You hear nearly every day that the effects of the recession persist despite being officially “over.” Unemployment and even underemployment remain uncomfortably high. And yet, judging by popular online marketing job boards in my region and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the demand for Internet marketing jobs is growing rapidly. Anecdotally, I’ve spoken to many online marketers that are having a tough time filling positions because there aren’t enough experienced candidates. In times like these, learning new skill sets can be a great way to either find a job or find a better job if you already have one. And with many different educational options available today, there’s really no excuse to not be learning.

Web Analytics 2.0 author and Google’s Analytics Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik, has a famous rule he uses to describe how you should spend money on any web analytics tools: “The 10/90 Rule.” He says that you should spend 10% of your budget on tools and 90% on super smart analysts to reach into the vast stores of data and pull out beautiful, beautiful insights that will help businesses grow and flourish. Ninety percent on super smart analysts. And just how did those super smart analysts become super smart? Experience is key, but education undoubtedly plays a huge factor as well.

Nothing is ever completely free. Whether it’s time or money you spend to get an education, you’re making an investment either way. And with education, along with many other things, it can often be said that the bigger the investment, the greater the reward. With SEO and Internet marketing as a whole, you can get a solid education whether you want to spend a few hours a week, a few months or even a few years on developing your online marketing skills . Let’s take a closer look at some of the investments you could be making.

Education Commitment Level: 2-4 Hours a Week

Obviously everyone who reads this YOUmoz post will get credit for reading blogs for the sake of furthering their education. Kudos to you! I don’t need to tell you that things move quickly in the world of SEO and Internet marketing in general. Whether it be newly discovered tactics like LDA, wonderful SEO beginner’s resources, or the release of improved SEO tools that will save you hours of time and liters of blood, sweat, and tears; it’s important to dedicate a healthy chunk of time each week in the blogosphere  to find out what’s happening in the SEO industry. SEOmoz is a great example of an informative SEO blog, but there are countless others to explore as well.

Education Commitment Level: 2-4 Months

Speaking of Avinash, did you know that he’s teamed up with a handful of other industry experts to create an Internet marketing training and certification program called Market Motive? It’s true. Avinash chairs the Web Analytics program, while other Internet marketing notables such as Todd Malicoat and Bryan Eisenberg head up the SEO, PPC, Social Media, Conversion Optimzation and Online PR programs. There’s even an Internet marketing fundamentals program for those that just want a high-level view of the entire industry. Participants can enjoy monthly access or enroll in semester-long Master Certification programs. Though blogs can provide insight into Internet marketing trends and tools, there’s something to be said for continuity that comes with a well-planned curriculum.

Education Commitment Level: 2-4 Years

Take all of the Internet marketing expertise of Market Motive and combine it with a degree from a regionally accredited college and you have Rasmussen College’s Business Management with a Specialization in Internet Marketing degree program (note: while you can choose a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree, only the Bachelor’s program contains Market Motive content). You can enroll completely online, at one of their 21 campuses throughout the Midwest and Florida, or a mix of both. If your educational goals include obtaining or completing that college degree, this might be the program for you. (Disclaimer: I work for Rasmussen College).

Two to four hours/week….Two to four months…Two to four years….It’s up to you to decide how much the time you can commit to developing your internet marketing skills. As someone who moved from being just another IT project manager to having my dream job as an in-house SEO, I’m here to tell you that education is such a powerful professional development tool. If you’re not where you want to be in your professional career, perhaps it’s time to consider making one or more of these investments to get from where you are currently to where you want to be.

Josh Braaten is an Online Marketing Manager of SEO at Rasmussen College. Josh also writes about topics such as SEO and Squarespace on his personal blog, Big Picture Web.