1. The career you want requires a license, and in order to get the license, you have to go to grad school and complete a Master’s degree.
This kind of situation means that you will not be pursuing the Master’s purely out of interest in studying the subject matter. It is, for you, a required path to take in order to get where you are going if a master’s degree is required to become a professional in the field you are interested in. For example, if you want to be a psychologist or mental health counselor, a Master’s degree and a passing score on a licensing exam are both required. Compare this to let’s say a nursing education associate degree or bachelor’s in psychology, which are much less rigorous and can even be earned online. In your day-to-day life, you may be very interested in the psychological makeup of human beings and relish in the opportunity to help them understand themselves. You may be interested in why people think the way they do, or how significant moments in people’s lives affect their personalities. If this is you, keep in mind that there are always informal counselors– pastors, parents, friends, various kinds of leaders– who may not have a Master’s degree in counseling, yet offer very sound advice. They are often counted on more than professional counselors. Conversely, there are professional counselors who may not always give good advice. The main difference between the two is not only formal training, but also the fact that psychologists and mental health counselors counsel professionally. That means that they are able to charge a formal fee or bill insurance providers for their services. But, if after considering your particular desires and goals, you find that a professional license is what you need, a Master’s degree may be required. Thus, there really is no way around it– you need to go to graduate school.2. You have noticed that the pay is significantly higher for those that hold a Master’s degree– and you want more money for the work that you do.
It is a general principle across many career fields that those with an advanced degree command higher salaries than those that do not. However, this is not the case for all individuals, all of the time. Bill Gates, for example, (the founder of Microsoft) did not pursue an advanced degree, and yet has ended up as one of the richest men in the world. Sergey Brinn and Larry Page, the founders of Google, dropped out of their graduate programs to launch their company. Additionally, the salaries may not be that much higher for the holders of advanced degrees. In education, for example, a Master’s degree might only command $500 to $1000 more per year in terms of salary, while a Master’s degree might cost you $30,000 to obtain. Thus, a Master’s degree might not be worth your time. With an advanced degree, you do gain a certain respectability, especially on your resume. Thus, you may be able to obtain interviews and positions a little more easily than you would have before. This of course, translates into more reliable income. But, the fact remains that if you want to command more dollar per hour for your services, you may want to go to graduate school now.3. You have an intense desire to be an authority figure in your field of study.
Have you ever wanted to be paid to do research in a particular field of study? Or to be paid to give talks on a particular topic? A desire to be an authority figure means that, for a certain area of knowledge, you want to move beyond the level of hobbyist or informal pundit. It means that you want to direct the manner in which a subject matter is considered in a society. You want to be an instructor, a professor, in your field. So, this would be your path if you have not only a teeming interest in your field, but also a desire to know everything there is to know about it. You will need to get a Ph. D. if you desire to speak with authority in most of the classical fields of knowledge and research. You will need at least a Master’s degree if you want to teach at the collegiate level. A Ph. D. degree literally means you are approved to teach the philosophy of your specific discipline. It means that, within the area, you are a recognized authority. You have achieved, through substantial research, the highest level of expertise. The remainder of your scholarly work is working “with” people, rather than “under” them. Thus, you should go to graduate school if this interests you. You will need to spend anywhere from 3 to 6 years attaining a Ph. D.4. You want to make new connections in a field you are interested in.
Often times, people lack the connections they need for a successful career in a particular field. If you are the kind of person who needs more connections than you currently have, you may want to consider going to graduate school in order to establish those connections. The networking possibilities are huge when you attend a research university as interaction with professors and colleagues will prove invaluable. Be sure to attend every conference, seminar, and social event while you are in graduate school for maximum impact. For example, if you desire a career in political campaigning and want to work in campaign consulting for candidates, you will need to do a significant amount of networking. Most candidates will only choose campaign consultants and managers who have experience… So be on the look out for any available entry-level positions! As a graduate student, you will be able to intern or obtain part time work with established firms that you would not have had access to. Firms are more willing to hire students pursuing a degree than applicants with no prior experience. Impress your prospective employers with your interest and your career goals. Pursue a Masters degree and, in the process, increase your professional contacts and possibilities.Get the complete course!
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