Should You Go For That Master’s Degree If You Can’t Get A Job?

Tom Kuegler
Jul 28, 2017 · 2 min read

This answer was originally posted on Quora by Bradley Russell (seen above).


You might actually put yourself in a worse position by going for a Masters.

Seriously, there is a reason that a lot universities require 3 years of experience before admitting you into their Masters program. It is not just because they want the best candidates, it is also there to protect you.

You will find that after graduating in your Masters program (if you have no experience) you will feel over qualified for your job. You won’t like doing it because you feel like you can do your bosses job. You won’t be hired into your bosses job because you probably lack the political support from other co-workers that you will need.

Directors have positive relationships that have been developed over 10 years of experiences to support them. Sometimes you are lacking social skills or maturity that you didn’t even know you needed to develop.

I don’t wish to offend you, I am just telling you from experience. I was in the exact same boat. I only worked for 6 months before pursuing my Masters. It would have been better for me to spend time fine tuning my skills and networking rather than jumping into my masters program.

I had to work much harder to find a job post graduating with my Masters degree. Much of my cohort had companies coming to them because they had 3–5 years of relevant experience in the field. Some of them even had their current employers paying for their Masters degree. I had to work to get my first job out of college.

So far I have not answered your questions directly, and I do this intentionally. College doesn’t get you a job, your connections do! Don’t go thousands of dollars into debt with no plan.

Here is what you should do instead:

  • Seek out mentors
  • Build relationships with people in companies that you like
  • Do free work
  • Make a website to market your skills
  • Improve your resume

If you are interested in learning about how to network with little to no work experience, join Bradley’s facebook group. Feel free to reach out to Bradley via email at Brad@BRcareercoaching.com, and make sure to follow him on Twitter.

The Post-Grad Survival Guide

We're confused twenty-somethings. We dish on our post-grad blues, successes, failures, and everyday life right here. Featuring topics related to work, relationships, travel, finances, and so much more.

Tom Kuegler

Written by

Vlogger. Travel blogger. 26 years old. Currently in Southeast Asia. Get my free 5-day Medium course via email → http://bit.ly/2olDN4V

The Post-Grad Survival Guide

We're confused twenty-somethings. We dish on our post-grad blues, successes, failures, and everyday life right here. Featuring topics related to work, relationships, travel, finances, and so much more.

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