The more competitive the job market becomes, the more people pursue education for a competitive edge. The increasing ease with which people can get an education to change careers is making the job market even more competitive. Many people end up with several degrees for an increased sense of career security in a changing marketplace. But, many of us end up victims in the competition, wondering how our competitors in the workplace can find the time or money to continue their educations without disrupting their careers.

The answer is online education. Night school was once a great invention that allowed many people to keep their day jobs and advance their careers. Before that, most people went through life stuck with whatever education they received in their youth. But then in an era of two-earner families and single-parent families, night school became a difficult chore for most. Since the mid 1990s when Web education began, it has grown with almost a humanitarian mission, bringing the opportunity for career advancement to everyone with a computer and an Internet connection. But not all sites claiming to offer online education are everything they appear to be. Below are some tips to help you in researching online education opportunities.

1. Compare Online Schools

Over 60% of traditional offline colleges have added online degree offerings to their menus. You no longer have to choose between colleges whose names you've never seen or heard. Most of them have sites you can visit to find out what they have to offer. The better ones also contain all of the financial information you'll need. Go to lots of schools' sites and compare their offerings, prices, and policies.

2. Decide on a Degree

You probably already have a good idea what your educational desires are. But if you don't know what you want yet, it will be very hard to decide on a school because there are so many options available. Your degree should match your career goals or your career interest. If you are seeking a promotion in your current company, ask human resources what qualifications they typically need that is hard to find and see if that interests you.

3. Know the College

There are at least as many illegitimate online education offerings online as there are legitimate online education opportunities. If you don't find what you want at a college with a big reputation, be sure to check the accreditations cited by the online colleges you are considering. Properly accredited colleges will have met certain performance standards. Your future employer will probably be checking the accreditation.

The only exception to this is when the online education is through an institution local to you and the employers to which you'll be applying. In this case, it is more important to find out how local human resource departments feel about the students they've received from those local colleges.

If a college or university is properly accredited, they have met standards of performance. The accreditation implies that the school pursues a continuous review process through which they are encouraged to improve in areas which are felt to be lacking. If you earn an online degree from a school that lacks proper accreditation, you run the risk of others not perceiving your degree and education with the same level of value they would otherwise.