When I was young I never realized how much not having a degree would hurt me in years to come. First of all, I quickly learned that I would have to take lesser paying jobs than friends who had degrees. And the opportunity for advancement wasn't there, either. Many of the jobs available to me were downright menial. People looked down on me, too. It wasn't anything they said, but I could feel an air of superiority about them. The worst humiliation came when I was introduced to someone's brother at a party. He seemed interested in me until the questions about education started. Even though he turned out to be a pompous fool, he caused me plenty of pain before the evening was over.



At some point he referred to me as "one of the unlettered." Actually I owe the so-called gentleman a thank you, as it's because of him that I have a degree today! But back then I didn't have the time or the money to go to school.

So, I began investigating other ways to get a degree. But it wasn't until the internet came along that I began to have some real hope. I discovered online universities. You could actually earn a degree from the comfort of your own home! But I couldn't help wondering if people would think it was a fake. I could only hope that I wouldn't be asked too many questions at an interview.

As things turned out, some employers were very suspicious about online degrees and wanted proof of accreditation. Obviously that was not going to be a good match. There was no trust to build anything on. Luckily there were others who put a generous light on my online degree. I was actually complimented for being ambitious and motivated.

Thank goodness things have been rapidly changing when it comes to online degrees. There are many more good online universities all the time and you can now pretty easily do your due diligence to make sure the online university is accredited.

The three industries most likely to accept online degrees have been:: New Media Technology, High Tech Media and Marketing, Telecommunications and Consulting. As more and more people get online degrees and use them in the workforce, Human Resources managers will begin to feel more secure about the quality of education people with online degrees have. The future of getting jobs and advancements based on online degrees gets brighter with each passing day.

Choose schools carefully, and check for accreditation and strong programs. When you've earned the degree, go to job interviews armed with information to counter any questions about the quality or validity of your degree. Make sure the interviewer knows how hard you worked to achieve the monumental task of attending an online university and how much juggling you did to work your earning an education into a busy schedule. Stress how you overcame all obstacles. It will show a self-motivation and discipline that any employer would be happy to find.