If you’re a fresh graduate or someone who’s worked a few years with just a Bachelor’s degree, you’re probably thinking that getting yourself a higher education could add some more value to your resume. While that’s true, it also depends on what field you hold your degree in, and this is where you feel like you’re in a big fat jigsaw puzzle.
It is a common misconception that having a Post Graduate or Master’s degree before entering the job market battlefield can bag your cushy job with a big fat salary to your name – that is hardly but a reality. An increasing trend with employers is to hunt for candidates with a comprehensive skill set, rather than what looks good only on paper. This could mean that you may have a Master Degree with the most attractive scores, but if another candidate has solid work experience and skill sets, he/she has a better chance at bagging that ‘dream job’, with the same job profile you thought you’d have a better chance at bagging with a Masters’.
A case study conducted by Careers 360 magazine across 3 disciplines – media, law, and management – made the same discovery. Students who took up a postgraduate and masters’ degree in the same discipline as that of their undergraduate degree found that the classes felt repetitive, and didn’t add value to their knowledge base. Additionally, they also realised that their employers put more emphasis on the work experience and skills they bring to the table.
However, this does not hold true for all disciplines, as some of them mandate a post-graduate degree. For example, a psychologist must produce a post-graduate or a master’s degree in his/her field in order to become a certified psychologist. This is because a Bachelor’s degree in psychology is based on an overview of the many sub-fields in psychology, whereas the post-graduate programs are more specialised. So if you aspire to be a Clinical Psychologist, then you must hold an M.Sc or M.A in Clinical Psychology. The same holds true for 90% of STEM subjects as well.
A Master’s degree will also open up teaching avenues for you. If you’ve worked for sufficient time in your field and desire to take up teaching at a later date, a Masters’ degree will come handy no matter how many years it has been since your degree. Even if you aspire to be a teacher from the start, it is mandatory that you hold an M.Ed degree after your B.Ed, and only then will you be qualified to teach at universities.
So, should you be pursuing an undergraduate and post graduate degree in the same field? The answer will vary from individual to individual, and on your field of study. If you want to expand your knowledge in the field, definitely go ahead. However, you must be clear about why you want to take this route, whether it aligns with your goals, and whether this is something you’re doing of your own accord.
