by Vicki Salemi
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Sad to say, but the majority of U.S. workers are stuck in jobs they hate, and many are unsure of how to escape dead-end positions. Those who have found an educational escape route can't wait to share their secrets.
According to Kristen Sosulski, director of New York University Online and Virtual College Programs (New York, N.Y.), the escalating interest in furthering one's education via distance learning comes as no surprise. "With the growing value of advanced degrees in the marketplace, many working pros are going back to school to stay competitive," says Kristen. "Online degree programs are an excellent option for those looking to further their education without a commute."
For Nathan Hobbs, a video store movie clerk in Hot Springs, Ariz., pursuing an online education isn't just an option - it's his only way toward a more satisfying career. "I'm limited here. I want something more," he notes.
The solution? Nathan is pursuing and hopes to complete an online associate degree by 2007. The master plan for this criminal justice major is to complete his bachelor's degree within the next three years.
While he's currently taking general business classes at Axia College of Western International University in topics like critical thinking and information technology, his escape route is carefully planned - Nathan aspires to become a lawyer and ultimately leave his current job in the dust.
"Online learning has opened up a whole new world for me," he explains. In addition to learning the course material, he's also learned that eClassrooms require a certain level of focus and mental discipline - more so than brick and mortar classrooms, he thinks. It's all about tracking your own schedule, he explains. When properly managed, it's ideal. "When you go to school online, you have the best of both worlds."
For Jennifer Dove, online student at Strayer University (Nashville, Tenn.), fitting education into her world was tough at first. That's why she viewed online study as a perfect fit.
"I do most of my course work on my own schedule and work on it at home or in the office when there's time," she explains. She explored other schools' evening courses but their schedules didn't fit hers. Some were far away; others were extremely expensive. Plus, she felt out of place being on the cusp of her 30th birthday, surrounded by 18- and 19-year-olds.
Jennifer had attended a private college for three years upon high school graduation, but left to start working before completing her degree. Although her career had advanced in various capacities over six years at Infinity Insurance, a Birmingham, Ala.-based auto insurance company, she suddenly hit a brick wall.
"I became fascinated with product management and I wanted a career there," she notes. The only obstacle was the four-year degree requirement, a challenge that propelled Jennifer into action. "The fact that I had never finished school had always been in the back of my mind. Now, I had even more reason to go back."
By pursuing her bachelor's degree in business administration at Strayer, Jennifer credits the flexibility of the eClassroom to opening doors to her future.
"My career path has so much more promise and potential than if I had remained complacent where I was," she continues. "During my first attempt at college, I was a young person who had never really experienced the real world. Now, I'm able to take what I learn and apply it." Plus, she already knows when she completes her degree at the end of the month, a promotion awaits her.
Since Jennifer has good relationships with upper-level management at work, she informed them of her endeavor. By allowing her to work as a trainee until her degree is finished, she'll be ready for promotion at that time. And, she's not stopping there. "I look forward to advancing in the field of product management, eventually becoming a product manager and possibly even an executive," she says.
Unlike Jennifer, some professionals look to change careers completely via eLearning. Lawrence B. Reiss, a survivor of a dotcom bust, desired not only a new career, but a new industry. Regretfully, companies weren't hiring unless a candidate and the qualifications were an exact fit; he knew adding an MBA to his résumé was the only way to make a transition during a tumultuous economic time.
As a Syracuse University alum (Syracuse, N.Y.), Lawrence was familiar with the school's iMBA program, and felt it would be a perfect supplement to his undergraduate education. "I wanted to be able to take what I learned in class, and apply it to my job in real time," he says. "Even the busiest person can fit [online learning] into his/her schedule. I liked the flexibility of this option versus being in a classroom and going full time.
Studying marketing subjects like radical marketing and high-performance project teams, his goal is to become a department head at a mid-size media or technology company, or start a small business consulting firm helping small businesses establish a Web presence. Another perk of his studies: The opportunity to network with his classmates provides various entries from his old job to new career.
"The competitive advantage for me being in an online learning program, is that I may have a leg up on someone else, and get hired because I am learning how to use a specific program and understand the core competencies needed for that job. I can then take those skills and apply them."
"Whether you are an entrepreneur or working in a corporate situation, careers today have to be self-guided, says Barbara Thomas, president and CEO of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA). "Our members and corporate partners expect new hires to come with a certain level of training and expertise already in place." For someone who is stuck and looking to change fields or careers, she explains, the key is to "be creative and aggressive about how you prepare yourself for such a big move."
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