Job or Masters… Which Path to Select?

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Seeing the scarcity of jobs in the market, Smith opted for his masters, hoping that it would land him a better position to get high paying jobs. After his post-graduation in the same field he has completed his bachelors, he found himself in an even more crowded market, with more number of applicants and even fewer job vacancies, and his Master’s degree did not benefit his job getting cause to a great extent.

There a number of students like Smith, who goes for their post-graduation degree when they do not find a job of their interest and expectations. What they fail to realize is that the number of graduating students is increasing every year, while the growth rate of vacancies is not that steep. A number of researches have shed light on the degree of variance between what students study in their classes and what they practically apply on the field. Companies are also aware of this knowledge gap, and therefore, are often reluctant to experiment the new ones with relatively no experience. So, whether you have a Master’s degree, the majority of the companies would prefer a bachelor’s degree with some hand-on experience over your Masters.

So, what to do when you are unable to find a job after your graduation? Starting a post-graduation degree straight away is really not the answer, for many obvious reasons, including the fact that you will be spending more time and money in a career, you are not certain about. There lies a middle path that students often overlook. Many surveys of HRM manager of companies and departmental heads revealed that fresh graduates are often unaware of basic technical skills. For example, one manager stated that an engineering Masters holder was not equipped with the knowledge of MatLab, and being a core design company, they cannot recruit someone, who lack in the basic of requirements. MatLab is although a special purpose software and not covered in many universities, students should go the extra mile to enrich their skills. The same goes for other fields and disciplines. A number of simulation software has been designed for doctors and nurses that can help them better understand and deal with critical patient issues and nurses.

So, when you are not getting jobs right after your graduation, it is time to fill the gaps in your competency, in order to make your profile better than the others. The apparent benefit of doing short courses and learning software online is that they demand less time and money than a Master’s program, and teach you skills that are pertinent to contemporary issues and procedures. Another benefit is that you will get some time to think over your field decision for masters, as you will encounter more options, while doing these courses, broadening your horizons for future educational plans. Thus, you should analyze the current market outlook and demands before rushing into your Master’s program.

Author bio: Sara Jones is the author of this article. She has authored and co-authored a number of articles on classroom management and education improvement at the administrative and managerial level. Currently she is working with Done Assignment, as an Academic Editor and Proof-reader.