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BY

MASTER TRAINER MR. AMARJEET SINGH SRAN

Blog: www.amarjeetsran.blogspot.com

Email: nbw5100@gmail.com / AmarImachZenith@gmx.com

Contact: +6011 1131 9393

LinkedIn: https://my.linkedin.com/pub/amarjeet-singh/36/20/481

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The field of global development places a high value on education and

credentials. While you can get started in an international development career

without a graduate degree, you will eventually most likely need to obtain at least

a master’s degree for most career paths to avoid a career plateau.

However, pursuing an advanced degree is expensive, time consuming and one of

the bigger decisions you will make in your career.

Here are 8 things you should consider before diving back into the books.

1. TRY FOR A FEW YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BEFORE HEADING TO GRADUATE

SCHOOL

While it is tempting to go straight into a graduate program, having a master’s

degree with no real work experience can sometimes do more harm than good.

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Entry-level positions in development, while competitive, often do not require a

graduate degree. These positions are usually very administrative, so those who do

have a graduate degree might hear they are overqualified for the job.

However, if you don’t have any work experience, you won’t be qualified to

advance. The result is those who go straight from undergrad to graduate school

often find themselves stuck in a rough spot of being overqualified for entry-level

positions but underqualified for mid-level positions.

If you can combine your graduate degree with a few years of relevant work

experience, you may find the employment environment much friendlier when

graduation comes. Not to mention that getting a few years of real life experience

can help you hone in on what it is you really want to pursue.

2. WHEN DECIDING BETWEEN A GENERAL OR TECHNICAL DEGREE, IT’S

USUALLY BEST TO GO THE MORE SPECIFIC PATH

There are many general degrees out there that can be applicable for a global

development career: a master’s in international affairs, public affairs or even

international development are just a few of them. While these can serve you in a

global development career, hiring managers say they are increasingly seeking

people with more technical degrees.

For example, agriculture sciences, statistics, and engineering are all degrees in

demand in the global development marketplace. For some jobs, having a

master’s is literally just checking a box, and any field of study will do provided

you have the right work experience. But by pursuing a more specific area of

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expertise, you will make yourself marketable to the jobs that require a technical

degree as well as those that are looking for any kind of graduate level education.

3. ANALYZE THE JOB MARKET IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD OF STUDY BEFORE

YOU SIGN THAT TUITION CHECK

You may have found a great program you are excited about that will give you

the training you need to pursue the career of your dreams. But before you invest

money and time, make sure there will actually be opportunities on the other side.

Ask the school for statistics on job placement and look to see where recent

graduates were placed. Talk to seasoned professionals with the same degree and

ask them what prospects they see for recent graduates. Scan the job boards and

see what vacancies are — or aren’t — out there. I talk to people all the time who

are drowning in debt from their new degrees and yet they still can’t find jobs.

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4. LOOK MORE AT THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE THE PROGRAM WILL

PROVIDE, LESS AT THE UNIVERSITY NAME

Going to an Ivy League school may help you land a top job in the banking or

legal fields. But in global development, experience trumps school name for most

employers. So instead of choosing the most prestigious school, look at which

programs will provide you the practical experience necessary to be competitive in

the job market.

For example, some programs allow you to do field work as part of your degree

or facilitate internships with major development organizations. Also look at the

location of the program. If the program is based in a city where a lot of

development activity happens – like Brussels, London or Washington, D.C. – there

will likely be more opportunities for networking at seminars, conferences and

events as well as internship opportunities throughout the year.

5. MOST EMPLOYERS ARE SKEPTICAL OF ONLINE DEGREES

Given the global nature of international development work, pursuing an online

degree makes sense logistically and makes graduate education more accessible

to people based outside of some of the education centers. However, most

employers I talk to are still very skeptical of online degrees and do not give them

as much weight as those obtained from a brick and mortar institution.

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Before pursuing an online degree, make sure you do due diligence on the

program, its reputation and success rates. It’s probably worth talking to a few

recruiters from organizations you hope to work at to see how they would view a

degree from the online university you are considering. While massive open online

courses can be a great way to gain additional skills from world-class professors,

they are unlikely to help advance your global development career at this point

without earning a degree at the end.

6. TRY TO WORK AND STUDY AT THE SAME TIME

If possible, try to work on a graduate degree part-time while working. Sometimes

employers will provide education benefits that may help defray the cost.

