Despite the slowdown in the economy, you can still realize your career dreams in the year 2012 by considering online learning. You should however, be aware of your wants and needs and plan your career based on your aspirations. You might be already working, unemployed or want to change your careers you can achieve your career goals by following some simple steps.

Tips To Realize Your Career Goals In 2012

1. Be aware of what you want in a career. You should be sure whether you want to a career to earn money or a career to help people around you. You should have a self-assessment of yourself to research about the job that you want to consider.
2. Design specific goals, set boundaries and decide on the kind of job that you want to pursue and want to see yourself a few years down the line. You should prioritize and delegate tasks to others in your department.
3. Advance your online education so that you can achieve your career goals in 2012. It will help you to get better jobs and more career opportunities. It will also indicate to your prospective employers that you are serious about your career and want to pursue a career in that particular field. If you are unemployed or want to switch careers, you can advance your education and develop a new career.
4. Networking is always helpful if you are looking at changing your job or want to get a promotion in the current field. Networking can help you get to know more people in a specific field who can help you to find a new job, give tips for an interview or give insights about the trends in that particular field. You can even consider networking sites like LinkedIn to make more contacts.
5. Be realistic when trying to reach your career goals. It is not easy to jump from a receptionist position to a high position like a vice president within a very short while. Don’t be over-ambitious. You should proceed systematically and plan in such a way that your goals can be achieved within a specific timeframe.
6. Instead of planning big and setting an ultimate goal which can be achieved by 2012, set smaller goals which can be achieved easily.
7. Develop a road map to reach your aim in life. For example, if you are interested in becoming a qualified and licensed doctor, you should collect all relevant information on the various medical entrance tests and the medical schools offering the course that you want to specialize in. After the initial qualification, you can consider higher studies in that field and gain specialization.
8. Make short term goals and opt for career specific courses after your high school to take up a job to earn money. This can help you to gain experience as well as earn money for higher education. This can be in the form of diplomas, certificate courses or online courses.
9. After achieving your short term career goals, it is very critical that you plan for your long-term career goals. You should do adequate research and decide on the courses which can help you develop a lucrative career with good salary.
10. You should keep your financial security in mind while planning your career goals in 2012. Even if you hate your current job, don’t leave it till you find a new one.

These career tips can help you reach your career goals for 2012 and help you plan your career. You should however, be focused and determined to achieve these goals.

If you are interested in pursuing an affordable online degree from an accredited online school, you can enjoy maximum flexibility as you can work as well as pursue higher education. You can consider a variety of online degree programs which can you pursue in the New Year.

You can jump-start your education in 2012 with a popular online degree even if you are a working professional or a stay-at-home mom. You can opt for it without discontinuing your existing job or compromising on your family commitments. According to various studies conducted to analyze the popularity of online education, it is found that more students are considering this option. It is also found that about 35 to 40 percent of all students are likely to opt for online degrees by 2014.

Top Online Degrees to Pursue in 2012

There are many affordable online degrees which you can consider to pursue in 2012 from online schools. These online degrees are cost effective, offer flexibility and can help you to develop a lucrative career in a specific field of your choice:

1. Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration can help you to develop real-life skills needed to manage an effective business. It offers training in areas like statistics, business principles, business ethics and economics along with managerial skills so that you can manage business in various fields. You can pursue this course from anywhere and at anytime without discontinuing your existing job. You can work as a finance manager, insurance underwriter or actuary.
2. Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice can help you develop the necessary skills and knowledge required for developing a career in law enforcement, security or areas of counseling. The coursework will include various law and justice courses like sociology, law, psychology, public administration and criminal justice. You can even consider various areas of specialization so that you can develop niche careers. You can work as probation officers, correctional treatment specialists, criminal investigators, detectives or social worker.
3. Online Bachelor’s in Information Technology involves courses which range from computer programming, networking to computer science. You can also develop necessary skills like digital communications, web developmentand programming. With this affordable online degree, you can work as a software developer, network and systems administrator or computer system analyst.
4. Online Bachelor’s in Communications can help you work in the field of media and involves a range of courses like international communications, internet, TV, films, advertising, history, media writing as well as social sciences. With this online degree, you can work as an editor for a publication, reporter, correspondent or public relations specialist.
5. Online Bachelor in Education has gained tremendous popularity over the years and offers a lot of career options. Coursework for this online degree can range from areas like school health, lesson planning and educational psychology which can help you develop careers like special educator, middle school teacher, elementary school teacher, technical education teacher and secondary school teacher.

Apart from these online degrees, there are a host of other online degree programs at various levels which can help you develop a lucrative career as well as salary. This can improve further with experience and higher education. Therefore, jump-start your higher education for the year 2012 with the above online degrees that can lead you to career success.

Who doesn’t love technology these days? Technology has become a part of our everyday life. College students and kids in general tend to gravitate towards hand held mobile devices that play music, games and other apps that keep them entertained.

Facts about Apps

But that’s not all. Kids are even learning from portable devices with apps. College students and online students alike prefer to study from mobile devices rather than through old fashioned text books. Books are out of style with kids and probably not a cool way to learn anymore, especially with all these new high tech mobile learning devices available. Where does this leave kids who can’t afford to buy these devices and mobile apps to help them learn? Are they left behind or can they keep up with kids that have the latest mobile devices with apps?

