SO you are working full-time and are looking at some serious changes in your career.

You could be looking to upgrade your existing skill set. Or you may want a professional qualification that boosts your market value. Or you may want to make a serious career switch and need validation in the form of a degree.

You don't have the time to go back to school. A correspondence course is an option.

But do these programmes really enhance your resume? Or should you reconsider the benefits of a full-time programme?

Let us weigh the pros and cons of distance education for a clearer picture.

The pros

i. Short on time
Do you find yourself wondering whether you will head back to school again, what with time being scarce, and a whole bunch of tasks to be accomplished? Your answer could be a programme offered through distance education.

Many believe these are heaven sent. You could work and earn a degree at the same time.

Why do correspondence programmes find so many takers? Shanta Nair, a banking and finance professional, says, "I wanted to work immediately after my graduation, but it was also important that I pursue higher education. A mere graduate degree gets you nowhere these days. Correspondence education was the answer."

ii. Determination impresses
It has been much maligned for not adding any real value to the resume. Deepak Deshpande, Head, Human Resources, Lionbridge Technologies, debunks the theory about distance education.

"Having a distance education degree sends out a strong message to the interviewers (about the interviewee), showing an eagerness to learn, quick learning skills, a desire to grow and the willingness to walk that extra mile," he says.