to sell yourself at the interview stage. So work on presenting yourself in the best light possible and on communicating effectively and clearly.
  8. Prove yourself on the job – when you work hard and handle responsibility well on the job, it says a lot about your character and ability. This comes in handy when you’re up for a promotion or looking for a change in jobs – your employers tend to disregard the fact that you earned your degree online and focus on the fact that you’re an asset to any organization.

Online education is perceived as a scam simply because too many people have abused it and used it to make a fast buck. However, with more reputable institutions (like MIT) jumping on to the online degree bandwagon, these courses are gaining not just in popularity, but also in respect. So before you go in for an online degree, establish how you can make it count so that your efforts and money are not wasted.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Carrie Oakley, who writes on the topic of online colleges . Carrie welcomes your comments at her email id: carrie.oakley1983(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

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