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Syracuse University seniors may be apprehensive about finding employment after graduation, given the current job market. Unlike entering the turbulent job market, enrolling in graduate school is a more stable option that’s more reliant on pure merit.

While a company may hire a graduating senior only to turn around a month later and announce that it needs to cut employees, a graduate program is not going to kick out students because of an economic downturn.

Graduate school can also represent something familiar, a return to schooling rather than the harsh reality of the working world amid a pandemic. Getting a graduate degree can also make a job applicant stand out in this competitive environment.

Though these are all valid reasons to think about attending graduate school, students must carefully evaluate their career paths, goals, interests and expectations before they start that master’s or doctoral program.

“You need to really make sure that you’re not just doing it because there’s literally nothing else to do,” said Cory Meyers, director of enrollment management at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. “You should have a sense of the types of jobs you’re looking for before you apply to graduate school.”

Not all high-paying or sought-after jobs require master’s or doctoral degrees. If you’re going into a program that’s widely known for needing further education, such as medicine and law, then go and obtain that education, but other fields may have different requirements. Many jobs in the communications industry, for example, are much more experience-based and don’t always need a master’s degree.

While undergraduate degrees often offer a fairly broad array of experience and learning and can lead to an array of career paths, graduate degrees tend to be more specific and lead to a more focused range of careers.

“Predominantly, at the graduate level, there are very specific degree programs that lead to specific career paths,” Meyers said.

The need for specificity and a high level of career focus is one major factor that differentiates master’s and doctoral degrees from bachelor’s. Those who are considering whether to apply to graduate school as a last resort should think carefully about the difference in degrees before making a decision.

The cost of graduate programs provides students with another reason for thinking critically about their application to graduate school. Most graduate degrees cost tens of thousands of dollars, an investment that is more of a critical decision to make than ever given the financial difficulties the pandemic is inflicting on many of us.

Even if you’re able to secure a scholarship or work through your university, including as a teaching or research assistant, graduate programs are still a huge investment of your time. Master’s programs usually take about two years, whereas doctoral programs can take five to eight.

“You really need to have a sense of “this is something that I want to do as a career,” Meyers said.

The learning environment in graduate programs can be quite different from what many people are used to from their undergraduate studies. Many undergraduate programs have large lectures where students can hang back during class and rely only on doing the work well. However, most graduate programs expect their students to be active discussion leaders and contribute insights to each class, which can be a big change for those who don’t consider class participation to be their favorite part of school.

“They’re really looking at the dynamic in the classrooms to make sure that not only can you benefit from the program, but you can actually contribute to the program” Meyers said.

None of this is to discourage people from attending graduate school if they know they want to. If you have a strong interest in a particular career path, enjoy attending and participating in class and are willing to put in the time and work, then by all means, apply. But if your career path doesn’t require attending graduate school and you’d prefer work experience to classroom learning, considering other alternatives to gaining experience after graduation, such as volunteer work or internships, may be better.

No matter what your path is, there will be something out there that fits your interest and skills. Though the pandemic is terrifying in many ways, don’t let it dictate your future in a way that’s not right for you.

Published on October 6, 2020 at 10:10 pm