Should You Work or Should You Pursue Your Master’s?

Are you almost done with your degree? With less than a year left, decisions that seemed far away are suddenly right at our doorstep, pushing us into deciding what our next step will be.

Should you immediately start looking for a job and join the 9 to 5 working hours? Or should you still head the books for another year or two?

Today we’ll take a look into whether you should start working immediately or pursue your master’s after finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Do pursue your masters if…

1. You want to find jobs easier

Nowadays, everyone graduates with a bachelor’s degree which means the competition in job hunting is tighter than ever. But if you are a master's degree graduate, this may give you a head start in the race!

To employers, your certificate is a benchmark of your abilities. A look at your resume and they will get the immediate impression that you must know your field extremely well. This will then increase the likelihood of you getting hired.

Basically, the credibility that comes with the master’s degree is a great advantage when you start looking for a job.

2. You want to earn more money

A postgraduate certificate in a specialized field means you can get paid lucratively once you start looking for a job. Employers will value your credibility and in-depth knowledge of the field which equals a higher pay. This is because a master’s degree says a lot about a person’s character and their dedication.

Just remember that your responsibility once you get the job is bigger than the average person.

3. You’re passionate about the field

A master’s degree is an intense journey and will make your degree days look like a child’s play. Which is why you need to love and be passionate about what you’re learning.

When you genuinely enjoy the learning, completing your master’s will be a breeze as you will also be doing highly advanced work and research into niche parts of your field. This niche knowledge you will gain will also give you an edge while at the same time bring you closer to the heart of your field.

But if you’re not going to be passionate about it, then you might be wasting your time and money pursuing a master’s degree.

4. You want to go into academia

Have your lecturers inspired you to be an educator as well? If yes, then pursuing a master’s degree is the obvious next step.

To be a lecturer in Malaysia, you need to have a master’s certificate under your belt. With that certificate, you can proceed to teach diploma and degree students. It will also help to have a few years of working experience under your belt so the order of things is completely up to you.

You can choose to pursue your master’s now and then get that work experience – or join the working force first before going back to your studies.

Do NOT pursue your master’s if…

1. You’re not exactly fond of the studying aspect

This is obvious. If your current degree life is giving you the shivers, then a master’s degree will be a nightmare for you.

Most master’s programmes are research based, allowing students a deeper look into niche subjects of the field. It undoubtedly will be an intense journey as students will be pushed to their limit to obtain outstanding results from their research project. Remember, spending years of your life developing skills and acquiring knowledge that may prove of no practical use to you in the long run is taking a kind of risk. A risk that might be detrimental to your mental health.

It’s definitely a journey not for everyone unless they’re truly passionate about the subject.

2. You don’t have the finances

Pursuing a postgraduate study is a costly decision. A Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), for example, costs around RM20,000 to RM40,000 depending on whether it’s from a public or private university.

Of course there’s also funding available for postgraduate studies. But they also are extremely competitive and exclusive for certain fields only. So, you really have to think about whether the benefits of studying a master’s degree will outweigh the financial element.

But hey! Do check out our list of available scholarships for postgraduate students!

3. You cannot muster the commitment

Completing a master’s degree is not an easy feat and takes, on average, a year and a half to two years.

You really have to be very committed to further academic study and be willing to put in even more time and effort. But if your current situation is too packed with either personal issues or other commitments, you might want to postpone the decision to pursue your master’s at the moment.

A question to ask yourself, can you really accommodate additional work associated with studying for a master’s degree?

You actually have another option to consider

Not keen on sacrificing both options? Then consider working while studying.

This multitasking is not an easy decision to make. Be aware that working while studying means you will need to sacrifice your time for both in order to find the perfect balance.

But working while studying do have their own perks. You can network extremely well with both circles while simultaneously applying your theoretical knowledge into practices at work. It’s a win-win situation!

And there we have it

Pursuing a master’s degree is a big decision, one you can’t take lightly! Ensure that you’ve got the right reasons for pursuing it and that the current situation is ideal for you before you enroll in a master’s programme of your choice.

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