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Career-Related Questions
What is the relationship between careers and program offerings in OhioLearns!?
In a 2002 statewide survey, over 70% of the people who responded said their
interest in educational options offered at a distance was due to a desire to
change careers or advance in their current position. Hence, understanding the
relationship between careers and educational offerings at a distance is critical.
At our career resource
site you will find several references that show the relationship
between academic majors and careers. While these references are helpful, it is
important to keep in mind several key points.
- First, the relationship between career and academic majors always needs to be researched. Our economy is dynamic and organizational and employment needs are constantly changing for everyone. Some careers almost always need specific academic preparation. Other careers may not have specific academic routes of preparation, or may have preferred academic routes, but may also have exceptions to the rule.
- Second, expect to be surprised in a positive way. You might find that the distance learning option that you need is not a four-year degree. You might find that individual courses or certificates might serve your needs quite well. You might also find that you can start small, by taking courses that lead to certificates, that lead to associate degrees, that lead to baccalaureate degrees, that lead to..... Even big goals require small steps.
- Third, researching and planning will serve you best in the long run. However, ask questions and always periodically recheck your plans with other people. New courses, certificates, and degrees are constantly being added to OhioLearns! New jobs are being created, traditional promotion routes in careers are being modified, and existing jobs are changing.
What are effective
ways to find out more information about career possibilities?
The key point is to ask.
Informational interviewing
is an often overlooked way to find out about careers.
Remember, the more people you talk to, the better. This will help you weed out
personal biases. Of course, there are numerous Web sites you can use to discover
more about careers, job listings, preparation, career development, and job trends.
Several of the best of these Web sites are listed on our
career resource list.
How will my employer view an online degree?
There are two ways of answering this question. First, there is much research being done comparing the effectiveness for learning using a traditional or distance learning
approaches. The Sloan-C Consortium
lists many of the
se studies at their site. Results range from not showing a significant difference between the two approaches to either having slight advantages depending on variables studied. In short, the quality of one approach over the other cannot be claimed. The second explanation is that unless your employer asks if you obtained your degree at a distance, he or she probably will not know unless you volunteer that information. The general rule for institutions in OhioLearns! is that college transcripts do not list how a course is delivered. On the other hand, because of your demonstrated competence
with technology and that you have to be a self-paced learner to be successful in a distance learning environment, your potential employer might just believe that these are the type of positive traits he or she wants in a future employee.
Is there anyone I can talk
to for help with career-related issues and distance learning?
A good source for discussing these issues from the academic side are career
counselors, academic advisors, and faculty members at colleges and universities
listed in our
Ohio higher education listings.
In addition, you can also talk to one of our
Regional Coordinators.
