One of the most confusing questions for every freshly graduate student is – “Should I pursue a master’s degree or go for gaining some work experience?”
This is a phase of uncertainties when you want to become financially independent but also wish to gain more knowledge of your field.
For any student who has just passed out of college and wishes to give his/her life a good direction, this one surely proves to be a head-scratcher.
The decision of choosing between the two is very debatable and completely varies from person to person. As a matter of fact, there is no correct way as such to go.
Whether you want to pursue a master’s or want to go looking straight for a job, it totally depends on you.
However, there are certain factors based on the current financial and educational scenario which might help you in taking the right decision for yourself.
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Perks of having Work Experience
To understand the importance of having work experience in today’s world, let us consider a hypothetical situation.
There’s a job vacancy and the company has two potential candidates for consideration.
Candidate A has done just graduation but has 1-2 years of work experience in his/her field. Candidate B however has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees but no work experience.
In hiring A, the company will be getting someone who has hands-on experience regarding the job. In hiring B, the candidate will definitely have more theoretical knowledge of the subject than A but will know nothing about its practical use.
Hiring someone having no experience might prove to be a little risky as compared to the one having less knowledge but more work exposure.
But again, this theory differs depending upon the kind of requirement for a particular job.
There’s also a possibility that you can complete your master’s degree while working. Some jobs also pay you for extra schooling.
Perks of pursuing Master’s
If you wish to take extra schooling and earn later, then just go for it.
There is also a provision of working and studying simultaneously by many companies.
While pursuing your degree, if you are able to ace it with good grades and are actually liking what you are doing, then by all means you must continue. This will increase your knowledge now and definitely increase your pay later while getting a job.
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There are also many companies that prefer candidates having a higher degree and more experience in individual projects or thesis.
Also, in today’s world of heavy competition, having done extra schooling will surely provide you with an edge. Your chances of getting higher pay and position will also elevate.
Master’s Vs Work Experience: Which one is better?
Cutting straight to the chase, let’s talk about the present economic scenario. Today’s economy mostly calls for work experience more than extra education or degree. But this doesn’t mean getting a master’s degree won’t provide you with any benefit.
Again, it totally depends on the choice of your interest and field.
If after completing your graduation degree, you feel confident enough to put your skills into use, then you must go for acquiring a job. If you feel like you need some more time in enhancing your knowledge about the subject, then go for higher education.
Considering the scenario based on the job industry, work experience seems to be more important.
However, there are many companies that hire people having both training and project experience. In that case, a master’s degree proves to be necessary.
Matter of Perception and Interest
There is no such definite answer to the question, it simply depends.
If you wish to make a career in teaching, counseling, art, or similar stuff, then a Master’s degree is pretty much required. You can begin your job with a bachelor’s degree but you will be requiring a higher degree eventually to rise.
But if you are thinking of going into technical fields, they don’t focus that much on higher education. Such sectors demand more work experience than theoretical knowledge or degree. You can start by taking up smaller projects and then learn about more as you go.
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In the end, the key to both is the same. If you are happy and dedicated enough towards achieving your goal, then sooner or later any of the two choices will prove to be the best for you.
