JustMastersDegrees.com

which is better, continuing education to get (masters, PHD ) degrees or getting a job and forgetting school?

I mean getting a job in the degree which you have already earned.

Public Comments

1. get your masters and get it over with. when you get a job, your time is limited for taking classes at the same time. As jobs have restrictions on times you have off.
2. well think of it this way, with a masters - the job you'll be getting will pay more.
3. There are several options to consider. 1. You can continue with your schooling, at a high cost. 2. Return to work and forget the Masters, but you will probably regret it later. 3. You can find a job with tuition assistance that will allow you to work while you attend school. Earning money to support yourself and also getting the schooling you desire for free or at least a reduced cost. Obviously my vote is #3. Several jobs offer tuition assistance as a bonus to keep their employees happy. Besides the employer gets a tax break from it too. Good luck!
4. It depends on your field of interest and your goals for your professional future. If you are in a technology or education field, getting a masters strongly increases your desirability to employers and increases your starting salary. In other fields it's not as important - sales & marketing, theater & the arts, non-profit management, local, state & federal government, etc. In the case of some entry level jobs, a higher degree makes you LESS desirable, since the employer may believe that you will be overpriced in terms of salary and not fit in well with your less-educated coworkers. Do some research to see who you will be competing against for your dream job. If higher education is commonplace, you might be better off to complete the degree first while doing appropriate internships or fellowships. Consider what companies/institutions you want to interview with and the kind of incentives they offer their employees - many employers will fund higher education for you, once you've been on the job, so that might be the smarter way to go. If the companies that you most want to interview with like to start with people fresh out of college, then it might be best for you to go that route and get your degree along the way. In every case, employers like to see that you are furthering your education to become a more valuable and desirable commodity in the marketplace, so your education ought to go hand-in-hand with appropriate job experiences.
5. Personally, once I finished my bachelor's degree, I was so over school I didn't even want to think about an MBA or PHD. I wanted to work - I already had a job and was ready to just work and focus on family. You can always go back to do that if you hit a ceiling in your career. One thing to consider though, are you going into a field that almost requires a PHD/Masters to be successful? That may determine what you do.
6. By all means please start your career as soon as you finish your bachelor's. I've heard this from every real-world professor (i.e. professors who didn't just teach all of their lives but instead went into their career first then began teaching afterwards) and from the employers that have hired me, including the one that I'm firmly establishing my career in. They have all mentioned that by putting your foot already into the real world and being into your career for several years, you make yourself far more valuable to any potential future employer. Paper walks and experience talks in other words, and employers love people that have a decent degree AND have a decent experience in their field, rather than somebody that only has paper experience (i.e. a Master's only). My goodness how my business professors have stressed this into their students, stating how they hate the current trend of students heading straight into a Master's after graduation instead of establishing their careers. And a Master's is definitely a great thing to do, but the BEST way to do it is while you're in your career. If you can stomach working in your career during the daytime and going to one or two evening classes at night, then do the Master's after you've started your career. (Granted you might get a higher salary after getting a Master's first, but that isn't 100% guaranteed; while of course starting your career right after you graduate with your bachelor's absolutely guarantees you a great salary to begin with without having to wait several more years to finish your schooling.) What's great about this is that due to the Master's program flexibility (evening classes) most employers will encourage their employees to do this, and on top of that they'll pay for most if not all of the tuition as a reward for an employee seeking to better themselves. So why get more in debt by seeking a Master's right after your bachelor's when you can kill three birds with one stone by establishing your career with a great salary, starting your Master's while in your career, AND having it all paid for. That would definitely be the best route to go. I should know, I went this route and everything has gone perfectly. Hope this helps.
7. I love Williamdefalco's answer - I concur. Get into the workplace, but don't forget about furthering your education. In fact, the experience you get in your job may make your Masters easier or more meaningful.