Do Online Classes Make Sense for Your Career?

When I graduated from college -- even though I loved the experience -- I literally ran to my car after the ceremony, speeding away in my '72 Olds Cutlass Supreme. (An awesome car I could now kick myself for selling.)

I was done with school. Forever. I looked at fellow graduates who said they were going to get their master's degrees or even their PhD's with the same face I used to pick squashed bugs off the bottom of my shoes. "Ugh!" I'd exclaim, walking away from them quickly for fear I'd catch whatever it was that was making them insane.

Now, many years later, I've contemplated going back to school as I've watched the journalism profession take a beating. I'm not exactly sure what classes I would take, but I was glad I did the research on this story for my Gannett column because taking online classes might be a good option for me -- but I need to be smart about my choices. Here's my story discussing online universities:


As the job market continues to flounder, many professionals are turning to online classes as a way to help save a current career or start a new one -- but both universities and students are warning that not all online educations are created the same.

“I was very disappointed in my online classes,” says Beverly Cornell, a consultant for global businesses, marketing and social media in Detroit. “People just did the work and never challenged anything that was said. I missed that exchange of ideas you get in a regular classroom. There was no chance to articulate ideas and help form ideas.”

Having just the opposite experience was Jan Melnick, who said she found her online classes from 2004 to 2007 were a perfect fit for her busy lifestyle as a businesswoman and mother of three.

“It was an outstanding experience,” says Melnick, a career coach in Durham, Conn. “I had a very busy career, and I wanted a program that was rigorous and had top-notch professors.”

Those varying experiences are why David Clinefelter, provost at Kaplan University, based in Davenport, Iowa, says those seeking an online education need to do some homework before they even take their first class. Clinefelter says that prospective students need to check out everything from the school’s accreditation to quality controls to considering their own learning styles.

Part of the problem with some online programs may be that the growth has been so explosive nationwide in recent years. For example, Kaplan University started online classes with just 34 students in 2001, and now has 54,000 students participating in its online programs. “It’s a hang-onto-that-tiger-by-the-tail thing,” Clinefelter says. “The numbers are staggering.”

Melnick says that she was one of those who had very specific criteria in mind when she went searching for an online university. Costing the same as if she were attending regular classes ($25,000-$30,000 for a bachelor’s degree), Melnick was ready to be challenged by a tough curriculum.

“You’ve got to look for the legitimate programs,” Melnick advises. “I was looking for professors that had the highest degrees, who had themselves graduated from Ivy League schools.”
Clinefelter agrees that any online university should offer the same quality classes and instructors as those provided to students in the traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. He also advises that students looking for an online education should:

• Make sure the online university is regionally accredited. Check out the U.S. Department of Education database of accreditation.
• Verify that the university offers a degree that will be valued by the industry or career you are pursuing.
• Check out not only the academic credentials of professors, but what real-world, professional experience they bring to the classroom.
• Ask whether the university will accept transfer credits in order to avoid paying for a class you’ve already taken somewhere else.
• Determine that there is a commitment to quality. For example, the classes should be consistent (not changing every time there is a new professor), and there should be a clear method for measuring student learning outcomes from the classes. Also, the university should be responsive to the demands of a profession, keeping current on what is needed to give students the skills and knowledge they need to compete.
• Think about your learning style. While Cornell says she needed more human interaction and better communication than provided online, Melnick says she excels in written communication and working independently, so the online classes suited her. It’s a good idea to ask an academic admissions advisor or check the university’s website to find out the student/faculty ratio; how you will interact and communicate with faculty; the teaching style online; the opportunities to interact with other students; and what academic and/or technical support is available.
• Consider your age. Those interviewed for this story agree that online courses are better suited to the “older” student. Clinefelter says the majority of Kaplan’s online students are female, in their mid-30s and have children.

Melnick adds that she believes the self-discipline and more “experienced and real-world view” of the older student are better suited to the online classroom.

“Many people have gotten to where they are in life without a degree,” Melnick says. “But they may find it’s now holding them back. I tell them, ‘It’s never too late.’ There’s a real confidence that comes from getting that degree.”

What are some important criteria to use when deciding to go back to school?

Got Grit?

You can be the sharpest knife in the drawer, the most well-educated person in your workplace, ambitious, quick-witted and charming -- and a failure.

While many would consider those attributes a recipe for success, the truth is that those who seem to climb the top of the ladder have something that others may lack: Grit.


"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all," said Dale Carnegie, the original self-help guru.

If you look up grit in the dictionary, it's defined as "indomitable spirit; pluck." I've thought about that a lot as I've been watching the Olympics. While it's clear those athletes have spent thousands of hours in the gym, in the pool and on the running track to get where they are, there is also something special that makes them reach that point.

It's more than hard work, it's more than training and it's more than a body's DNA. It's grit. If you look at their faces, they seem to be lit within by some internal fire that propels them toward their goal.

How does this apply to the workplace? Well, maybe you're not the most well-trained, the most intelligent, the most well-educated at your company. But if you've got the grit, the persistence needed to overcome setbacks and stay committed to your goal, then that can clearly be a deciding factor in your success.

At the same time, those who are successful often tell me they are passionate about what they do; passion is what keeps them striving toward their goal. While you may not always feel passionate about what you're doing in the beginning, often perseverance will help you develop that passion. You may, in fact, become passionate simply about not giving up -- then realize after a time that you're passionate about achieving your goal.

I recently enrolled my oldest son for college, and his adviser was reviewing his test scores. "Solid scores," she said. "Not fantastic, but solid."

Both my son and I squirmed in our seats. Was she judging him as not capable? Her next words surprised me.

"These scores are a good thing," she said. "We've found that those will really high test scores in high school have the highest failure rate in college. The problem seems to be that it's been fairly easy for those kids until now. The first time something goes wrong, they don't know how to cope. They don't know how to work hard and overcome obstacles."

While we live in a time of instant messaging, 24/7 news and an emphasis on speed, it may be more important than ever that if we're going to succeed we don't need to cast aside a goal at the first sign of trouble, but instead develop our perseverance, our grit and determination to keep at it when others would give up.

"Always bear in mind," Abraham Lincoln said, "That your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing."

Does the workplace have enough people with grit these days? Why or why not?




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