What is an online degree program?

An online degree program is an accredited degree or training program that allows students to attend school and earn a degree or certificate via the Internet. Some programs have additional requirements such as:
 

• Occasional meetings with faculty and students online or in person
• Lab work that must be completed at school or other authorized facility
• Volunteer work required for certain degrees

Why an online degree program?

Many busy professionals choose an online degree program as an alternative to the traditional campus setting because they want to advance their careers without interrupting their work schedule. Other people who choose online degree programs like the ease and flexibility that an online degree program offers. They can choose the pace, time and classes they want to take in order to obtain a degree. 

How do I find a reputable online degree program?

Finding an online degree program is as easy as surfing the web. In fact, with a little homework you can find several online degree programs that offer exactly what you are looking for. The next and most important step is to assure that the program is accredited. The accreditation will be listed on the website of the school. The next step is to visit the website of the accreditation board that granted that school accreditation. For example, in the United States the accreditation board for distance learning is Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). You can visit their website to find out if your school is in fact accredited. Make sure you know what accreditations are valid in your region. Without accreditation your degree is probably worthless.

What programs are available and how long does it take to graduate?

There are a variety of online degree programs available. Each program has a certain number of hours or coursework that is required to receive a degree. The length of the program varies by online degree program and the field of study. More specific information can be found on each school’s website.

How much does it cost?

Online degree programs tend to be more expensive than the average, traditional college. But it is easily affordable when weighed against having to reduce work hours if a degree was pursued at a traditional campus. Also, some employers will help with the online degree program fees because they want keep a good employee who is attending a degree program that will not interfere with work.

Avoid diploma mills or bogus degree programs

On a final note, be sure to avoid diploma mills or bogus degree programs. They pose as long distance learning institutions but in reality they are not accredited. These unethical institutions will offer a degree or certificate with little or no training. They usually operate out of their homes and have P.O. boxes as an address. 

Any institution that offers you a degree or certificate with no class work or training is bogus and most likely a diploma mill. These merchants only require a credit card to “graduate” you. Don’t be fooled into thinking that these degrees or certificates will benefit you in any manner. Many employers conduct pre-employment background screens. Therefore, a degree “earned” this way will be discovered and useless to you. 
The only person that will benefit in this deal is the crook who now has your money! Remember that if sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

More information about online degree programs available

If you are interested to know more about how to boost your career by further study, refer to our web section discussing further studies.

Project Management is quite often the responsibility of an individual manager. A project manager rarely participates directly in the duties that produce the end result. Rather he strives to maintain the progress and productive interaction of various participants in order  to reduce the overall risk of failure of a project.

Various types of product or services–building construction, electronics, pharmaceuticals, computer software, financial services, etc.–may have its implementation overseen by a project manager and its operations by a product manager.

The tools, knowledge and techniques for managing projects are often unique to a project manager. Typically they include work breakdown structures, critical path analysis and earned value management.

What are the benefits of management certification?

Understanding and applying the tools and techniques which are generally recognized as good practices are not sufficient alone for effective project management. It is advisable to obtain a project management certificate.

A strong project management certification program provides a well-respected curriculum for professionals currently working as project managers or interested in taking on project management responsibilities. It will also teach you multiple aspects of effective project management so you can plan and control projects and work effectively with project teams. With this type of training you can go forward with confidence, improve work performance, provide leadership and deliver projects on time and on budget.

Project management skills translate directly to business success for professionals in various fields from marketing, finance to and software development.  A project management certification is a great addition to your list of marketable skills for career advancement. 

A project management certificate gives you the tools to advance in your current position and academically. Reputable schools that offer the project management certification, such as UC Berkeley, allow the credits in the project management certification program to be applied towards an MBA program.

Where do I find reputable schools offering a project management certification program?

A quick search on the internet using the keywords “project management certification program” will direct you to various schools. Some schools offer a campus setting, an online program or both. There are some things to keep in mind when deciding on a project management certification program. It is ideal to pick a school that is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI). For almost 40 years, PMI has advocated on behalf of project professionals around the world. From the PMI website, “With more than one million members, credential holders, volunteers and trained project professionals worldwide, PMI advocates project, program and portfolio management can enhance and accelerate organizational change–driving innovation, improving bottom line performance, and strengthening competitive advantage.”

Other important things to keep in mind are:

• Reputation of school: Is their project management certification program recognized for excellence?
• Flexibility of the program: Online or on campus–decide which is best for you.
• Financial plans available: Contact their financial aid office for plans or loans available.

