Water Cooler Wisdom : Grad School is Not Always the Answer

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Water Cooler Wisdom

Grad School is Not Always the Answer

Yesterday on Good Morning America, workplace correspondent Tory Johnson answered questions from new grads about to enter the workforce. One 2005 MBA grad from Chicago lamented her difficult job search, saying that she's between a rock and a hard place. Apparently, when employers see the MBA on her resume, they assume she should be looking for a management position. Unfortunately, because this grad's previous positions were primarily administrative and customer-service oriented, many employers don't think she has the practical experience to qualify for such a position.

I've gotten dozens of e-mails from graduate school alumni in similar situations. After spending tens of thousands of dollars on an advanced degree, they find that they are no more marketable in their chosen field than they were before they started school. The only difference now is that their job search is more urgent because they are deeply in debt.

To me, this phenomenon speaks to the danger of going back to school without a great deal of forethought. So many people choose a graduate program because they aren't sure where they want to go with their careers, when in reality, they should first be doing a cost/benefit analysis to determine what such a program is going to bring them in terms of increased job prospects and financial compensation. Of course, before investing an enormous amount of money, time and effort securing an advanced degree, they should also do enough research and have enough hands-on experience to know that they actually like the field. I've heard lots of stories of twenty and thirty-somethings who graduate with a Ph.D., JD, or MBA only to end up deciding they want to do something else entirely. Lawyers become advertising directors, doctors become life coaches, marketing executives become journalists, and so on.

Bottom line: Although returning to the safety of books and finals might feel more comfortable than the workplace grind, graduate school is not something you should do just for the heck of it. Rather, you should first determine in concrete terms why you need the advanced degree to move ahead in your career of choice, and then map out a plan for how you'll use the training and degree to facilitate the level of success you desire.

Published Tuesday, April 25, 2006 3:00 PM by AlexandraLevit

Filed under: Career Change, Continuing Education, Business, Job Hunting, Personal Development

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	Jeremy said: "After spending tens of thousands of dollars on an advanced degree...they are no more marketable in their chosen field..." Yikes! I previously once thought that the MBA is the all in one ticket to the american dream. The "each of our graduates recieved on average 3 job offers" marketing schemes seem certainly enticing. But the more I read and research, it seems that postgraduate education may not necessarily be our saviour. I think the biggest problem is that people have a hard time finding out what career/job will make them happy. So they get another degree in the hopes that it will lead to that ever satisfying professional life. Yup, when it comes to graduate school careful planning and thought cannot be emphasized enough. Like the old saying goes: "Chance favors the prepared mind." April 26, 2006 11:29 PM
	April said: I agree and I am in the same dilemma. I recently received my MBA in Strategic Mgmt. with a post-grad certificate in Human Resource Management. I have been in the legal field for several years and want desperately to change careers. Can you make any suggestions. July 23, 2007 3:44 PM
	AlexandraLevit said: Hi April, why did you decide to go for the degree in HRM? Is there something there that interests you? July 24, 2007 1:27 AM

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About AlexandraLevit

Alexandra Levit has been there and done that. She's the author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World (Career Press, 2004). Alex has spent all of her post-college career (eight memorable years) in Corporate America and recently founded the career consultancy, Inspiration @Work. She speaks frequently at universities and corporations and has appeared in more than 500 media outlets including ABC News, Associated Press, National Public Radio, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal.

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Water Cooler Wisdom is a career advice blog by Alexandra Levit, author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World . Water Cooler Wisdom is sponsored exclusively by Getthejob.com.