Remember this: No employer cares about your education unless it’s from Harvard, Yale, or MIT.

Getting an online degree is more available than ever, but people still don’t take that option because they might have heard some myths about receiving an online degree. Where did this stigma come from? I am going to tackle the elephant in the room and debunk all the bad rumors about online degrees.

1. Online degrees are not real or accredited: There are some scams out there that pretend that their schools are accredited to when choosing you school of choice make sure your school is a real organization. All the schools at http://www.resumebucket.com/collegesearch are fully accredited and have over 100 degrees to choose from.

2. Online degrees have a poor reputation. Getting an online degree is exactly the same clout and respect from getting it from a traditional school. Even popular 4 year universities are offering some sort of online bachelor degree program for certain students who are more suited towards this format Online degree programs are geared towards students that do not have the time to take a four-year education and employers understand that. With an online education, you will gain as much respect as with any other college degree.

3. Tuition is too expensive. This couldn’t be more wrong. Budget cuts are making tuition go up on average 10% every semester! Online degrees have less overhead so rising cost of electricity and other resources doesn’t affect your pocketbook. Many online schools offer financial aid and tuition assistance to qualifying students. You also save money and time just by not having to drive to class everyday.

4. Online degrees are easy and don’t have lots of room to mess around. Online expect their students to be ambitious and self-driven, capable of independent study and discipline. Companies look at people with that type of personality too! If stop doing assignments and fall behind in your classes, you will fail, just like if you were in a traditional campus environment. The classrooms are made to be personalized and it very easy to contact your teacher if you need help or just have a question. Some degrees are going to be harder than others but it all depends on what you are doing.

5. All online degrees are the same. There are hundreds of different degrees you can get. You can also get your MBA if you’re done with your undergraduate classes. Some lasses are transferable as well so it’s a good idea to talk to a representative at your school of choice to find out what your can do with old classes you might have taken.

So there it is, the top five myths about online degrees debunked. Sure, it may not be for everyone but for people who are busy and don’t have time to commute to school everyday it is a great option. I say, if your thinking about it, try it! Expand your horizons; get the MBA you thinking about getting before you had that full time job. Get that undergraduate degree and move up in your company, or better yet, get them to pay for it!

Lightling Round Edition:

1. Know what other people are getting paid in your market

2. During or after the interview, do try to get a sense of whether you are the preferred candidate. If you are, you have more negotiation power

3. Wait for them to put out the salary number first.

4. If the company mentions a number, then do the following: Repeat it back to them, then stare at them while counting to 30 in your head. 90% of the time they will then give you a higher number.

5. You can try and negotiate other things like more paid time off if the salary is right already.

6. The best time to negotiate is after the interview but before you’ve been hired. If the hiring manager wants you, talk to HR about raising your payroll. They will try to do their job and not let you get away.