A project management certification program is in high demand because it trains a business professional to speak with one common language, no matter their industry, geography, or whether they manage projects, programs or portfolios. Employers recognize this and are more likely to promote workers with project management training to management positions.

Here are a
few tips to help you cope, and get started on your next executive
career search, if the axe happens to fall on you during the recession.

Don’t take it personally.
If the official position given for your lay-off is the recession, make
the choice to believe it. Sure, it goes against the grain, but it is
still the right attitude to hold. It is a far more empowering choice of
attitude than choosing to think that the boss has recommended you for
the axe for personal reasons, which is where the mind is likely to go
by default.  Yet, if you choose to take the recession-induced lay-off
personally, you might find your self-esteem shattered, which might lead
to anger and deep depression, making the task of starting an executive
career search and securing another job a difficult, if not impossible,
undertaking.

Don’t go into denial. The earlier you accept
the sad fact that the inevitable has happened, the better for you. 
Harboring the illusory thought that the company is likely to reconsider
their decision and reinstate you is likely to do you more harm than
good. Remember, everything happens for a reason, and your lay-off could
actually be a blessing in disguise. In fact, you have the power to make
your lay-off a blessing (at least in some way), if only you choose to
use that power. You could, for example, use the period between your
lay-off and getting another job for self discovery, which can then lead
to lifelong happiness.

Get Moving Immediately. A
recession-induced job loss is not like being fired for other reasons.
You don’t need to put yourself in an extended period of mourning and
torture yourself with extended soul-searching. Instead, you need to
start looking for other opportunities immediately; knowing full well
that getting a job in a receding economy is likely to take longer than
it would otherwise take. So the earlier you start the search, the
better for you. You don’t need a situation where you end up exhausting
all your savings before you get your next job and earn your first
paycheck. A good place to start is with an executive career search.

Improve on Your Skill Base. If
getting another job during the recession indeed takes longer than you
had anticipated, use the increased free time to update your existing
skills, and develop other skills relevant to your career. This is bound
to increase your marketability in the job market, and help your
executive career search go more smoothly,  as job tasks tend to get
consolidated (to save on the headcount) during the recession.  This
task consolidation in turn favors multi-skilled individuals. Moreover,
updating your existing skills and developing others is bound to keep
your mind occupied during the period between your lay-off and getting
another job, thus immunizing you from the negativity which tends to
take root during such hard periods.

As discussed in some of the
articles in this site, make sure to take classes and complete
certification programs to boost your skills in various areas. Refer to
the section Further Study on this website, to read more about this topic.

With
aid of these tips, you can keep yourself afloat, or at least keep your
head above the waters, even after falling victim to the recession axe.

A paralegal is an assistant to an Attorney at Law. Most paralegals have a paralegal certificate and a 4-year college degree. They help conduct legal research, interview clients and prepare legal documents. They are usually the middle person between an attorney and his clients.

Just as there are many specialties within the law, there are a variety of types of paralegal careers. This can range from a civil litigation to criminal law. The duties can also vary depending on the experience and skills the paralegal may have.

What can’t a paralegal do?

A paralegal cannot give legal advice. A paralegal career can involve
assisting others in administrative hearings, but cannot represent
someone else in court. A paralegal must work under the direction of an
attorney. In the United States, business profession code §6450
prohibits paralegals from giving out legal advice. For more specific
information outside the United States, check you local jurisdiction for
rules and codes that may apply.

How to become a paralegal?

A person interested in receiving a paralegal certificate can
contact the Extension Studies of their local university. Other options
include programs offered at a community college or online training. It
is preferable that the Bar Association in your jurisdiction approves
the training program. Contact you local Bar Association for more
information.

Can I receive online training to become a paralegal?

Yes, you can receive online training. It is imperative, though, that
the instructors are fully licensed legal professionals. At the very
least the director of any online paralegal training program should be a
licensed and practicing attorney. This will help assure that your
paralegal career starts with training that includes the most up to date
information in regards to the ever-changing legal system. Ideally, you
will have a chance to interact with fellow students and instructors via
a blackboard system over the Internet.

How long does it take to become a paralegal?

On average it takes about 1-2 years to obtain a paralegal certificate.
A person interested in obtaining a degree in paralegal studies will
need to contact their university of choice for specific requirements
regarding admittance and graduation. A degree in paralegal studies can
take 4-5 years to complete.

Do I need an ABA Approved Certificate to be a paralegal?

