by Marsha Sigman

Created on: August 15, 2008   Last Updated: February 28, 2012

An online course can help improve your career. I am not talking about taking years of your life obtaining a degree in a field that you somehow fell into and you're not sure you even enjoy. If you're like 99 percent of the rest of the population then your time is stretched about as thin as it can be, and the last thing you want to do is take up more of it by sitting in a classroom.

Distance learning is the answer. You can opt for a six-week course online that will give you that necessary edge to ask for a raise or promotion. Almost every local college offers continuing education courses that are available online. I took the Microsoft Access course. Each chapter was posted for a time period of two weeks with a quiz immediately following. If you chose to, you could complete the course in the allotted six-week time frame or it could be stretched out for an additional six weeks. The layout was simple, the graphics and examples were amazing, and I finished with a perfect score.

The cost was minimal. The entire course from start to finish was a total of $100 and the price of a pen and pad of paper. Most employers are more than happy to reimburse the expense of an online course that will enhance your knowledge of the business and your position.

I became the office guru on Microsoft Access. My supervisor was pleased that I had taken the extra time and effort for my position and I was rewarded with an advancement and a raise. I felt a sense of accomplishment and a renewed interest in my career as well.

The following year I took another online course for eight weeks. How to Create a Business Plan was a course that took you through the process of creating an idea for a business and how to implement that idea. This was not only helpful in my current position working for a small start-up company, but it also gave me the necessary knowledge to create my own plan for a business venture.

These courses are an impressive addition to your resume. You can concentrate on one field of study, such as office software, or you can expand your knowledge in different areas. A few well-selected courses can make the difference when pursuing an administrative or managerial career. Prospective employers will be impressed that you continued to increase your knowledge. This shows drive and a determination to succeed.

Not every online course is dull and tedious. If you want to learn for the simple joy of learning, there are courses offered on a variety of things. One that caught my eye was Medieval Studies. Who wouldn't want to learn about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? What were some of the more bizarre customs of the day? Be warned that this might not be viewed as a valid business expense unless you can manage to incorporate this knowledge into the theme of your next business party. I did with great success.

We should never stop learning and increasing our knowledge of the world around us. You can do this without the time and expense of obtaining a full degree in a classroom setting. You can rekindle that joy of learning and improve your career with an online course that takes little time but gives big rewards.

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