Are you thinking about going back to school, but you’re still on the fence? Here are some facts & figures that may just get you motivated to pursue a degree — especially one online. A new study has shown that the average lifetime earnings for 2-year degree holder is $1.6 million — $400,000 more than high school graduates alone are earning. 1 in 5 American students took at least one online class in 2008. That 4 million students doing some coursework at a “distance”. 10% of American post-secondary students (400,000) are enrolled in exclusively Internet-ba...

We reported back in March that enrollment in online degree and professional certification programs is booming during the economic recession. For those who have been laid off (or fear being laid off), working on an online degree has proven to be an easy and convenient way to enhance their resumes while still having plenty of time to job search. Many would-be online learners have been deterred, however, by the concern that an e-degree will not be respected or accepted by future employers. That tide is turning. Recently a number of experts have joined the distance learning bandwagon. From care...

I’ll be back next week with the final segment in my series on Online Learning Programs.  This week, however, we’re taking a short break to look at the educational requirements of a career in the gas and oil industry.  The field offers a number of high paying opportunities, and even with the current economic crisis, these jobs are still in high demand.  That’s the good news. The less good news (well, only if you’re not the perpetual student type) is that most of these positions require an advanced degree — at least a Master’s Degree, and preferably a Ph...

As promised in last week’s post, Is An Online Degree Right For You?, I am back this Monday still talking about distance learning.  Specifically, we are going to take a look today at the accreditation of online programs — what is it and whether it’s important.  Let’s dive right in. What is accreditation? According to the U.S. Department of Education, the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. The DOE meets this goal by publishing an annual list of accredited schools in the Uni...

Not everyone graduates from high school at the age of 17, packs up all their worldly possessions in the back of a beater car, and drives across town — or across country — to enroll at a quaint little college on the hill. Whether it’s because you need to earn money NOW, or you just aren’t sure if college is the place for you, or any of a myriad of other reasons, the traditional four-year plan to a Bachelor’s Degree at a brick-and-mortar college is definitely not for everyone. The good news is that in the last decade, your options for education have grown exponentia...

As promised, Mondays at JobMonkey are now going to be about education and your career. Don’t worry: You probably do not need a Ph.D. to land the job of your dreams; but most professions do require a certain level of education and/or training.  At some jobs, this can take the form of on-the-job training; but for other professions, you will need to show up with a resume that includes course work, a major or even an advanced degree in a specialized field. What all of this means is that no matter where you are at in your career path — from the high school student trying to figure o...

It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday, but I’m getting caught up on work rather than playing outside.  I guess there’s a career lesson in there somewhere: Work before play.  Or something like that. If you are also stuck inside today, working on your resume or scouring job sites, take a few minutes to read through some of these great blog posts.  Lots of good advice to be found, even in one of the toughest job searching climates the U.S. has experienced in decades. … And on that happy note, here’s what I’m reading this weekend: >> An older post from earnmydeg...