Should I Apply For A Masters Degree or Get A Job?

With a master’s degree, you’ll make valuable connections and networks. A Master’s Degree will speed up your career growth. It will also help you gain personal development, switch your career path, earn more money, and, you know, become a master.

Disclaimer: This is not career advice.

It sounds very funny to say that, but I just have to. This may not work for everybody; we all have different things driving us in life. So, to the topic, should I apply for a master’s degree or get a job?

For most of us, immediately after graduating from college/university, the next question that pops up is, “Do I start my master’s immediately?” While the answer can be yes, it can also be no.

For me, I’d vote NO to doing it immediately. However, you can always do it later on.

Read Also: WOULD YOU RATHER BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR OR TAKE A WHITE-COLLAR JOB?

Four things to do before applying for a Master’s Degree.

Get Work Experience

Start by building your work experience. Oh, where do I get a job? Is that not why I want to get a Master’s Degree? If you have this mindset, you are wrong and you have missed it. Try out internships, graduate assistant positions, or start your own thing. The mistake we make is thinking that after school we’d end up as Deputy CEO of a multinational company. (It is possible, though.)

All I am saying is start from somewhere. Getting work experience will help you gain clarity. It will also help you define your career path. You don’t want to start studying for your degree and then few months into it, you feel you should be doing something else or studying another course. Or worse, your career path and your degree don’t align.

Gain Clarity

Yes, Clarity again. Know what you want, why you want it, when you want it and how you will get it. Define your career path. You don’t even have to get a job to do this. Take your time to study courses you could apply for, universities you can attend and how much time you’d spend studying the course. You need to ask yourself if getting a master’s degree will affect your career. If it won’t help you succeed career-wise, drop it. If it will, go ahead. The fact that you don’t have clarity on that before your Bachelor’s Degree ended is a sign you need to think it through.

Map Out Your Career Path

Having a Master’s Degree immediately is great for some careers. For some, it’s a lot of time going into it, and the expense. If getting a Master’s Degree won’t help you immediately, take your time out. If it will help you pivot later on, do it now, then or later.

Can You Pay for It?

Can you afford to support your living if you spend time studying? Is there any source of income to fund it? And at the same time take care of you? Please save up or steady your finances before going into it.

A Master’s Degree will not give you the time to accumulate working experience. It also doesn’t guarantee a great job and a better salary. A lot of your professional success will depend on not just what type of master’s degree you get but also how you use it, what kind of career you build with it, your location, how good you are at your job, and so on.

However, you should definitely consider getting a Master’s Degree immediately, if you:

1. Can afford it. Definitely go for it
2. Get a scholarship. If you have one, why are you still thinking about it. Go ahead, it’s an opportunity.
3. You want to JAPA. Either you plan on doing it abroad or it is a requirement for a job you get overseas, don’t waste any time. Don’t sleep on it. Do your Master’s and depart.

Thinking through all of this shows that you have put time and thought into it. Basically, if you have never put thought into it, do not spend time or money on getting a Master’s Degree.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in certain professional fields, having a master’s degree will earn you more money than if you had only a bachelor’s degree. These fields include the following:

1. Business
2. Education
3. Healthcare and social service
4. STEM

You don’t want to have a masters and be struggling for the same entry-level job as bachelor degree holders. There’s a little twist here though. When you eventually get your Master’s Degree, if you can sell yourself plus the value you have to offer, entry-level jobs are not your portion. They will never be.

There was a time you could only get an entry-level job with your bachelor’s degree. A time came when you needed to have a master’s degree. Eventually, people started having PhDs to get a job. Anything just to be better than the next candidate. Then, they threw in certification courses in our faces. It is a rat race. Nothing will ever be enough. Only the applicant who will add value will be employed.

I’m not convincing you not to get it immediately. Just ask yourself why, and if it is important, then totally go for it.

You know! Doing both is actually a third option. Getting a job and running your Master’s Degree. You should consider it.

So, should you get a master’s degree or get a job?

It all depends on what your vision is for yourself and your career. Don’t rush. Spending time not bothering about this has given me clarity as to what I want. Yes, I’d get the degree, but I didn’t immediately after. I have given myself time to study and plan what I want in life. I didn’t even consider what I studied for my bachelor degree. Crazy right.

What are your thoughts and opinions on this? Please share in the comment section. Let’s learn; share a comment for others.

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