1. Apps are not recommended for everyone. According to recent research, portable devices such as iPhones, iPods, iPads, and smart phones should not be used with young learners or the screen time should be limited to a minimum of two hours each day for children over the age of two.
2. Are low-income families or affluent families using apps more? Do low income families use apps, or even know what an app is? Low income families may not know what an app is, but they do use them. However, they do not use them as often as affluent families and probably for different reasons also.
3. Do apps really help children learn? Even though apps are valuable online learning tools, most kids still use them for entertainment purposes more than they do for learning. Kids today spend more time on these digital devices to socialize and to keep themselves entertained.
4. Children consider the iPad a toy. Well, at least that’s what PC World seems to think. They once called the iPad as the “Children’s Toy of the Year.” However many kids learn from toys, so this could be a good thing .
5. Most parents don’t know what their kids are doing on their mobile devices. Most parents buy iPhones, iPods and iPads for their children just because they want them, but parents aren’t really paying attention to what their children are doing on these mobile devices. Some parents don’t realize that their kids are running up their credit card bill until it is too late .
6. Most kids can tell have purchased a mobile device or two, but have never bought a book. Is this true? Today, kids prefer to watch more TV, listen to music, play games or socialize on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace rather than read a book, much less purchase one.
7. Today, most kids own at least one mobile device. Kids of all ages and from all backgrounds own at least one mobile device and are constantly upgrading it to stay current with the latest trends.

What do you think: Are mobile devices just another digital distraction or kids are really learning from these things?

With today’s broad spectrum of technology and internet, the information technology field is wide open with possibilities for lucrative and well-paid jobs. Jobs in the field of IT are high in demand, offer career advancement opportunities and a job security too. Individuals pursuing an Online Information Technology Degree have a myriad of career options to choose from and they can get into a variety of fields ranging from computer programming to networking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that job opportunities in the field of information technology are projected to grow faster than the average field.

Here is a list of some lucrative careers you can pursue by earning an online degree in Information Technology.

1. Database Administrator

Earning an online bachelor’s degree in information technology will qualify you for the post of data administrator. An online bachelor’s degree in information technology gives students an in depth understanding of computer and server components, as well as common programming, web and database languages. As a data administrator, you are responsible to supervise the development and maintenance of digital databases. You will likely develop policies for databases and provide support to other staff members.

2. IT Specialist

Information technology specialists or IT specialists are experts in handling the configuration and troubleshooting of client technology, ranging from computers to cell phones. IT specialists play a key role in handling, storing and analyzing the daily technology requirements of businesses. In addition, they can repair computers, fix, install and update computer software. Pursuing an online master’s degree in information technology will make you eligible for this job opportunity.

3. Computer Programmer

Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from an accredited online school will make you eligible for the position of computer programmer. As a computer programmer, you will likely develop and maintain software, write code, test existing programs, troubleshooting and create user manuals. Computer programmers develop or maintain browser or server software as well as possess a sound understanding of programming languages, like C++ and Java.

4. Onsite Technician

Onsite technician also called computer repairer or computer service technician is the most sought-after person in the field of information technology. As a computer repairer, you can perform hands-on repair, maintenance, and installation work on computers. Moreover, you can also work on printers and auxiliary computer equipment. Pursuing an associate’s degree in information degree is the minimum requirement for the post of computer service technician. However, obtaining a bachelor’s degree will help you compete with the competition for employment opportunities in the field.

5. Data Communications Analyst

Data communications analyst or network architect is one of the most demanded professions in the field of IT. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in information technology from accredited online colleges will help you land a data communications analyst job. A network architect/data communications analyst creates and improves the technologies including local area networks and the Internet. Furthermore, they maintain and troubleshoot the data system utilized by the company. A data communication analyst has job security whilst the earning potential is quite good.

In short, career possibilities with an online information technology degree are nearly limitless. Earning an IT degree is an ideal option for those who enjoy working with computers and considering making a fresh and successful career change.

Did you know that there are certain online degrees that employers don’t want? Keep this in mind when you enroll in an online degree program. Don’t make the mistake of pursuing an online degree that is not respected in the workforce. Here are the top 6 online degrees to avoid.

Choosing a Career Path with an Online Degree

Graduation is the most exciting time in a college student’s life. But that excitement can slowly fade away once these college grads realize that the online degree they hold is one that is not valued in the workplace. Employers are very particular when it comes to online degrees, so career seekers need to make sure that they do thorough research before choosing a career path if they plan to use distance learning programs to earn their degrees.

Distance Learning Programs

Graduating with an online degree from a reputable online school is a great accomplishment, but the job prospects may not be great if the degree is not valued by employers. This is where it gets to be a problem for career seekers that use e-learning programs.

Online Degrees That Are Not Valued In the Workplace

An increasing numbers of working professionals are taking advantage of online courses or completing their degrees online. These online programs are an attractive alternative as they help busy working adults balance work, family and school. As the demand for these online programs steadily increase, the number of online institutions providing these online degree programs also continues to rise.

However, while acceptability of online degrees is increasing among employers, there are still a few online degrees that employers don’t want.

The top two online degrees that employers don’t want are:

1. Diploma mill degrees
2. Unaccredited online degrees

The above degrees are unacceptable regardless of the subject in which they are pursued. The least popular online degrees, subject wise are:

1. Online degree in History
2. Online degree in Art
3. Online degree in Music
4. Online Degree in English

Should College Students Avoid Certain Online Degrees?

Most definitely! Those that are new to the workforce and are considering online colleges should stay away from the top 6 online degrees that employers don’t want. Find out which online degrees rank lowest in terms of employment prospects. Earning a fake degree through a diploma mill might sound tempting in the short term but in the long term it will only lead to trouble.

I would love to hear your opinions as well! Please leave your comments below.