By: Shawn Cox
Submitted: 2011-03-23 19:40:11 | Word Count: 664
Pursuing an online IT degree can not only add to your education and beef up your resume; it can also boost your career and put you on the fast track to success. If you are tossing around the idea of going back to school, here are 5 reasons why an online IT degree is the right choice for you.
Good Reason 1: Convenience
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There's no doubt that getting an online IT degree is more convenient than getting your degree the traditional way. It used to be that going back to school required you to rearrange your schedule, risking or perhaps even leaving your job so that you would be able to attend classes. And as if that weren't enough, you also had to sacrifice valuable time normally spent with your family and loved ones.
An online format changes all of that. Instead of planning your life around your degree, plan your degree around your life: Log in, check messages, and do coursework all at your convenience. If you want to "go" to class in the middle of the night in your pajamas, no one will be the wiser for it. If you want to take advantage of the time you save not having to commute, you can even take an extra class or two and finish your degree a little faster.
Good Reason 2: Job Security
These days, you have your choice of online degrees you can pursue. Information technology personnel are in demand. The more businesses turn to computerized systems to run everything from inventory lists to complicated company networks, the clearer it becomes that information technology is the way of the future.
Businesses in particular need IT personnel in three specific areas: computer systems, programming, and networking. Most businesses have computer systems that need to be set up and maintained. In addition, some businesses, particularly large companies, program their own systems in-house. And with any moderate or large sized business, there is a network that allows everyone's computers to network, which will also need to be set up and maintained.
No matter what happens to other industries, these jobs are not going to go away, because they handle the things businesses are founded on. An online IT degree will ensure you job security, by making you eligible to work in one of the most necessary industries in today's business world.
Good Reason 3: Earning Power
The addition of a degree very often means a salary increase, but IT jobs are especially lucrative. The salaries of IT personnel entering the workforce typically start at about $45,000 per year. In addition, you have the option to add management training to your online IT degree, which will make you eligible for management positions starting at $80,000 or more per year.
Good Reason 4: Room for Advancement
An online IT degree puts you into a career where you will have plenty of room for advancement. IT manager positions start out paying between $80,000 and $112,000 per year; increasing exponentially the higher you go. The business world's dependence on information technology has created a large IT workforce, which requires many high-level managers to keep the system running smoothly.
Good Reason 5: Availability of Perks
As with any job that has a lot of room for advancement, the higher up you go the more perks you get to enjoy. Many IT managers enjoy things like paid travel, expense accounts, bonuses, and benefits such as stock options. Having an online IT degree under your belt widens your possible career options dramatically, perhaps even making you eligible for careers and perks such as these.
If you want to beef up your resume with a degree or are looking for a career change, an online IT degree might be just the thing for you. With the convenience of getting an online degree, combined with the benefits of working in the IT industry, the decision to get your online IT degree is the first and best step toward a successful life and career.
