1. Added Flexibility and
Self-Paced Learning
Not many people have the ability
to take time off from work to commit to a full-time graduate program, and
others often travel for work. For those who still need to juggle working and
going back to school, the flexibility of an online program provides individuals
with the opportunity to learn while still working and growing professionally.
By earning your master’s degree
online, you can learn on your own schedule. Rather than leave the office early
or skip family dinner to commute to campus, you’re logging on when it’s
convenient for you—at a time that doesn’t interfere with other commitments.
That flexibility allows you to more easily balance work, life, and graduate
school.
Additionally, students don’t
always feel comfortable asking professors to repeat a point they made in their
last lecture or dive into deeper detail on a specific topic. When learning online,
you can revisit past material or stop the lecture to perform additional
research or organize your notes. You can work through the lesson plan at your
own pace to ensure you’re really mastering the material before moving on to the
next section. This added flexibility allows online learners to move through the
course work at their own speed and get the most out of the degree program.
2. Better Time Management
Juggling work, family, and school
isn’t an easy thing to do. Employers recognize this and admire the time
management skills it takes to balance all three. Because there are no set
classroom times within an online degree program, and students have the
flexibility to create their own schedules, it’s up to the student to
proactively reach out to faculty, complete assignments on time, and plan ahead.
One of the things we know
employers expect is that we manage our time effectively. It’s never enough to
be at your desk on time in the morning and stay through the end of the day;
most of us are expected to get more projects done in less time. Online classes
keep you on a regular schedule of making and meeting deadlines, allowing you to
practice managing your time and staying productive week-to-week. Employers
often appreciate the time management skills needed to complete an online degree
program and view these skills as a valuable asset in potential employees.
Melanie Parisian, associate
director of assessment at Northeastern College of Professional Studies, shares
tips on how to be a successful online learner, recommending students work
consistently throughout the week. A sample schedule, she says, may look similar
to this:
• Monday:
Begin required readings and multimedia.
• Tuesday:
Continue reviewing materials.
• Wednesday:
Post to the discussion forum and begin assignments.
• Thursday:
Continue posting and working on assignments.
• Friday:
Read and respond to posts and work on assignments.
• Saturday:
Read and respond to posts and finish assignments.
• Sunday:
Check your work and submit assignments.
Parisian says, “Working on the
train, during a lunch break, or in the morning—there’s really no right time to
study, as long as it fits your life.”
3. Demonstrated Self-Motivation
By successfully earning your
master’s degree online, you’re demonstrating that you can practice time
management and are self-motivated, which are among the top 10 employability
skills employers want to see in new hires. By succeeding in earning an online degree,
you prove that you can tackle multiple tasks, set priorities, and adapt to
changing work conditions.
Instructors expect students to be
independent, to learn on their own, and to engage with the material that they
are teaching. It’s the same thing in the workforce; employers want you to be
self-motivated, go after things that interest you, and seek new opportunities
and ways of doing things. The more you put your heart into it—whether it’s
learning online or working for your employer—the more you’ll succeed.
4. Improved Virtual Communication
and Collaboration
Learning to work with others in a
virtual environment can make you a more effective leader. You’ll develop
critical leadership skills by utilizing specialized knowledge, creating
efficient processes, and making decisions about best communication practices,
such as what should be discussed in-person or electronically.
In an online program, you’ll also
participate in discussion boards with your classmates, communicate with
professors via email, and collaborate through various software programs. As the
program progresses, you’ll get better at pitching your ideas and making strong,
succinct, professional arguments through text.
Participating in discussion boards
is a lot like participating in a virtual team. Communicating your ideas
clearly, getting responses, and projecting a professional image are necessary
skills in a virtual workplace. Instructors, just like managers, expect you to
write respectful, thoughtful, and polite communications, respond to different
perspectives, and build a rapport with your peers. Luckily, in an online
program, you’ll refine this skill quickly— post after post, week after week,
course after course.
5. A Broader, Global Perspective
Students in online programs come
from across the U.S. and all over the world. Because of the ability to log on
from any location, class discussions feature a broader range of perspectives,
helping you enhance your own cross-cultural understanding. Students then not
only have the opportunity to network with people from around the globe, but can
also broaden their perspective and become more culturally aware.
Businesses are looking for
employees who can innovate, and innovation often comes from outside your
immediate world. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, for example, hearing
how other countries adopt certain technologies or approach specific industries
can inspire new ideas or improve an existing concept you’ve been developing.
Being exposed to new ideas from
professionals in other countries may spark creativity of your own—creativity
that can turn out to be valuable for your organization.
6. Refined Critical-thinking
Skills
Online learning facilitates the
ability to think critically about what you do every day. The goal in the
classroom is to challenge you to think differently, and employers want you to
do that, too–to think critically in your role at work. Mastering this skill is
what will set you apart as a student, and as an employee.
Critical thinking plays a role in
any type of education; however, online learning forces you to develop your
critical thinking skills in ways that you might not have practiced in an
in-person classroom setting. This sort of self-paced and self-motivated
learning demonstrates to future employers that you have the ability to think
critically and overcome any obstacles that might stand in your way.
7. New Technical Skills
Your online degree also equates to
strong technical skills, a definite plus for any job seeker. As part of your coursework, you will likely
need to utilize digital learning materials, get familiar with new tools and
software, and troubleshoot common issues. After a program’s worth of technical
hurdles, big and small, an employer could trust that you are versed in common
collaboration tools, content management systems, and basic troubleshooting.
With more companies using virtual
teams, it’s important to learn how to collaborate remotely. Your classmates
will likely live in different time zones, which you need to learn how to adapt
to and schedule around.
Embracing technology is also
crucial. When you’re working on a group project, sharing files or status
updates can become difficult via email, so you might need to utilize project
management and communication tools such as:
• Skype:
The video conferencing software lets you speak face-to-face with your peers.
• Dropbox:
Share documents with your group and keep work in one place using the file
hosting service.
• Slack:
The messaging platform is helpful if you need to instant message in real-time or
break off into smaller groups to work on a specific part of the project.
• Trello:
The project management tool enables you and your team to create, assign, track,
and prioritize to-dos.
• Basecamp:
Another, slightly more robust, project management tool you can use to share
messages and upload files.
Most companies today are using
some combination of the software above or other programs similar. Being able to
state you have project management experience and are familiar with software
like Basecamp can bolster your resumé. With an online degree experience, your
future employer will know you’re comfortable learning new technologies,
building a rapport virtually, tackling tasks proactively and independently, and
knowing your way around a computer and virtual workspace.
Is an Online Degree Right for You?
If you are considering whether an
online graduate degree is the right choice for you, be sure to consider the
benefits online learning has to offer. For students who are faced with the
challenge of balancing work, family, and education, an online master’s degree
can be an ideal solution. Further, pursuing an online degree can prepare
students for career advancement and showcase key skills to potential employers.
By earning a master’s degree—no
matter the format—you set yourself up to earn significantly more in your
lifetime than bachelor’s degree holders. You’ll also gain access to more job
options, given that by 2022, 18 percent of jobs will require a master’s degree.
Learning online builds on those benefits and helps prepare you for today’s
globalized workforce.
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