Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.    — Chinese Proverb

As most people who are immersed in the workplace will tell you, business is a competitive environment that requires an enormous dedication to maintaining - and elevating - a skill set in order to remain marketable and successful. In this day and age, attaining a college degree is absolutely necessary for growth within the business environment.

Pursuing higher-education and in the process landing a plum job has become the ‘mantra’ among aspiring youngsters in the metro cities in India. However, in the quest to realize their dreams, most of them overlook the nitty-gritty, so vital to make, and lose out on the big opportunities.

Education is nothing but emphasis on systematic, well planned and rigorously implemented programs that are crucial to enhance individual employability, to reduce the mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower.
When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, ‘As much as the living are to the dead.’ Diogenes Laetius

A Break in the norm
In view of globalization, new competitive environment, flow of outsourcing business to India and move towards harmonization of reporting at global level, ability and willingness of an individual to accept responsibility for meeting challenges posed by information revolution, and economic reforms to achieve an agreed level of competence is attained through education and practical experience, followed by continuing professional development. 

The education and practical experience of professionals should provide a foundation of professional knowledge, professional skills, and professional values, ethics and attitudes that enable them to continue to learn and adapt to change throughout their professional lives. An integrated approach involving a combination of theoretical education, on the job training, work experience and professional education is sine qua non to develop both functional competency and appropriate professional values and ethics amongst the potential professionals subject to certain measures to strengthen it.
Pursuing Education aims at:

1. Capability to think and act – General academic education is intended to give the capability to think. This subject not only helps the thinking but also gives the capability to act on one’s thoughts, by giving action-oriented experiences.

2. Work culture – Industry has a work culture of which the important components are the monitoring of performance indicators to ensure competitiveness, cost control and planning; the client is considered supreme and every effort is made to satisfy the public need. The economics and productivity are key considerations under such circumstances, hard and effective work and invention are encouraged, and dignity of labor is recognized. Such a work culture is encouraged in the education system.

3. Delivery Channel for New Technology – Industry requires the know-how of latest technology and education with practical knowledge is sought nowadays.

4. Internship Programs - The student will get a wide exposure to the world of work. He will be guided to apply acquired knowledge and skills to socially useful work. This will generate self-confidence in the student. By making services available to the community, education will be brought closer to the community. The student will be encouraged to develop his own potential and will be helped to make choice of his future career.

5. Plan Future Career – To widen their experience base and also make it modern where different skills are honed. This helps the student to access his own potential and likes and dislikes and thus helps him/her to plan for his/her career. It also introduces him to the modern world of industrial operation and the spirit of enterprise.

It’s not always advisable to pursue education trying to ‘balance on two boats’. Working and pursuing education is a double-edged sword, which can cut both ways. It’s always the ‘topper’ who makes the ‘cut’ and for that academic excellence is of vital importance.

Online Graduate Degrees Fit Personalized Schedules
Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to attend college and still maintain their lifestyle; a busy work and family life leaves little time for driving to and from school and sitting in a classroom for hours. Luckily, with the growing trend towards convenience derived from the home computer, non-traditional students can have access to education through a distance learning college where the learning takes place within the student’s own environment rather than in a classroom setting.  This convenience allows non-traditional students to achieve their educational goals at their own pace and still manage to meet work and family obligations. The benefit to students is clear; the ability to pursue a curriculum of interest without the hassle of travel and classroom time.

Being able to access coursework, materials and homework through the Internet at home, work or any facility with a computer and Internet connectivity allows full-time working professionals a chance to keep up with previous school bills and work towards online graduate degrees. With the introduction of online graduate degrees, individuals should not let life’s obligations stand in the way of the hope in pursuing education further. After all, the security of someone’s career exponentially increases with the amount of education pursued in the meantime.

“Students who follow their hearts in choosing what they want; will most likely end up labouring at what they love.  They’re the ones who will put in the long hours and intense effort that achievement requires.  And they’re the ones who will find the sense of purpose that underlies most human happiness.”