Early in 2009 a Chicago television station took a poll asking citizens if they expected to be hunting for a new job in the coming year and the results at the end of the half hour were overwhelmingly yes with eighty percent of those responding expecting to be looking for a new job. This is certain to send those seeking distance learning ultimately resulting in a degree from an online college to a much better comfort zone for landing a better paying job than those not increasing their education before searching for that new employer.

Admittedly the national average won't be as high as eighty percent and neither will Chicago's because this was a poll taken at lunch time on a Wednesday so it is easy to assume that most of the people who participated in the event were at home and currently seeking employment but even with whittling down the percentage it is still a great indicator that there will be strong competition in the job market.

That all but assures that those leaving jobs that do not require a degree will not find happier landings elsewhere. Strong competition in a weak market usually means there is somebody else waiting behind you that is willing to do your job for less money so the only way those without a degree stand to better their working career is to go back to school and get a degree in an area where there is demand.

The good news is that it has never been easier to achieve a college degree for working adults than current times due to the internet and online colleges which have flexible class schedules that allow for a forty hour work week and earn a college degree all at the same time. What was once out of reach of most of the blue collar work force is now a very obtainable objective if they choose to apply themselves.

Financing is available to many people and college counselors wait to provide professional guidance towards achieving your goals whatever they might be. It is merely a matter of visiting a college portal web site where they will have a list of several online colleges to recommend. Visit more than one college so that you can compare both tuition and the advice given by the school counselors. It is for that reason the minimum number of colleges to get guidance from should be three so that if there is conflicting advice given the third college counselor's guidance can help you determine which of the schools are knowledgeable in your chosen area of interest and which ones might not know as much as they claim.

Avoid the temptation to buy your degree from what are called diploma mills which basically sell you a degree that is worthless and usually the education is as poor as the degree you are issued. A degree from an obvious fraudulent college can not only get you blacklisted by all the legitimate employers in that area of employment but it can also land you in jail for practicing without legal documentation.

It is paramount that the online college be accredited by recognized organizations or the student risks not only the loss of money spent on earning the degree that won't hold up to scrutiny but worse is the time lost not to mention momentum. Imagine finishing something that took you four years to achieve and then finding out that it was all for not simply because you don't have the paper to show for your troubles.

Things can get even worse than that however. If you were taught by a school that didn't know what it was teaching then when you do go back to school to get your recognized degree it will remain a strong challenge because it won't be re-learning the same curriculum.

Much of that can be avoided however by simply making sure the online college you choose is accredited and if you aren't sure about how to make certain the school is accredited then choose one that is very well-known. This not only helps assure it will be an accredited online college but also will be better when employers look at your resume if they see a college name they recognize. Another alternative is to visit usaonlinecolleges.com where the accreditation information is provided next to the link that takes you to the college web site where you can enter your name, phone number and time to call and the guidance counselor will contact you at your preferred time.

Remember that you are not the only person who will seek to better their employment opportunities by earning an accredited college degree so don't waste time wondering whether you can afford the time and money necessary to get that diploma. Go through with the process of finding out by contacting several colleges of your choice and comparing their tuition costs and class schedules and you will find one that fits your unique needs but it doesn't happen if you don't act.