Whether you want to pick up a new skill, get some advice from an expert or polish up your skills, there are gazillions of writing classes being offered out there. According to those who promote them, though, you absolutely need to take them all. How do you know when it's time to put down money for some education and how to pick one that will actually be of some help to you?

I chatted with Mediabistro's Directors of Education, Taffy Akner and Carmen Scheidel, who are obviously biased in favor of MB courses over others, but they still know a thing or two about what to look for, if you're not in an area where you can take one of the courses they offer.

"Taking a class and getting an internship are not interchangeable," warns Taffy, first and foremost. "You cannot substitute a class for real experience. You'd probably want to take a class after journalism school or before you get a job or internship, so you can figure out what your areas of need are."

"Pick a class based on what career move you would like to make next," adds Carmen.

How do you know which bogus courses to avoid? "Never take a class where you can't get an administrator on the phone to talk about your situation," says Taffy.

"You want to see testimonials," says Carmen, "from actual students."

What to look for? "You want a teacher who is active in their field," says Taffy. A big name might be sexy but if all they do is teach and not publish, their advice might not be up to date and helpful for you.

And finally, when you do pick a class to take, "Be honest with yourself," says Taffy. "Don't be ambitious. You don't want to be in a class where they're repeating things you already know, but you don't want to be struggling. Figure out what your skill level is."

"Bring some completed work," advises Carmen, "in case there are in-class critiques."