Employer Angst at Distance Learning
Shhh. Don’t tell your employer yet, but your degree was completed online. It appears that may put off some employers. Hard to believe in our world of advanced technology, but some employers may think online equals diploma mill. The key is in the accreditation agency, so here’s the tip: Accreditation alone is not a green light to credibility – be sure to check WHICH agency is giving the accreditation. For a rundown on employers and their attitudes toward online learning, check out about.com: http://distancelearn.about.com/od/usingyourdegree/a/onlinedegreeuse.htm
Or see what the Distance Learning Association is saying about employers and online degrees, which is that employers just love those virtual plans. http://www.usdla.org/pdf/DL_Draft_v6.PDF
Frankly, though, it seems as though any employer who is so behind the times that it can’t understand legitimate distance learning, is not an employer where you want to use your new degree.
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Disregard the photos in that DLA brochure, by the way. They depict very young people inexplicably gathering on campus, which can be hard to do when you live states or countries away from your classmates. More to the point, though, not all distance students are young.
Come on, maybe it’s the degree I’m getting, but that depiction of young people rings false. Distance learning has opened up a whole new world for people who have too many responsibilities to leave home for a bricks-and-mortar class. Often, that means older or “non-traditional” students, not those post-high-school kids in the photos. Don’t be put off by such advertising. There will be people in your classes who are older and who share your experiences and concerns.
On the other hand, though, no course is truly complete without the younger perspective. As a rule, their thinking is alternately smart, cute, refreshing, original, funny and insightful. In my experience, they are eager to assist us older folks, who in turn can offer a lot of practical experience to their studies. Tip number two: Never miss a chance to mingle intellectually with younger classmates. It is you who will learn.