Masters’ vs Graduate Job – Which One Is Best For You?

Career decisions are never easy and the common one is whether you should continue studying right after your bachelors, or whether you should start working and do a Masters later on. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision that’s right for you and your life. We have written some benefits of both to help you make your decision.

Reasons To Continue Study:

• Having a Master’s degree gives you a higher tier of education. Therefore can make it much easier to qualify for the jobs you want. With competition for jobs at the highest it’s ever been having a Masters when others don’t will give you the upper hand.  
• You’ll have the potential to earn more money with a Master’s degree. With the additional qualification and the added responsibilities, you can expect a higher salary than with only an undergraduate degree. You will also have a larger choice of possible jobs as you have more qualifications.
• It’s easier to jump straight back into education than taking a longer break and then trying to get back into the swing of things. The world of education and the world of work are very different. A lot of people find it hard to take a break and then get back into the cycle of lectures, classes and revision after they’ve had a taste of working life. Which is why so many students never return after the ‘gap year’.
• If your goal is to do a PhD later on, a Masters is the right (and often necessary) next step after an undergraduate degree. Even if you could do a PhD without a Masters, it will be much more difficult.

Reasons To Get A Graduate Job:

• Work experience can help figure out what to study. If you are unsure what subject to get a Masters in, get a relevant job or try finding an internship. The experience you gain will help you make the right decision later on. This is especially true of versatile entry-level jobs like graduate/trainee programmes where you cycle through multiple departments. Look at a job in consulting where you would work with multiple clients across different industries.
• You can save money, and rely on your savings when you do a Masters later. Financing studies with your own money is much smarter than taking a student loan. That’s usually smarter than taking a student loan.
• Initial work experience in a relevant field adds value to your learning experience during a Masters. This can be in a full entry-level position, but also one or two internships can be very insightful. (For example, when I started my own Masters in Finance, I had already done internships. I learnt a lot about topics I would then explore further at university.) Even better: Try doing an internship abroad!
• If you didn’t finish your undergraduate degree with a good grade, or if you lack formal education in a certain subject. Relevant work experience will help you get into a good university later.

If you decide you want a graduate job get in touch with one of our professionals today to see how we can assist you in your search. Call us on 0300 303 2069 for an informal chat, send a WORD formatted CV to candidate@thegraduaterecruitment.co.uk, or apply directly here. Additionally check out our LinkedIn for up to date job posts.