Additionally, you won’t be taking yourself out of the workforce, making it so

much easier to get a job when you graduate.

Working and studying at the same time can also help you apply both experiences

on the other. You will come to class with real world challenges, questions and

ideas and be able to go back and apply what you learn directly on the job. You

will also be able to earn an income, often making a degree more economically

feasible.

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7. A MASTER’S IS SUFFICIENT IN MOST CASES, EXCEPT…

You do not need to pursue a doctorate level degree for most career paths.

However, if you want to be an expert in one of the social sciences – maybe an

economist with the World Bank, a senior-level M&E expert or a top policy head

at a think tank – you may need to pursue a Ph.D. However, this can typically be

done mid-career and with a lot of forethought.

8. ONCE YOU HAVE A GRADUATE LEVEL DEGREE, EXPERIENCE WILL TRUMP

ADDITIONAL DEGREES

Unless you have a very specific area you want to work in, like engineering or law,

it’s often not worth it to pursue additional degrees once you have a graduate

degree. For example, if you have a master’s in psychology, going back to school

to get a master’s in international development is not likely going to help you

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much. Your time and money would be better spent gaining actual experience

over collecting additional degrees.

3 FACTS FOR COLLEGE GRADS

CONSIDERING AN ADDITIONAL

ASSOCIATE DEGREE

It may seem backward, but some college graduates are choosing to further their

education by getting an associate degree

Take some of them who have a business administration bachelor's degree and an

MBA but struggled to find a job during the Recession. I would refer to this

person as her (it’s not a gender bias)

She grew tired of job hunting and decided to try something else. She wanted to

stand out. She earned an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology

from in 2013.

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"I actually have three jobs right now, which is funny," she says. "It's like after I got

that degree, it boomed for me." She's works as a sales engineer at a small

technology start-up, operates her own graphic arts and marketing side business

and teaches introduction to engineering at Columbus State.

Her educational path is unusual. Only about six percent of community college

students in recent years said they had a bachelor's. Of those students, about half

said they were at a community college to earn an associate degree.

While some college grads head to community college just to take a few classes

to broaden their career options, some want an associate degree. College grads

considering doing this should keep the following in mind when researching their

educational options.

1. COLLEGE GRADUATES MIGHT NOT NEED TO RETAKE CLASSES.

Students with a bachelor's degree can often transfer college credits they

already earned and apply them toward requirements in associate degree

programs. However, specific policies and requirements will vary from each

institute to another.

At some institutes, students are allowed to transfer up to 45 credits from

other institutions when pursuing an associate degree.

Associate degrees generally require 60 to 62 credits.

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Some returning students choose to retake courses as a refresher. Other

students may need to take additional courses to meet prerequisite

requirements for courses in their chosen degree program.

2. FINANCIAL AID FOR STUDENTS WHO ALREADY HAVE A BACHELOR'S

DEGREE IS LIMITED.

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher are pretty much limited to

student loans and the federal work-study program as far as financial aid

when pursuing another undergraduate degree. Have you seen and

evaluated all available options in the market? Meaning have you done your

ground work on this?

They are not eligible for most federal grants, including PTPTN or MARA as

a senior student and private scholarships for these students may be

limited. Reason, our society is not ready to assist the working adults and

also the senior’s. Why?

My last check with many institutes there is no waiver in fees for those who

keen to take this step in Malaysia. So the question I asked is as above.

3. THE TRANSITION BACK TO STUDENT LIFE MAY BE EASIER THAN

EXPECTED.

Adults who have been out of school for a while will need to readjust, but

may find that key elements of community colleges or small institutes or

even online programs could make it easier.

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Most of this colleges / institues have small class sizes and the average age

of students is older.

The faculty also usually consists of professionals who have worked in the

field and are focused on teaching – not research, he says.

Did you know that its much easier to go back to school after spending many

years as a stay-at-home mom or working adult when you are able to afford and

pay on your own.

You may review and also go to one class at first to make sure it was the right

decision, but you would be surprised to lear quickly that the things you were

worried about weren't true.

Your age and life experience, for example, would be the best pluses, it has

trained you and educated you on how important it was and the methods to

focus.

That time management courses you attended, that highly effective habits, that

team building session and all the other trainings would best come in handy now

in which its of most assistance to you as upgrading process in life.

