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Many students who are pursuing Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees have very busy lives due to which it is not possible for them to attend classes in-person. Fortunately, many degree programs are now being offered online, which means that those students don’t have to worry about going to physical classrooms and can study and acquire a degree online.
However, there is some reluctance to enrolling in an online degree program. The main reason is that students are concerned about what employers will think about their online degree when they go for a job interview. We have created this article to show people what employers think about online education and whether they give online degrees value or not.
Most Employers Are Accepting Online Degrees
Many respected universities are now offering online programs and this is one of the reasons many employers are accepting them to a greater extent. However, there are still a few employers who either don’t consider, or hesitate to hire an online degree holder. They believe that an online degree holder isn’t as capable as the one who went to university for education.
Accreditation Is Vital
Many employers will check whether the online degree program is accredited or not. This means that they will be less likely to hire an individual who completed a non-accredited online degree program. Therefore, students who are thinking about pursuing online education should ensure that they enroll in an accredited program from a reputable university.
Some Will Value Your Time-Management Skills
Some online students are doing a full-time job and studying at the same time. They have the time-management skills to balance education with work, which is viewed as a positive by many employers. The flexibility of such students may be rewarded by employers.
They Will Inquire About Your Teamwork Skills
A candidate who earns their degree online may not get the chance to physically interact with other students. Therefore, an employer would be curious about their teamwork skills. They would ask the candidate whether they had a chance to interact with other students and will they be able to work in a team. Many employers today prefer candidates who can work in a team and know how to collaborate and communicate with their fellow colleagues.
Employers Realize That Times Have Changed
The world we are living in has evolved thanks to the emerging technology and its proliferation. People have changed the way they shop, travel, and also how they receive education. Many employers know and understand all these things which is why they are willing to accept an online college degree. Moreover, the quality of online education has also improved in the past few years, which is why hiring managers are more confident in selecting individuals with an online degree.
It Doesn’t Even Matter to Some
Some employers aren’t concerned whether the degree was completed online or in-person – they only want to see that the individual successfully completed the degree and has the right skills for the job. They look at some things outside of the education including work history, talent and intellect, and even references. Therefore, whether you went to college or have an online degree, at the end of the day, it could be your skills and talent that get you the job.
How Online Degrees Are Evaluated by Employers
Many business leaders believe that an online degree from a well-known institution has the same value and merit as an on-campus degree. However, if they aren’t familiar with the college or the institution isn’t well-known for producing good graduates from its programs, then your degree might not be seen as having equal value. This means that the brand and reputation of an institution are the main drivers of a degree’s value, whether it was earned online or not.
Some institutions provide traditional coursework in addition to their online offerings. Many employers find online degrees from physical institutes more favorable than those earned from a university that operates solely online. Many managers believe that physical institutions offering online degrees dedicate the same attention and time to developing online curriculum as they do for courses offered in a physical classroom.
Final Thoughts
We are currently experiencing the coronavirus epidemic and in these tough times, many brick-and-mortar institutions are offering online classes to their students. This shows how important online education has become. When the situation improves, the schools will reopen and normal classes will start but until then, we all have to resort to online education. Due to this situation, the value of online education will only increase and more and more employers will start seeing online degrees as good as on-campus degrees.
If you are in a tough situation and currently thinking about pursuing online education and earning an online degree, then go ahead and don’t worry about getting rejected just because you have an online degree. As we have explained, the employers are much more understanding now and they would be unlikely to reject you for having an online degree.
However, the important thing is that you dedicate your time and effort to learning. The main problem with online education is that some people hire others to do their coursework and pay them for their work. This isn’t a good thing and you will only hurt yourself if you let someone else do your work for you. Commit to online education and learn everything that the professors are teaching you. Don’t skip classes and don’t hire anyone else to do your coursework. After all, if you don’t study anything, you won’t be able to answer the questions of the employer in the job interview, and your work will consequently suffer.
We hope everything discussed above is clear to you. In case you have any questions or if something is unclear, feel free to reach out to us. We will be more than happy to help you.
