Picture this: there’s an exciting new role at your workplace, and you think you’re perfect for the job. You work hard to land the position, only to find out the guy in the next cubicle has bagged it. When you dig deeper, you realize the one thing that separates you two is the additional degree he has. And that’s when you start to regret thinking you were too busy to go back to school to get that advanced degree, which could have put you on the road to corporate success.

Doesn’t paint a pretty picture, does it? But the good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can easily set your house in order by getting an advanced degree through distance education.

Advancing careers with distance education and other non-traditional means has become quite commonplace these days, and there are many factors that contribute to the growing popularity of these programs. Distance education makes sense for full-time professionals, because it allows them to study without taking time off work. Because of the flexible nature of distance education, most people are able to strike a balance between their jobs and schoolwork.

Plus, there is a growing acceptance and integration of distance learning programs into the mainstream education system, because of the drastic improvements in the quality of the course structure as well as content of these programs. Distance learning programs have undergone a massive overhaul thanks to the technological revolution. High-quality e-books and CD-ROMs that can be accessed at the click of the mouse have replaced poorly-printed study material sent to students by postal mail, plus online collaboration, chats, email, and more have made it easy to communicate with instructors and fellow students.

What to Look For

If you think you’ve had it with doing the same job year after year, distance education might be your ticket to new opportunities. But before you take the plunge into this unique pool of knowledge, there are some things you should consider.

Needless to say, accreditation is at the top of the list of things to check for before throwing yourself into a distance learning institution. Not only is accreditation proof of the quality of an institution’s education, it is also a good indicator of how your degree will be received in the business world.

Another very important factor when selecting a distance education program is its relevance to your goals. It’s important that you understand why you’re pursuing this degree. Is it to move ahead in your current job, or to acquire a completely new set of skills for a fresh start? Look for a program that has the breadth of courses and programs you need.

You also need to keep an eye on your budget. Any type of college degree-whether it’s distance learning or a classroom-based degree-is not going to be easy on your pocket. You may have to dip into your savings or take out a student loan. But if you select a university that participates in Title IV Federal Aid programs and/or offers its own in-house grants and scholarships, you will have more options for financing your education if you qualify.

How Does It Work?

That distance education doesn’t require you to sit in a classroom is a well-known fact. What’s probably not common knowledge is that even within distance education, there are different course formats offering varying degrees of flexibility.

Synchronous distance education, for example, needs all students to connect to their computers at the same time for pre-scheduled lectures, seminars, video conferencing, etc. The idea is to get everyone together, even if they’re not under the same roof, for an interactive session on a regular basis.

Asynchronous distance learning programs provide unparalleled flexibility, as students are generally free to complete their coursework anytime they like. However, students in asynchronous distance programs may also be required to listen in on recorded lectures, participate in webinars, etc.

Both types of programs make liberal use of the Internet through emails, live chats, online discussion forums, and more. In fact, distance learning students may even be asked to submit their assignments and take exams online.

Is It Right For You?

Distance education provides a uniquely flexible opportunity for professionals to earn the advanced college education they thought could not fit into their busy work and life schedules. Before you choose a program, make sure you think about your goals, research your opportunities, and select the program that fits your needs.

The recession has many struggling no matter which part of the globe they may reside. With things getting tougher and no respite in sight many people are turning to home based businesses as part-time employment to generate some extra cash. Many easy home based business ideas can be found on the internet. A simple search will land one at over a thousand such opportunities. However, if you are like me you may be wondering just how reliable these opportunities are and how lucrative they can really be. Here are 3 home based business ideas that are surefire ways to earn some extra dough.

1. Writing For Online Marketing Professionals: Writing is one of the easiest ways to begin earning an income online from the confines of your own home. All you need to begin is a desire and ability to write, along with a computer that is connected to the internet. There is no shortage of writing opportunities out there. It is all a matter of choosing what kind of writing you would like to take up. Start with the simplest writing work – Article Writing. If you chose to do Article writing you will be writing about topics of the client’s choice. These topics could be anything under the sun. Researching the topics is very simple. Google is a great tool that can be used to get information about a certain topic. After obtaining the needed information you will rewrite it in a captivating and informative way to entice readers to visit the web site the client will include in the article before posting it to a directory. The topic will include a keyword given to you by the client and this keyword or phrase will need to be used three to four times in the body of the article. It’s as easy as that.

2. Virtual Assistant: Virtual assistants are also in high demand right now and this opportunity is among the best of the easy home based business ideas that are sure to help you begin earning a handsome living from home. Many online businesses need virtual assistants to do many tasks for them on a daily basis. These include replying to emails, posting articles to directories, being online to chat with potential or existing clients and even making online marketing calls and sending marketing mailers to people.

3. Online Tutoring: Many students from developing countries hire online tutors who can help them with their assignments and research work. Teaching spoken English is one such online tutoring job that is becoming very popular. If you feel you excel at a subject it will prove very lucrative for you to offer your services to online portals. You may be asked to prepare text, questions and write papers for scholars. Some educational publication houses are constantly on the search for good editors for their educational books. Editing books, writing them and tutoring students with their course material is a great home based business that can soon turn out to be a full-time job.