How do I advise other adults who choose to study and even re-start their carrier.

The fact is “Its Simple, Its Easy & Its You”.

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FIVE KEY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

ABOUT GRADUATE SCHOOL

WHY ARE YOU CONSIDERING A GRADUATE DEGREE?

You need to have a clear understanding of what you want to do with your career

and how earning a graduate degree will help you reach that goal.

If you have any doubt at all about your professional goals, consider putting off

graduate school and, instead, spend some time working on some self-assessment

and career planning.

If you go to graduate school without a clear goal, you will probably end up

wasting both time and money.

While certain careers definitely require an advanced degree doctors and lawyers,

for example many other careers offer plenty of job opportunities for job-seekers

with just an undergraduate degree.

In fact, in some situations having an advanced degree can actually hurt you in a

job search if you also have little or no job experience.

Staying Marketable: While a graduate degree is not required for many "entry-

level" jobs, you may need to earn an advanced degree to keep your training and

skills current -- and make you more marketable for career advancement.

A graduate degree can often make sense for a job-seeker who is looking to make

a career change, In this case, you would be earning the graduate degree in the

field you plan to enter.

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WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSIDER OBTAINING A GRADUATE DEGREE?

One of the questions most often debated is when is the best time to consider a

graduate degree. Is it better to attend graduate school right after you complete

your bachelor's degree, or is it better to wait a few years and gain some work /

life experience first. As mentioned above, certainly do not consider going

immediately to graduate school as a default move or to avoid getting a job.

The reasons for going straight to graduate school after earning your bachelor's

degree:

you are accustomed to being a student -- and have momentum;

your study skills are sharp;

you have few obligations;

some occupations require an advanced degree even for "entry-level" positions.

The reasons for working for a few years before going to graduate school:

you can better know your career goals by working in the field for a few years;

some graduate programs require work experience;

you bring a broader world view to your studies;

you have a more mature outlook on school and work;

many employers will pay some or all of your graduate school expenses;

you can gain solid financial footing;

you can improve your chances for acceptance to graduate programs --

especially if you were not the best student in your undergraduate program.

WHAT IS THE BEST GRADUATE DEGREE FOR YOU?

There are two traditional categories of graduate degrees master's and doctoral

although there are also numerous hybrid combined-degree and certificate

programs at many universities.

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Master's degree programs are growing and evolving, with degrees offered in just

about all fields. Master's degrees can be professional or academic.

Professional degrees, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA), are

designed for employment or advancement within a given field. Academic

degrees, such as a Master of Science, are designed for intellectual growth and

(sometimes) a prerequisite for doctoral work within a given field. Master's

degrees may take one to three years to complete.

Professional degrees, such as the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the Juris Doctor

(JD), stress the practical application of knowledge and skills. Professional degrees

can take two to five years to complete.

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) is the highest possible earned academic

degree. The focus of a Ph.D. is on advancing knowledge through original research

in a given academic field. Doctorates may take three to six years to complete.

WHAT IS THE BEST GRADUATE SCHOOL/PROGRAM FOR YOU?

Just as important a decision as whether to go to graduate school is the decision

of where to go to graduate school. In fact, some experts say your choice of a

graduate school is much more important than your choice of an undergraduate

school.

We've developed a list of criteria you could use to evaluate various programs.

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A more fundamental question for many, though, is whether to simply continue

graduate studies at the college where you earned your bachelor's degree. Unless

you attended a top-tier undergraduate college, most experts suggest that you

should seek a graduate program at a different college from where you earned

your bachelor's degree.

The idea is that by attending a different school, you are exposed to different

faculty, different perspectives, and different resources -- all designed to broaden

your knowledge and experiences within your field. It's a lot harder than simply

continuing on at your alma mater, but change is almost always a good thing,

especially in graduate education.

CAN YOU AFFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL?

Just as with your undergraduate college, it is crucial to look at the costs of the

various graduate programs that interest you and determine what mix of financial

aid will make attending the programs feasible.

It's best to study the literature each school sends you and then talk with a

financial aid adviser at those schools that interest you. Besides some of the same

types of financial aid offered at the undergraduate level, most graduate programs

also offer fellowships (for teaching or research assistance).

And if you're currently employed, don't forget to see if your employer has an

tuition reimbursement program.