The long and short answer to this question is a resounding: Yes!
Whichever type of online degree you pursue, there are a number of advantages and job skills you gain just by undertaking an online distance learning programme. And, contrary to what many might expect, these advantages and skills are increasing in value in the eyes of many big-name employers.
If you were going to employ a new member of your team, what job skills would you look for?
Time management
Easily the most talked-about asset that learners must master in order to complete their online degree is time management. While e-learning offers students a huge amount of flexibility to organise their studies around their everyday lives, gaining an online degree is still a serious academic endeavour. Managing time, prioritising tasks, and meeting deadlines are all skills you need to sustain for the duration of your degree programme. And of course, they are also the minimum skills your employer expects you to have. Get these skills up to scratch, and with your brand new online qualification, you’ll climb that career ladder in no time.
Digital skills
Online courses are…online, obviously. This means that over the course of your online qualification you will encounter video lectures, VoiceThread technology (that allows you to record and upload audio presentations), downloadable materials, and discussion forums. Not to mention an entire online learning platform that is accessible across all your electronic devices. Your ability to use, organise, and communicate effectively across a range of digital formats will be honed and mastered just being an online student (and you’ll always have online support when you need it). Employers today value digital skills as a must-have asset, and your competence with a computer is going to put you over the top in any interview situation when you are otherwise equally matched with another candidate.
Excellent communication
The online learning environment has a distinct advantage over that of a campus-based learning programme – being able to communicate with a much larger number of like-minded individuals from across the globe. Because you may be discussing finance with a merchant banker in Bangladesh, or the next marketing trends with an advertising guru in New York, your communication skills (especially your writing skills) are going to have to be ready for truly global use. Employers value the importance of being able to communicate simply and efficiently, and in a world where companies are always looking to expand into new international markets, people who are able to adapt their communication style are those who are going to lead the way.
So, as you can see, by completing an online degree, professional qualification, or short course in your chosen subject, you are not only learning the vital information that will help you excel in your career, but you are supercharging the fundamental job skills that employers everywhere demand from their very best employees. It’s for this reason that companies are waking up to the benefits of employing those who have studied online, because they already know you were professional enough to complete your online degree. And, there’s nothing a great company likes more than real professionals.
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