So, the first step is looking at the schools you are interested in, and checking their accreditation.  There are two types of college accreditation, regional accreditation and national.  Regional accreditation is the most important, as regional accredited schools are recognized by all employers, and their credits are transferable from school to school.  So if you find that you don’t like this school as much as you thought you would, from a regional accredited school you can transfer your course credits to a new school.

Now after you have a list of schools that interest you, with regional accreditation, you can move on to the next step.  Here you want to compare all the important factors.  Cost being a major one, think about how much the schools cost, because this student debt will take you some time to pay off.  Now you want to look at student population and student teacher ratio.  Schools with fewer students are usually more desirable, as are schools with a higher number of teachers compared to students.

Also make sure to look at the school’s graduation rate and how many credits are necessary to earn either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.  You want a school with a higher graduation rate, and with an acceptable amount of credits required.  The more credit’s a school requires, the longer it will take you to earn them, or the more money they will cost.  So take that into account when picking an online college.

Now you should have a fine tuned idea of which schools interest you the most.  From here you should get into contact with a school representative and discuss your interest.  Contact all the schools you’re interested in, and make sure you don’t make a decision until after you’ve voiced your questions and concerns to every school individually.

-Computer Software Engineer.  Anything with computers is usually a good way to go, and software engineers are in high demand.  A software engineer works with a corporation’s current operating system, and retools the system to best serve the business.  Software engineers are paid well, and are likely to be in high demand for a long, long time, as computers have become integral to any business.

-Physician’s Assistant is another career path that’s in high demand.  Most medical fields are understaffed, leaving great opportunities to find a job, and advance.  A Physician’s Assistant is one of the most in demand careers that provides a good salary, and doesn’t require as much education.  To become a PA you’d need a bachelor’s degree, as well as degree from an accredited Physician’s Assistant program.

-Network Systems Analyst is another one of those great computer careers that’s on the rise, and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon.  A network systems analyst is responsible for establishing email, phone, and data communication for a business.  You’ll need a computer specific bachelor’s degree, and up to date computer certifications.

-Physical/Occupational Therapists are always in high demand.  A physical therapist helps someone recover from an injury, or a disease.  A physical therapist is responsible for helping someone recover to full physical health after an injury.  Occupational therapists assist those with handicaps, and help them develop the physical skills necessary to work around their handicap.  Both are well paying careers, but you’ll need a master’s degree to enter the upper echelon of the field.

Consulting
Information technology consultants are always in high demand, as they provide information to businesses about how to better use IT.  A consultant assesses the companies technology needs with what sort of IT options would work best for them.  Consultants can work independently, and oftentimes will function as their own separate entities.  So a consultant job has a lot of freedom, as long as you have the proper credentials.

Analysis
Analysts are another career path.  A systems analyst is in charge of assessing a companies current IT set up, then using the information to make improvements.  So essentially you’re collecting data about how well the system in place works, and then analyzing the data to make the system work better.  An analyst will be responsible for increasing efficiency through streamlining procedures, and updating technology.  Anything that makes the company run more smoothly from an IT perspective, it’s an analyst’s job to find the solution.

Choosing your career path isn’t necessarily easy, but each offer varying levels of freedom.  Really, the deciding factor should be your personal needs and goals.  If you like to be your own boss, a more independent position like consulting might be your best bet.  Weigh the pro’s and con’s of each, and figure out what’s right for you.

Well first off, make sure you know why you should be networking.  Most jobs that are available on the market aren’t even advertised.  In fact, some of the best jobs out there are never even advertised before they are filled.  By making a name for yourself, and connecting to as many people as possible, you create more chances to find out about these opportunities.  Whether through connecting with someone whose company is hiring, or finding out through a friend that’s applying with the same company.

To network effectively, it’s as simple as making the effort to find professional relationships.  Career related seminars or conferences are a great way to get yourself out there.  The same goes for websites that feature social networking for professionals.  Resources like LinkedIn should be taken advantage of, as they are decent resources for making fast friends.

Beyond that it’s easy to make the little connections.  If you have children, try to talk with the other parents around you at school related events, or extra curricular activities.  You may find someone on the same career path, and that friendship could pay off in the long run.

Just remember to return all the favors you receive.  Networking is a two way street, it’s not about meeting people to benefit yourself, and then forgetting about them.  To make strong professional bonds you have to help, as well as take the help they are willing to give.  Tip them in to opportunities at your company, or openings you know of around you.  That’s the only way to network effectively, and keep yourself in a positive light with those around you.

-Information services is one of the biggest key aspects of information technology.  Information services refers to managing information systems across large or multiple databases for use in information support.  Through information services you would be expected to set up computer systems and install necessary hardware and software as needed to build and maintain the system.  Basically here you’re expected to make life easier for different corporations, building information resources to maximize their productivity.  You’d also be expected to help troubleshoot in most cases to help keep the system running effectively.

-System networking is another branch of the most common IT career paths.  Through this career choice you’d be responsible for setting up computer networks.  These networks would be responsible for helping people coordinate resources through many different computers to work together.  There is endless room for career opportunities in the networking field, as it’s one of the fastest growing in all of IT.

-Software development is another area of IT that is constantly growing to facilitate the market’s growing needs.  This one is pretty self explanatory, as the title indicates.  You’ll be directly responsible to help develop software to make businesses run more effectively.  This is one of the most creative IT career paths, as you’ll constantly be challenged to think outside the box.  A massive amount of programming knowledge is required, but this is also one of the faster growing IT fields.