Online education has exploded in recent years, and the diversity of programs and degrees offered continues to grow. Completely new, online-only colleges and universities have emerged while existing schools have also brought some of their degree programs on to the web to allow for greater accessibility. This growth of the field had created more opportunities, but also a few pitfalls. Anyone now considering pursuing their degree online must thoroughly research their options because the characteristics and quality of available programs varies widely. To better understand the differentials, we’ve compared the online offerings of three schools: The University of Southern California, Western Governors University and Southern New Hampshire University. School Profiles and Degrees Offered Each of these three schools has a different profile. The University of Southern California is a highly ranked, private, non-profit research university that offers a Master’s in Teaching and a Master’s of Social Work online program in addition to its on-campus offerings. Western Governors University, on the other hand, is a completely online university that was created in 1997 and offers both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in a number of subject areas that include business and information technology. Finally, Southern New Hampshire University, like USC, is a private non-profit school with a physical campus and offers a number of undergraduate and graduate degrees through its online program. Academics Though teaching methods can vary by program, each school uses a somewhat standard approach with their online offerings. USC’s MAT program includes live online classes with small groups of students and a professor using webcam technology, documentary-style videos, online readings and tools, as well as a fully interactive online community where students can have discussions with classmates. The student-to-faculty ratio is the same as the on-campus program, and USC maintains the same high standards for professors in the online program. Instead of courses, WGU employs a competency-based approach, in which students can move past subjects they’ve already mastered by demonstrating their proficiency. Each WGU student works with a mentor who supports them during the program, which they advance through at their own pace. The mentor helps the student identify the resources necessary to build subject competency, resources which can be anything from video lectures and an online library to printed textbooks or learning modules. SNHU organizes its program around classes, which adjunct faculty instruct using materials developed by SNHU’s on-campus professors. Adapted from classes taught on campus, the adjunct professors work from a framework that can include a syllabus, readings, assignments and exams. SNHU does not appear to offer interactive online courses as USC does, but students can still interact with professors and peers through email and the Blackboard learning management system. Admissions USC has the most strict admissions standards of the three schools, and maintains the same standards for its online students and on-campus students. Applicants must submit past transcripts, a resume, three personal essays and two letters of recommendation. WGU requires applicants to take a Readiness Assessment exam rather than any standardized testing, as well as submitting transcripts and work history. SNHU has the fewest requirements with their rolling admissions process that asks for transcripts, work history and an optional interview. Alumni Networks Many online students fear they will miss out on the valuable alumni connections that on-campus students establish. At USC, however, students in the MAT program gain instant access to the USC Alumni Association, which has over 300,000 members worldwide. The Alumni Association has regional chapters and Young Alumni groups that hold events around the country and the world, and alumni serve as resources for each other through these channels. MAT@USC program members have also held their own meet-ups in major cities to become acquainted with classmates. As a younger school, WGU has fewer graduates than USC, but their ranks have already swelled to 10,000. WGU provides an online alumni association for its graduates as well as career services to help connect them with jobs. SHNU also has an alumni association, but how graduates of the online program fit in with graduates from on campus remains unclear. The three schools profiled above share some similarities and are all accredited educational institutions, but in many ways their online degrees are completely different from one another. When thinking about pursuing an education online, one must understand every school takes a different approach, so researching and comparing multiple programs is essential. This article was written by Social Media Outreach Coordinator, Sarah Fudin on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2tor - an education-technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as USC to deliver their Masters in Teaching degree online. Read more articles by this approved business partner | Click here » if you’re a businessOnline degree image from Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.