Post-graduate qualifications: Are they worth it?
Further education is essential for career progression, or even survival, in the modern corporate world. Yet, there is a declining trend in the number of Singaporeans intending to upgrade their skill sets in recent years.
According to the 2011 JobsCentral Learning Rankings & Survey, which polled 3,413 Singapore residents between the ages of 16 and 65 between August and September 2011, about 3 out of every 10 respondents reveal that they have no intentions of pursuing further education — an increase from 2 in every 10 in 2009.
Heng Teng Teng, a facilitator and career coach at GROW, cautions that the pursuit of further education should just not just be for the sake of acquiring the paper certificate but also whether it is vital to your individual career goals.
"A post-graduate qualification will be useful if mastery of a specific domain subject is your focus. Ask yourself: Where are you heading towards in your career? What skills do you want to develop? A good post-graduate programme should help you further develop your thinking skills, widen your perspectives on real-life issues, and leverage on your working experience and exposure," Teng Teng says.
She adds, "All employers will evaluate you based on your performance, contributions, and the value you are capable of bringing to the organisation — not whether you possess a Master's degree."
Employers, however, may also have their concerns about employees pursing part-time qualifications while holding full-time jobs.
"Employees may leave their current jobs in search of better opportunities upon attaining their qualifications, lack focus on the job, or take too many off days to prepare for their exams," says Heng Heng.
To prevent such miscommunication from happening, employees looking to pursue a part-time course to upgrade their skills should share their career development plans and aspirations, as well as how they can continue to support and add value to their employers, with their immediate bosses.
"Such sharing requires a certain degree of trust with you and your immediate boss," Heng Heng adds. "Understand that it is not just about you and your career; you are employed to do a job and you must do it well and be accountable for the job you are employed for. If you can build trust by being accountable and responsible for your current job, it is easier to get support from your employers. Start with yourself first!"
Accumulate work exposure first
On this note, Heng Heng advises that it is best to first spend some years accumulating work experience and exposure before looking to pursue a post-graduate qualification.
"Most of my clients who choose to further their education do it either for career advancement in their current field, or to acquire credentials in a new field they would like to switch to," adds Diana Reyes, a career coach at Smart People Coaching and The Mind Gym (UK).
Also, there are many alternative approaches to skills upgrading, says Diana. "A post-graduate degree is not the only way. Volunteer work, short-term attachments, job rotation, getting a mentor or a coach, or joining a professional group/organisation in your field of interest can be equally effective and rewarding in helping you achieve your career objectives."
To position yourself for more employment opportunities, you can also tap on your networking skills, either by volunteering your services or attending talks and events, especially since there are many unadvertised opportunities present in the market.
Quoting the late Steve Jobs, Heng Heng adds, "Stay foolish, stay hungry! It will never be too late to pursue a post-graduate degree if you have the drive, passion, and reason. The key is to enjoy your academic journey. Don't do it just because your peers are doing it."
The JobsCentral Group, a CareerBuilder company, is the owner of JobsCentral.com.sg, one of Singapore's largest job and learning portals. Get a free career personality test and more career- and education-related articles at JobsCentral and JobsCentral Community.
