Sunday, May 15

How to Self-Market your Online MBA Degree - Guest Post by Mariana

While young aspiring entrepreneurs technically don't need to have an MBA to launch their

business, an advanced degree can most certainly help—you'll learn all of the fundamentals

needed to become successful, including being equipped with skills in marketing, finance,

business models, and operations management. Not to mention an MBA can most certainly

help launch your career as a company CEO, corporate manager, corporate vice-president and

department manager within another start-up company that is not your own. But returning to

a brick-and-mortar graduate school can be time consuming. Maybe that's why so many are

pursuing online MBA degrees. While the validity of online degrees is slowly starting to be

accepted by most employers, some are still unfortunately skeptical of the whole idea of e-

learning. This is mainly due to the numerous illegitimate diploma mills that have tainted the

concept of online schooling. With that said, employers will still hire online graduates, but be

prepared to answer more difficult questions to prove your education is legitimate and skills are

up to par. But the fact that you earned your degree online already sets you at an advantage over

the rest of the applicants— you just need to know how to market yourself properly. To learn how

to sell your MBA online degree, continue reading below.



Self-Discipline



Typically during every interview, an employer will ask an interviewee how he or she stands out

from the rest of the applicants. This would be the perfect opportunity to simultaneously highlight

your strong work ethic and explain how you possess a lot of self-discipline. Online students are

required to complete their assignments independently without little or no supervision –a quality

that employers always look for an employee. While yes it is true that traditional students must

also work on their own to complete their assignments, the flexibility of online classes can be

harder than when completing courses in a traditional setting because students have to set their

own goals and be really self-disciplined to finish assignments without reminders from professors

and outside help from their classmates. Your online degree can prove that you are self-starter and

know how to get your work accomplished.


Time Management Skills


Here, you can also stress that you were able to earn your degree despite any obstacles that may

have stood in your way, such as balancing a full or part-time job or taking care of your family.

The applicants who only had to worry about school can't say the same. If you can prove that you

were dedicated enough to earn a degree and utilize your time management skills to the best of

your ability, this will undoubtedly demonstrate that you can get your work done and that you are

a hard worker.

Proficiency in Computers


Your online degree can also demonstrate that you have basic skills in computer and

technology—a quality that employers also seek in potential hires. Explain how the format of

online schooling will save the company time and money since you will not need to be trained to

use certain software programs and you can correct your own minor technical difficulties such

as updating/installing plug-ins such as Flash and Adobe Reader and you know how to scour the

internet. You also can stress how your online school format has taught you how to make video

conference calls since you were required to video chat professors for example or that instant

messaging and e-mailing has prepared you to communicate at a global level. You can also stress

how you are an effective online researcher since you only had access to online sources and

databases to complete your term papers and assignments.



P.S: Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She


loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

You can read more stuff from her at http://www.onlinecolleges.net/

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