While having a paralegal certificate is not required to enter a
paralegal career, it is highly desirable. Most law firms will not hire
an applicant without a paralegal certificate. For one thing, it shows a
certain level of expertise. Secondly, it shows a commitment to pursuing
a career in the legal field. An exception to having a paralegal
certificate is if you were grandfathered in. Basically, that means that
you were assisting an attorney in the same manner a paralegal does for
a certain number of years, prior to the rule was established requiring
a paralegal certificate. For more information contact your local Bar
Association.

Where can a paralegal find work after receiving the paralegal certificate?

Paralegal careers can consist of work in both the private and public
sector. While most paralegals work for private firms, many corporations
and government agencies have a legal department. Many paralegals prefer
to work for corporations and government agencies because they do not
have to worry about keeping track of their time for billing purposes.
Most private law firms require that paralegals track their time so that
clients are billed for their work. The income potential for paralegals
varies by region, years of experience and the type of law. For the most
part, Intellectual Property paralegals are paid the most.

And last but not least, some paralegals freelance. They are able to do
this as long as they are working under the direction of a licensed and
practicing attorney

How do you know if the online Masters Degree program you are about to choose is dependable?

You can easily find out by consulting hiring managers or by seeking an audience from those who have obtained a similar Masters Degree online. Only then can you judge if the online school is a reputable one. Thorough scrutiny must be done lest you find your hard earned money siphoned off by unscrupulous individuals.

You should also be aware of online schools that offer worthless Masters Degrees, without the proper accreditation. Be especially wary of online entities that offer to let you “buy” a Masters Degree instantly, without taking any classes first. This is an unethical practice which should not be encouraged, so do make an effort to search for a quality, legitimate online Masters Degree program.

There are so many benefits attached to getting a Masters degree online. One of the most obvious advantages has got to do with the time that you save when taking up a course online. Conventional Masters Degrees are obtained between two to four years, but online Masters Degree programs allow students to get their degree faster so that they can advance in their careers without any delay.

There are also plenty of far-sighted employees who have taken steps to improve their careers by taking a part-time Masters Degree course, but they did not realize that signing up with an online Masters Degree program can save them even more time and money. They don’t have to travel to a nearby educational institution and, instead, all lessons will be conducted online in the comfort of their own abode.

Before registering yourself for your first Masters Degree online course, be sure to go shopping for suitable computer hardware and an Internet service provider, so that your studies will not be hindered in any way.

If you are thinking about entering the highly competitive IT job market, you should consider investing in CISCO Career Certifications whereby three varying levels of education are provided: Associate, Professional, and Expert. These three levels can be obtained accordingly as you see fit. And whatever your job requirements are, be sure to pick the right path. The six certification paths offered by CISCO include Design, Routing and Switching, Service Provider, Network Security, Voice and Storage Networking. Although you cannot take the exam from home (these exams are only offered by CISCO in a secure environment), you can study for it at home. You can also find a top online college that offers a similar certification program.

And for those who are thinking of building reputation in the field of accountancy, you may consider contacting the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation to take the Accredited Tax Advisor certification which will greatly boost your career as a tax advisor. A chartered tax advisor is viewed as the elite profession in accountancy whereby remuneration given is highly attractive even if a tax advisor is self employed. You may also be able to find a top online college that offers a similar certification program.

Being a registered nurse can be very rewarding for some individuals but they first need to acquire the Nurse Practitioner Certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner, which will be a testament of sorts when it comes to the nurse-to-be’s experience and expertise. A nurse will need to renew this certification once every five years and she can even opt to take up a Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification course from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for career advancement purposes.

If you are keen to pursue a career in hospitality can reap untold benefits once they acquire certification such as the Certified Hospitality Trainer from the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Individuals who do so have no regrets, as they will be better equipped with advanced skill set and the proper know-how when it comes to dealing with customers whether they choose to go into hotel, restaurant or entertainment industry. Extreme competition as well as rewarding perks did the job in motivating these individuals to take up extensive training in customer service. You may be able to find a comparable certification program available through a top online college.

Those with a penchant for vacancies in Human Resource might want to take advantage of the Human Resources Certification Institute which offers certifications such as PHR (Professional in Human Resource) as well as SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resource). Once they do, they will be able to increase their value as an employee who is well versed in the art of human resource development, strategic planning, employee rights and HR-related company policies.

Although the specific certification programs mentioned here are the top in each industry, plenty of certifications programs can be found by searching offerings from top online colleges. These certifications will be just as good at landing you a job in one of these industries, as the certifications listed above. This will allow you to study and get your certification on your own time, which will help you advance your career and give you the opportunity to move beyond your current position.