“Should I really pursue a higher education after my graduate or seek for job?”, is what the first pop-up that hints almost everyone’s mind at their last phase of under-graduate program. Learning is a lifelong journey, but doesn’t mean ‘master’s’ is your only way of learning. The following paras depicts the reasons for not to join a master’s at once after UG; to or not to consider a master’s in your lifetime. So, if you (UG students) had already decided to head masters post the program, this could be a brainwashing occasion to you.
About Master’s Program
The global development poses a high credentials to higher education, for the scope of working in elevated posts with an international exposure. Here, as in the context of higher education, master program related to every field, of-course have its worth in pay and status of the job. In India alone, 2600 colleges and 868 universities provide masters courses and 26.3% of under-graduates enrolled for a masters in 2018-2019. Seeing the numbers may be impressive, but all those 26.3% are assured for a job is a concealed matter.
No objections to pursue a master in your lifetime, but immediately after your graduate is the circle of the talk.
Avoid enrolling PG instantly after UG
A popular misconception, which I reason as the first for the enrollment of college students in masters is that masters will get you a higher-pay, as you have a higher-degree. But, heading straight to post-graduate courses with no real work experience could do harm than good; this is what, is in prevalence now. Work experience is preferred to a master’s degree. It also sucks money, as average tuition fee of a master’s degree is ₹2,85,000/- ($4000) in India.
Moreover, owning a post-graduate degree puts you in a situation, where you are over-qualified for entry-level positions and under-qualified for mid or higher-level positions (no work experience). Entry level jobs in companies pay you the same salary, no matter you are under-graduate or post-graduate person. And sure, there are exceptions to this, for doctoral degrees or for some jobs, but chances are minimal.
Unless the job you seek require a master’s (as in case of a professor or lecturer) or your parents are willingly ready to spend the sum to pay masters, don’t get your head into it.
Underline: Gain some work-experience before enrolling PG.
On view of earning
A master’s degree is a financial investment—and it could be a big one. Therefore, look at it the way you would any other financial commitment. “You have to think about your return on investment,” says Kristen Tolbert, founder of Career CoLabs, a human resources company. “Look at what people earn with this master’s degree versus what people earn who don’t have it.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of US, the average median weekly earnings for a person with a master’s degree is $1,434, compared to $1,198 for people with a bachelor’s degree and $730 for people with a high school diploma. But this isn’t the case for all jobs.
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“For certain programs,” Katie Bardaro (lead economist at PayScale) says, “the salary boost that you’ll see might not actually be that much relative to how much you have to pay for the program.” In light of this info, ask yourself again, “Is a master’s degree worth it?” (As in, is it literally worth it?)
When & Why to Enroll for a Master-degree?
Masters are highly preferred for people who will to nurture their career to the next level, aiming for ‘position of influence’ kind of jobs in companies. If you are an employee and want to enhance your job exposure, then masters’ is a mjollnir (thor’s hammer) to you. Being stagnant with just work experience is no longer a best decision.
This not means to call off your job, for joining Masters, as distance learning could be a good option for workers. Though it requires great time-management and work-management skills, as you would be pushed to handle both work and study simultaneously, it could be your best move, says Jaime Klein, founder of Inspire Human Resources.
Unlike regular courses, distance learning too has its own benefits and it’s a myth that being considered it as less priority to regular courses. Gaining a masters degree via distance learning from renowned colleges/universities approved by UGC is anyway a step-up to your career.
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Purpose of this is that, it qualifies you better and renders a sense of ‘upgrading person’ about you to others, especially managers and recruiters. Taking two instances, one with no master’s degree but 5 years of experience and another with a master degree with 3 years of experience; makes the latter to be befitting one for any mid-level or higher-level jobs.
What Masters’ is good?
Masters’ programme can be categorized as technical or subject oriented and specialized or professional degrees.
As you can guess, technical or subject oriented points out M.Tech, M.Sc., and others wherein you dive deep into a specific topic, whereas specialized master courses confine oneself to management and practical skills for career progression and professionalism. View all master courses here!
The choice is based on individuals and one is never unworthy of another.
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Epilogue
In a country like India, students have the habit of enrolling for masters, if they are not recruited in their UGs, so that they could avoid parent’s scolds of not searching a livelihood, putting their PG as an excuse. For females, context of ‘marriage’ replaces the ‘scolds’.
But Masters degree, if well utilized, bestows a dream job with a sophisticated pay. Make sure you choose the college for masters wisely and makes sure of your fee for masters. Have a good day😊!
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References:
https://www.devex.com/news/8-things-to-consider-before-pursuing-a-graduate-degree-82235
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/is-a-masters-degree-worth-the-investment-hot-jobs