What An Online School Can Do For Your Overall Development

With the evolution of technology, online learning has gained significant momentum among learners as well as professionals worldwide. As online school programs offer excellent flexibility and convenience, you can easily earn a postgraduate degree without making any severe changes to your personal or professional life. But can web-based learning help you in your overall development other than just providing a recognised degree? Yes, it can. Read on to find out..... 

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More Than Just A Degree 

 

I am sure you know how intensely competitive the job market has become. Nowadays recruiters want applicants to have something more than just a degree. So it is imperative that you gain some additional skills to get an edge over others. Careers Advisor Susan Hughes of the National Careers Service believes since the past few years more and more employers are searching for candidates who show emotional intelligence. 

Be Present Online

 

I think creating a noteworthy online presence is one of the simplest ways to do this, while developing sector knowledge. Social networks, online forums, websites and online Q&As with business experts can help you to communicate with prominent individuals in your preferred sector and expand your network. 

This is where the training from your online school comes in. During your study for an online postgraduate degree, you will have the opportunity to communicate with your fellow classmates and teachers through various online modes like chatrooms, forums, video chats, social media etc. This not only helps you to connect with your peers and seniors effectively, but you will also learn how to use social networking for expanding your network. Moreover you will also get the opportunity to meet new people from your industry who may open new doors for your career in the future. 

Start Blogging, It Helps

 

Apart from these, blogging is another excellent way to make new connections. Harriet Tuson, a graduate from the University of Bristol, managed to write articles for the academic website Experimentation, even though she worked part-time to support her master's degree in management, finance and economics. As she had a biochemistry undergraduate degree, she pursued her interests by writing about the latest trends in the sector. This became an advantage for her when she was employed in a pharmaceutical consultancy. 

Tuson says, “Some of the articles I'd written related to my job, which showed I hadn't just left uni and applied for anything I could think of but was really enthusiastic about the role.” 

Work Experience- A Must Have

 

In a similar way, your work experience also becomes a crucial factor when applying for a job. As online school programs are highly flexible, you can pursue your studies from your home. Moreover, as the learning material is available online, you can easily access it any time you want as per your convenience. This gives you the scope to get a full time job in your desired field and gain relevant work experience. You can easily work throughout the day and continue your studies at night or in the early morning. You can even choose to study from your office by accessing the content from your tab or smartphone. The biggest advantage is that you can instantly apply whatever you have learned into your work and increase your productivity. 

Don’t Be Sector Specific

 

Online education also gives you the scope to gain skills that are not exactly sector specific. For example, Olivia Keenan engaged herself with several teaching roles and outreach programmes to evade getting trapped in only one field, while she was pursuing her master's from the University of Southampton. 

She says, “I'm doing a PhD in astrophysics, which will be fantastic if I decide to stay in academia, but what if I decide I don't? And don't want to be an engineer or a programmer? Unfortunately a lot of companies still subscribe to certain subject stereotypes, which means if you study in a science or maths based field they may assume that you lack people skills.” 

Keenan believes all students pursuing a postgraduate degree should think about this factor as it will make them more knowledgeable about various fields and more confident. She adds “Try and think of the stereotypes your degree conjures up and do something which proves that you break the mould.” 

Thus if you want to garner varied skills and experience, your online postgraduate programme can provide you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and gain employability skills like management, teamwork, leadership and adaptability. 

What do you think? How else can your online programme help you in overall development? Share your views, opinions and concerns with us. We would love to hear from you.