Do you think having a degree from an online college could be hurting my chances of finding a job?
I have a B.A. from an accredited online college and have been looking for a job for almost a year now. I am a certified teacher and I know that with the current state of the economy not to mention the already existing competitiveness of the teaching field, it’s not necessarily easy getting a job these days. But I have applied to so many jobs without even hearing a word form any employers, I can’t help but wonder if I am shoved to the back of the pile simply because of the college I attended. I have worked extensively on my resume and cover letters and I seriously don’t think they’re the problem. I have had one interview which obviously didn’t pan out, and have been personally recommended to three different school districts but still couldn’t even score an interview. I’m just curious to see what other people think or if anyone else has had a similar dilemma.
April 24th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
It could hurt but the biggest issue could be the need for teachers in the specific area and the number of people competing for the same job. I’d say your best bet is to looking into areas where teachers are retiring at high rates and apply to those schools.
April 25th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Keep trying, I don’t think the online school is hurting you much, a lot of people now a days earn their degree online, just keep looking. There is a lot of competition with the economy in the down swing and a lot of schools have slashed their budgets and laid off teachers. Keep trying and you will get in.
April 25th, 2010 at 12:51 am
I assume the college was regionally accredited, and not just “accredited”, because that could be an issue. It needs to have been regionally accredited in order for schools to even be able to consider you.
If it was regionally accredited, then the fact that you went to an online college certainly could be a factor.
Are the schools near you hiring subs? If so, then that may be a way for you to get in. What you need to do is find a way to make employers look past your resume, and to your person. One way to do that is to sub, and wherever you sub, make sure that you meet the principal and others with hiring power, that they know who you are, and that they know you are looking. Schmooze them. Network. This genuinely works.
You may also want to consider getting certified in a field that’s in very high demand in your region. You’d need to learn what those are, and one way to do that is to sit down with the hiring managers – who you’ve schmoozed, as above – and ask them what they need. What makes the difference in terms of being hired? In some regions, it’s bilingual, or special ed, and etc. If you can find out what they need, you may be able to get it. If that requires some extra schooling, that’s okay – but do that in person, not online, and from a respected college in your field, not from a school that’s famous for being for-profit or online.
Another thing you can do is apply to schools that are actively seeking teachers because they aren’t in the best areas. Urban public schools, for example, may be a good target. You could get in there, gain experience, and with that experience under your belt, perhaps get hired into a suburban system. While you’re teaching in the urban system, you’d get your masters in teaching from an offline, in person college that, again, is neither famous for being online nor for being for-profit.