It’s an unfortunate truth that many employers still hold a bias toward traditional classroom education, particularly when it comes to hiring high-paid executive roles. According to a survey conducted by Vault.com in 2008, 63% of human resources professionals would favor job candidates with degrees from traditional colleges and universities while 35% give equal consideration to job candidates with online degrees. 35% is a good portion, and more employers are thinking outside the box when it comes to hiring, but it’s likely you will still experience some resistance from potential employers about your education.

If you’re worried about a hiring manager’s reaction to your online degree, prepare yourself with answers to these hypothetical questions:

Q: Why did you choose to get your degree online?

Everyone has their own reasons for getting their degree online, but the key to answering this question is to remind the hiring manager of the strengths and skills you bring to the table, as well as citing reasons why an online degree was more valuable to you than a traditional degree. Support your decision to pursue your degree online - it’s one of the only ways to change employers’ misconceptions of online education.

A: I knew I would be successful at pursuing my degree online because I am an independent and motivated self-starter. I needed the flexibility that online courses offer and because I was committed to earning my degree while still caring for my family and working full time, I sharpened by time management skills by multitasking and organizing my priorities.

Q: Is your online degree from an accredited institution?

This is a tricky one. It’s a yes or no question, so while you can’t (or shouldn’t) lie, you should know that top online schools are regionally accredited. If you took classes from an unaccredited institution, you will have difficulty persuading any potential employer to respect your degree. Legitimate accreditation is the key to a legitimate online degree; don’t get fooled by a diploma mill.

A: Yes, I wanted to be sure that my online school met the same academic standards as other schools earning the same accreditation. I made sure that my online courses were reputable and respected and that I could be proud of the school I earned my degree from.

Q: Was there really that much social interaction with peers?

One of the top drawbacks of online education that employers describe is the lack of social interaction with peers. Now is the time to help them understand what really happens in an online class!

A: Absolutely; my online classes required ongoing participation and my professors assigned group projects to foster additional collaboration. Because of the virtual nature of the program, I was able to contact my classmates via chat, discussion boards, and email. I even found there were added benefits to the online exchanges I had with my instructors. Not only was I not bound by office hours or location, but our chat programs were logged, which gave me the benefit of being able to go back and make sure that I understood exactly what my instructor said word for word.

While 83% of employers in Vault.com’s survey say that online degrees are more acceptable than they were five years ago, there is still a ways to go before employers fully embrace them. Don’t hide from the fact that you got your degree online; use an interview to educate potential employers on new ways of thinking and acceptance.