Can I Get A Good Job With An Online Degree?
Technology and the importance of different certifications are always changing. During the early to mid parts of the internet boom, an online degree had far less value on the market for prospective employers. However, as time and society evolved, the value of such ideas changed. As technology grew in demand and importance, so too did online degrees. With the increased need for diverse skills in the job market, can a self-starter and motivated person earn their way to a credible internet degree for their future? The answer is a resounding yes, and listed below are the reasons why the trend is changing.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Certification
The appeal of online degrees can be understood from various angles. First, the convenience lies in the notion that you can learn in your own classroom at home, saving both on travel costs and even tuition. The internet in itself is a gigantic resource of discombobulated information, and much of the fruits of this information can be learned and assembled on your own.
However, this does come at a slightly negative cost. At a university, the information is presented to you in an organized and easy to digest fashion, decreasing the need for the student to have to independently figure it out on their own. While the information is still presented well in an online school, it will usually require more independent research compared to attending a university.
An Online Degree – The Job Market
Ranging from careers in the medical field to the mental health field, a plethora of new careers have recently sprung up with the newfound respect to online degrees. Many subfields relating to STEM are now opening it up to prospective online degree holders. This also accounts for the growing demand in the computer science field that is expected to increase until 2024. Here are just a few of the possibilities that have opened up to the online world of education:
1. Teaching – Virtual classrooms have gained in popularity as of the recent. Teaching foreign languages over a long distance in a virtual school company is now considered a viable option for foreigners wishing to learn another language globally.
2. Computer Science – This goes without saying. Freelance programming is on the rise and many motivated students are gaining their own knowledge and credentials independently.
3. Mental Health Counselor – Earning a bachelors degree from an online university can grant you the opportunity to become a mental health counselor for substance abusers. Other sub-fields relating to Mental Health Counselor are in high-demand too.
4. Statistician – If you have an expertise in mathematics and you are gifted in interpreting the hidden meanings between numbers, then there are many online programs which will prepare you for this diverse field.
5. Accounting – If you are prepared to put in the study time, accounting can be learned online and put to use over long distances through the web.
The Employer’s View
There are many positive traits that an employer can assess with someone who decides to embark on the internet path. For starters, someone who takes their future career into their own hands through the internet — instead of the more commonly followed path of a university — can be seen as more of a self-starter. Learning and discovering knowledge on your own is a common trait seen in entrepreneurs, increasing the learner’s ability to devise their own original methods of innovation in their chosen field.
It also shows that the candidate likely possesses strong time management skills, as someone who chooses to learn online often time has a full-time job that needs to be balanced out by the convenience of learning from home. Commute time does add up, and a dedicated learner to their craft will usually want to skip the non-necessities.
Overall, it’s an exciting time for online education. A myriad of new possibilities have just opened, and more than any other era; it’s up to the individual to carve their own unique path.
