Browse the Internet and you’ll find dozens of pages telling you exactly why you shouldn’t bother going to grad school. While some of these sites offer valid reasons, going to graduate school is still a beneficial step for people who want to advance their careers. Here are five very real reasons why you should enroll in graduate school immediately:
1.A Bachelors Won’t Cut It
Are you aware that the bachelor’s degree is considered by many employers to be the new high school diploma? It’s a phenomenon known as degree inflation. For example, according to Matthew Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass, his company noticed a 175 percent jump in ads requiring bachelor’s degrees for, of all things, dental lab technicians. If a lab tech needs a bachelor’s degree, what does that say about the industry that you’re in? Applicants are flooding today’s market; a high school diploma isn’t going to cut it and neither will your bachelor’s.
2.You Want a Promotion
With coveted entry-level positions being snapped up by applicants with four-year degrees, you don’t stand a chance of getting promoted if you have the same level of education as your co-workers. If you want to stay with your current employer but hope for a position of responsibility and power, you’ve got to get your masters. Before you enroll in a program, talk to your boss or mentor and find out what degree would be most beneficial.
3.You Need More Money
Chasing a graduate degree in hopes of a higher salary can be a double-edged sword. If you plan on pursuing your masters for a bump in pay, make sure that bump won’t be dedicated to repaying student loans for the next 10 years. Taking out $50,000 worth of loans for an extra $100 a month doesn’t make sound financial sense. On the other hand, if you can secure grants and scholarships to pay for your education, any rise in salary will be well worth the time you spend in school.
4.You’re Ready for a Change
What happens when you’ve hit a wall at your job? You’ve bided your time and have finally come to the realization that there’s nowhere to go. Unless you want to sit at the same desk for the next 20 years, it’s time for a career change. Spend the next two years earning your graduate degree and then kiss your job goodbye. An advanced degree, coupled with your job experience, will enable you to find a better position with a new company.
5.You Want to Fulfill a Dream
Let’s assume that you have the money to go back to school or that your grades in college were good enough to earn you a scholarship. You need no better reason to pursue your masters than it’s something you’ve always wanted to do. You only get one go round in life; if earning your graduate degree has been a dream of yours, go for it.
There’s no denying that a graduate degree is an expensive piece of parchment. While returning to school isn’t the best idea for everyone, it’s a fantastic idea for many. If you want a better job, a better salary, or simply a better you, a graduate degree can be invaluable.
Brett Harris blogs articles for best online masters programs.org.
