Careers: Keeping Yourself Marketable During Hard Times

Most career counselors emphasize the need to keep your job skills fresh in the best of times, let alone during a slump in the economy. Technology and "best practices" in all professions are constantly evolving and even the more experienced workers can find themselves trumped by recent graduates who have a better handle on skills that improve the bottom line. If you're wondering how best to remain competitive in the workplace, consider bolstering your training now.

The advantage of online degree programs is that you can keep your job during rocky times and prepare for advancement or a new career while maintaining your earnings. If you're among the recently unemployed, taking a job to make ends meet while you re-tool for new, more promising professions can provide a distinct advantage.

Job expert Robb Sutton suggests that you make yourself "unfireable" by becoming increasingly diversified in your skill sets. That may mean enrolling in online career training in computer software, management theory, accounting, marketing, healthcare technologies, or by completing additional IT certifications. No matter your field, you'll always strengthen your prospects by mastering general workplace competency in communication, research and planning, organization, and human relations.

Here are some suggested associate, bachelor's, master's degree or career training programs--all available in-part or fully online--that can propel you toward the front of the hiring line:

Paralegal Studies

If you already have strong office skills, and interest in the law, and want to boost your administrative assistant or secretarial earnings, consider enrolling in a paralegal studies degree program. They're available at the associate, bachelor's and master's degree level and earnings--according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)--are topping out above the $70,000-a-year range. Oh, and job openings for paralegals are predicted to rise by 22 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.

Education Administration Degree

While many teachers have job stability, it's not always certain that their school districts will have sufficient operating funds during hard times for routine raises. Education administrators earn more, but you'll need training beyond your bachelor's degree and post-graduate certificate to move into district administration or principal roles. Sign up for a flexible online master's degree program in education administration while you're still teaching. The median 2007 annual wage for elementary and secondary administrators was $80,580.

Web Developer Training

You may be an accomplished Web designer, knowing your way around hand-coded HTML pages, and may even have a keen eye for photo-image software. But it's getting so that high school seniors can write code in their sleep. To remain atop the profession, you should consider additional training beyond an associate or bachelor's degree for work as a senior Web developer. That means gaining new skills in Java, PHP/PERL, MySQL, ColdFusion, Virtual Basic, and other essential programs for use on deploying sites on Windows, Apache, and Linux platforms. There are plenty of online training programs to boost your skills and earning power. Senior Web developers were expected to earn to salaries of $108,250 in 2008.

Accounting Degree

Don't wince. An accounting degree or accounting training can increase the bandwidth of most any job qualification. Whether you have a degree or experience in business, sales, marketing, healthcare, manufacturing, or non-profit sectors, knowing how to do forecasts, crunch numbers, handle taxes, or coordinate tabulations using data-management tools, spreadsheet software, or more sophisticated forecast programs can brighten your prospects. You can pursue associate or bachelor's degrees in accounting online, too. If you're already an auditor, consider training for a certified public accountant designation to really enhance your chances. Top earnings for accountants in 2007 surpassed $98,000.

Bachelor's Degree in Nursing

Whether you're just considering nursing training or already hold an associate's degree, heading back to school for a bachelor's degree can broaden your professional appeal. RN to BSN programs abound online. The additional training offers development of nursing skill sets in more diverse clinical populations and settings than do associate programs, and you can gain additional abilities in management and teaching. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, fast-track baccalaureate programs for those already holding degrees take between 11 and 18 months to complete.

Master's degree programs in nursing take three years to complete and can prepare you for greater responsibilities--and earnings--as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, or Certified Nurse-Midwife.