Laurah Hagen is guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a contributing writer for Guide to Career Education on topics related to online career training. If you’d like to learn more about Laurah and her kick ass charm school, check out her personal blog: TheModernMaverick.com.

Over the past decade, a revolution in learning has taken place. A woman finishes her master’s degree wearing pajamas, in the early hours of the morning, before her kids wake up. A man meets with his study group of students from multiple time zones, in an online chat room, facilitated by a professor doing research in Kenya. Considering that education has epitomized American tradition for over two decades, it’s no wonder that the creative innovations of online academics have been raising some eyebrows.

Despite concerns, enrollment in online learning programs has grown twentyfold in the past seven years, and is expected to continue growing at a rate of 30% annually. The online education phenomenon is here to stay…and it has a track record of success. If you’re considering jumping aboard, it’s in your best interest to do two simple things: First, ensure the legitimacy of your degree before you enroll, and second, prepare some intelligent comments in defense of your degree, just in case it’s met with suspicion.

Step One: Ensure the Legitimacy of the Degree Program

In addition to the legitimate degree programs offered online, numerous unaccredited “diploma mill” universities bait students with overnight PhD’s or masters degrees in “life experience.” The easiest way to ensure that your program is certifiably academic, and applicable to the career field, is to research its accreditation. The academic programs of all schools with reputable degrees are overseen by an outside “quality control” agency. If your program is accredited by one of these agencies, your degree meets the same standards as the campus-based courses. In other words, the perceived respectability gap between a campus-based degree and its online counterpart is exactly that: Perception.  Employers wondering about the integrity of your credentials can rest assured when they see this label.

Step Two: Be Prepared to Defend Your Degree

Even so, you may meet with a hiring manager who isn’t convinced. If that’s the case, there are several ways you can turn the conversation to your advantage…if you’re prepared. First, understand that not all online learning programs are created equal. A visit to any site that offers online degree reviews shows that programs vary by quality and consistency. Show that you did your research by acknowledging their concern, and then sharing how you carefully selected your program in accordance with your high standards. Memorize specific facts about your program that convey its legitimacy, including retention rates, qualifications of supervising faculty, name of the accreditation body, and accomplishments of other graduates. By showing that you selected your online program with intention, your degree will be validated, and your seriousness as a student will be recognized.

Hiring managers who are unfamiliar with online learning may be mystified how learning actually “happens” outside of a traditional classroom. Share a story of one of your most impactful lessons, highlighting the role of the other students, the professor, and the online tools that facilitated the learning experience. Your excitement is contagious. By sharing a personal learning story, you’ll be educating wary hiring managers about the process of earning an online degree, and also giving them insight into what you learned along the way. This article offers further insight into other common reservations about online degrees, and how to discuss them.

Remember, students of online degree programs learn a unique set of transferrable skills. Without a professor in physical proximity, focus and attention is a product of self-motivation. Computer-based lessons result in sophisticated technology skill. Many students are also employed full-time, learning exceptional time-management and task prioritization in the process of creating balance between the two commitments. Be proactive about advertising these relevant workplace skills. Proving that your online degree is not only equal to a campus-based program, but in some ways is actually even more challenging, makes you come across as highly prepared and employable.