In today’s competitive world, a Bachelor’s Degree is not enough to guarantee you your dream job. One can get employed after earning a Bachelor’s degree however, the competition will be higher, choices will be limited and the pace of your career progression may not be to your satisfaction. An advanced degree makes you stand apart from the rest making it easier for the recruiters to consider you over and above others for job opportunities.
Apart from staying ahead of the competition, there are numerous other advantages of pursuing a Master’s degree. With the advent of technology and the way learning has changed over the past few years, advanced level studies have become a basic requirement for all those who want to seriously make their career in their chosen fields. This enables them to contribute not only to their personal but to the industry growth as well in a meaningful way.
Deciding on studying further after your Bachelor’s degree is one of the important decisions you will make in your life hence, it needs to be taken with great consideration. Let us look at how a Master’s degree can help you after your undergraduate studies and why you should consider pursuing it:
Undergraduate courses are meant to give foundational knowledge to students in the subject or stream of their choice. Most of the courses and subjects studied during the Bachelor’s degree are mostly theoretical in nature. Master’s programs present students with opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge in the field of their interest. Depending on the stream, a Master’s program will help students gain specialized knowledge through research and hands-on practice, which are core to any advanced level study program. A Master’s program helps students with access to insightful learning experiences that aid them with better career prospects in the future. Students learn more about their subject with focused learning that emphasis on developing the right skills and abilities required to succeed in a specific field. The curriculum of the Master’s level study program is often closely linked to industry progress and demands. Hence, a Master’s degree is valued more by employers everywhere.
The job market is filled with graduate level job requirements, where the salaries are just about average. Jobs that pay higher salaries and benefits demand specialized knowledge from job seekers. In the field of Science, Law, and some specialized field in IT like Data Science, AI, Machine learning, etc employers prefer hiring employees with Master’s degree as they are better prepared to handle the demands of the job with their in-depth knowledge on the subject and exposure to the latest developments in the industry. In some industries like healthcare Master’s degree is almost a mandate. In a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on technology, more and more employers across industries, are raising their basic educational standards for recruitment to a Master’s level degree keeping in mind the changing nature and complexities of jobs. A Master’s degree today most certainly makes one eligible for more jobs.
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A Master’s degree on your resume doesn’t just speak of your academic abilities but also speaks volumes about your seriousness and commitment towards a career of your choice. Employers believe a person with advanced level study experience will generally have a shorter learning curve at the job, which will not only save time and effort for the employee but also for the employer. Master’s degree programs are designed to prepare students to handle both domain and corporate specific challenges. They thus, lay focus on developing soft skills in students like- problem solving, critical thinking, networking, time management, communication skills, and like. Such skills increase the hiring potential of students. To an employer, an applicant with a Master’s degree demonstrates discipline and commitment to achieving long term goals. It is indicative of one’s potential leadership qualities and ability to work with others. Consequently, often such employees are considered mature enough to take on more responsibilities at the workplace putting them in line for better growth opportunities significantly enhancing their career prospects.
A Bachelor’s degree with good grades is a sound start towards building a strong foundation of your career. However, it is a Master’s degree that opens up the world of advanced studies and research to you along with creating avenues to keep yourself abreast with the latest developments of the industry of your choice. Your interaction with an expert faculty and various industry experts later equip you with the confidence to appear for your job interviews with insightful knowledge about the potential job. Among thousands of applications, a Master’s degree acts as a logical first level filter for recruiters, as it increases your credibility as a serious job applicant. If you have a Master’s degree from a reputed institute or a university you increase your chances of selection for a job. This phenomenon will last all throughout your professional career as an advanced level degree from a high ranking institute will always be valued, even at senior levels, and hence it is an investment for a lifetime.
A Master’s degree can add to your earning potential significantly. In some industries, the gap between the earning potential of a graduate and a postgraduate can be as wide as 20%. The reason for a higher earning potential is that Master level jobs require advanced knowledge and skillsets, which a graduate level employee cannot meet. In some streams and industries such as medical, biology, and life sciences the difference between the earning potential of a graduate and a post-graduate can be higher than 20%. Hence, if you are serious about making a career in any of these fields, pursuing a Master’s degree is a must for a better future both professionally and financially. A master’s degree for the same reasons as mentioned above can help you advance your career if started working right after your undergraduate studies. Your earning potential can see a significant jump if add a Master’s degree to your resume even after taking a break after completing your undergraduate studies.
