by Christina Couch
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To make your online degree stand out against the competition, check out these four ways to beef up your marketability.
#1 - Get a Job
While it may sound strange, you might have to get a job in order to get a job. Having previous work experience such as an internship or co-op under your belt shows employers that you bring relevant job skills to the table, along with a formal education. Candidates who have already worked in the field can offer an employer up-to-date training and a list of professional references an applicant fresh out of school, albeit a brick-and-mortar school or an online one - simply cannot.
When Wesley Brown decided to change careers at age 45, it was the combination of his online degree from Northern Arizona University, the two field internships he completed as part of his curriculum, and work experience from previous jobs that landed him his current position as Facilities Coordinator for his local Parks and Recreation department.
"In the classroom, you're dealing with high-level textbook material," Wesley states. "That gives you a good foundation of knowledge, which is helpful, but the internship gave me experience with the day to day. I learned how a parks and recreation department actually works. You can't learn that from reading and writing and taking tests."
Older interns like Brown are becoming more and more commonplace. Nontraditional career changers, some well into their 60's, are breaking into new fields by landing valuable interning slots alongside fresh-faced 20-somethings. Mark Oldman, president of the online career information center, Vault.com, estimates a 10 percent growth over the last decade in the number of employers who hire older interns.
#2 - Give Back
If a formal internship isn't possible, taking on a volunteer position could prove just as valuable.
"It's experience outside of your degree that makes a difference," says Meredith Daws, associate director of recruiting for the University of Chicago. "Volunteer experiences make you a well-rounded applicant and give you another set of skills to draw on in an interview."
According to Meredith, the average employer will look at your resume for a total of 10 to 15 seconds. Those that make it past the initial weed-out stage are the ones that provide concrete examples of how the applicant successfully improved his/her workplace or community. "If you raised $5,000 for your church or civic organization, let your employer know how you did it," she states. "Those kinds of things show an employer that you can take on responsibility and get results."
Both internships and volunteer positions will provide you with job skills, leadership experience, and networking contacts; however, volunteer positions are typically easier to find, easier to land, and more flexible than a formally arranged internship. To add a work placement experience to your degree program, ask your degree program coordinator for tips on finding relevant opportunities in your area and inquire about getting credit for your work. Should your degree program not offer a work placement option, find one on your own. Vault.com will provide you with an extensive list of internship sites and Idealist.org will help you track down volunteer jobs close to home.
#3 - Give More
Your resume isn't the only way to document your accomplishments for future bosses. Instead, let a portfolio speak for you.
"Employers like to see evidence of students' work," states Dr. Charles H. Hammersley, associate professor in the online Parks and Recreation Management program at Northern Arizona University. "We have carefully selected key projects that students complete throughout their academic careers that demonstrate a broad range of skills and knowledge." The goal, he explains, is so potential employers can see the students' ability to communicate written and orally, to complete a management project, to work with computers, etc. "Those skills and abilities are specific to the parks and recreation profession."
Showing potential employers a sample of the projects you've executed, activities you've organized, and coursework you've completed will give them a better sense of who you are and what you can do. If you haven't developed a relevant body of work yet, try adding an independent studies course to your degree program. A self-directed course will give you the time to plan and create a project that will highlight your educational accomplishments.
#4 - Get In Touch
According to the University of Massachusetts' online Career Growth and Learning Center, networking is still the most effective path to a new career. An estimated 60 percent of all employees found their job through friends, family, and acquaintances. Taking courses in an online setting shouldn't limit your ability to network with classmates, professors, and career development professionals. To truly get the most out of your collegiate experience, make connections with those around you.
"[Students] have access to this incredible network of peers, faculty, advisors, and tutors that basically help them with career choices," states Randi Reich, director of Strayer University Online. "[Our students] talk to one another, they're learning about what one another does, what they like and dislike about it. Most of our students are taking advantage of their informal dialogue to help them move ahead in their careers and make transitions."
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