A Master’s Program will bring you in touch with people from your industry that come from varied background and experiences. During the course, you will get a chance to interact with numerous experienced professionals many of whom will have years of industry experience and others who may still be part of the industry. Interaction with these professionals is often part of the curriculum at Master’s level studies through guest lectures and industry focused seminars. Such connections present themselves as opportunities for students to build networks with industry leaders. These invaluable networks later help with professional recommendations and mentorship as and when required. Universities often give access to a huge network of alumni to their students, for them to take guidance on matters related to studies and employment. Internships during the program also help students build a trustworthy professional network and get access to reliable professional resources.
A Master’s degree from abroad is a dream come true for many. There are numerous reasons why thousands of students worldwide apply to international universities abroad every year. Universities abroad in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, UK, New Zealand, and Singapore provide students with unmatched educational resources maintaining high quality standards. A strong link between academia and industries helps universities design their education programs in a manner that equips students with skills in line with the current demands of the industry which helps students get employed faster. For employers, a good quality education ensures them of high-potential recruits for their organizations.
Post Master’s one can opt for higher studies like Ph.D. to further specialize in the subject of interest. Ph.D. is for students who want to further research a subject to make a serious contribution to their chosen field of subject. Ph.D. students conduct their own research and the ones with strong and relevant findings are used by industries as reference for new product development and also by academia for teaching purposes. A Ph.D. degree establishes one as an expert in her/his field.
High performing Ph.D. students may find sponsors from companies to fund their studies and research. Later such students may even get absorbed in the same organizations as employees. A Ph.D. is a degree that is focused on research, it is less structured compared to other levels of studies. This inculcates leadership, analytical, and research skills in students which are highly transferable to other industries.
In some cases yes, for example- MBA. In other cases like Life, Sciences students prefer to continue their studies after completing their undergraduate studies without giving it a break. The decision to gain work experience before applying for a Master’s degree depends on the subject one is interested in studying further. In some fields applying for a job with advanced educational qualifications may lead to rewarding employment in terms of job responsibilities and salary. In other areas such as management, it is advisable to gain some experience and then apply for a Master’s program to advance the career path.
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There are a couple of things to check before deciding on which program and school to pick for your Master’s degree:
Look at your interest– See what subject truly interests you. Observe yourself to see how much of an interest do you show in learning more about the subject you think you like. Look for efforts you have made in the past to keep yourself updated on the latest happenings in the field of your interest.
Research- Once you know your area of interest research enough to see what are the prospects after earning a Master’s degree in that subject? What does the employment trend say? Make efforts to understand past trends and future demands of the jobs related to the field.
Shortlist Schools- There are several factors that go into shortlisting colleges you may want to apply to. Ranking of the university, fee, location, faculty, resources, employment services provided to the students, alumni access, and internship opportunities to name a few.
Prepare for qualifying exams- If you are serious about pursuing a Master’s degree then you would want to study in a top ranking college. The selection criteria of reputed colleges in often strict and the intakes are limited. One of the most important parameters for selection is an applicant’s score in qualifying tests such as GMAT, GRE, and IELTS. Depending on your level of comfort with the subjects tested in these entrance exams your preparation for them will be one of the first steps towards attaining your Master’s degree. It is better to start early with the preparation as generally, they take a lot of practice to get used to the pattern in order to score well.
As mentioned above reasons to earn a Master’s degree are plenty and the benefits are manifold. With changing times industries have evolved. Gone are the days when one could land a plum job with a Bachelor’s degree alone. So, if you are in line with this thought start early in the direction of commencing your journey towards attaining a Master’s degree for a better career perspective.
A master’s degree (from Latin magister) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
The length of the program depends on the type of the program. However, on an average a full time Master’s program takes 2 years to complete.
A relevant undergraduate degree depending on the program type and its requirement for a Master’s degree. Some programs may require you to prove your language proficiency in the medium of teaching language such as English. While some other programs like MBA may require you to have a few years of professional experience before applying for the program.
At least six months in advance. Master level programs often have a lengthy application process. So the earlier you start the better. Do not leave anything for last minute especially the essay and recommendations.
An undergraduate degree is meant to give students foundational knowledge of a subject. A Master’s degree takes that knowledge further as specialized learning in a field enhancing the professional skills and capabilities of the students.
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