While it may be tempting upon graduation to jump right into the job force, there is much to be said for the value of a graduate education.
Now that the new year is upon us, it’s prudent to consider what steps you can take in 2022 to improve your earning potential and have more options when it comes to charting a career.
If you’ve been on the fence about what your future education might entail, here are ten reasons why it’s in your best interest to make earning a master’s degree one of your New Year’s resolutions.
1. Higher Earning Potential:
Students may be wondering if it’s worth it to put in the time and effort to obtain a master’s degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can anticipate higher wages when you earn a higher degree.
The BLS reports that a person with a high school diploma can expect to earn $781 per week, while someone with some college but who hasn’t earned a degree would earn up to $877 per week. An individual with an associate degree could earn $938 each week, while the BLS expects that someone with a bachelor’s degree would take in $1,305 each week. Contrast those figures with the projected $1,545 someone would earn weekly with a master’s degree.
This demonstrates that companies value people with higher education and are willing to pay for the extra knowledge and skills that come with a graduate education.
2. Gain New Skills:
Going through a master’s degree program will be invaluable in helping you learn new skills. If you’ve only received training at one particular job and you want to leave that job, it’s essential to gain skills that match your desired career.
With the enhanced degree, you’ll be in a position to advance in your current job or to find a new place to work that values your new skills. Obtaining new skills could even open your mind to the possibility of jobs you may not have considered before.
3. Dive Deeper and Learn More Around a Specific Topic:
Superficial knowledge obtained during ordinary college coursework may not be sufficient when it comes to finding a better job. While participating in master’s degree studies, you will be focusing much more intently on the fine details of the subject matter.
You’ll come away with better strategies and ways to think about situations. The more background information you have about your field, the more and better you can do in your career.
4. Stand Out Among Other Professionals in Your Field:
It can be a great source of pride for you to earn a master’s degree while all around you are colleagues who have not taken the time and effort to go through a rigorous education.
Bosses, journalists, and investors are examples of others who will also be impressed by your advanced credentials. That can burnish your reputation and make you stand out even more.
5. Increased Career Advancement Opportunities:
Perhaps the job you are in now is stagnant, and you envision no room for growth with this employer. Instead of languishing and hoping to stumble onto something better, you can take control and enter a master’s degree program to expand your job opportunities.
You’ll be in a better position for advancement. This might involve earning an MBA to help you in running a new company or earning an advanced science or technology-related master’s degree so you can participate in a new startup.
6. Respect:
Why should a student enter a master’s degree program? For many, a chief reason is to obtain a greater measure of respect from peers. With the additional respect can come more responsibilities for you.
And if your company ever contemplates laying off people during tough economic times, the people who command more respect because of their higher education will be more valuable. This could mean staying onboard because of what you mean to the organization’s bottom line.
7. Encourages Life-Long Learning:
People are naturally curious. While this trait is more evident among children, there’s something to be said for continuing to learn throughout your life. A great way to organize your learning into a structured approach is to work with a master’s degree program under the supervision of talented professors in your chosen field.
Ongoing reading and careful thinking about issues can help keep your mind young and nimble, too. People can never take your education away from you.
8. Build a Strong Network:
Chances will be good that you will encounter fellow students who will prove to be valuable members of your growing network. Each person you meet in the master’s degree program could wind up becoming a business partner in a startup or a colleague at a company where one of you refers the other.
Whether your goal is to be an entrepreneur and build a team around you or join up with an existing enterprise, you can’t beat the network effect of participating in master’s degree studies.
9. Easier to Make a Career Change:
Making a switch from one career to another will go much more smoothly when you have the educational background to support the change.
A potential employer will see that you’ve put in the time to build up your skills and knowledge. Just attending classes, doing the coursework, and being tested regularly on subject matter will impress companies’ HR departments who need to find new talent.
10. Gain Confidence:
Finally, one of the chief reasons many students offer as to why they want to earn a master’s degree is so they can feel better about themselves.
A boost in self-confidence is often just what it takes for a person to transform from being quiet and shy to feeling free to speak their mind and participate in business discussions with colleagues. The more confident you appear, the more others will value working with or for you.
Resolving to Earn a Master’s Degree in the New Year Can Change Your Life Dramatically
Once you’ve determined that higher education is the right path for you to take and it’s time to pursue a master’s degree, it’s easy to make doing so part of this year’s New Year’s resolutions.
While going through a master’s program will take more effort and time than resolutions such as to lose weight or drop a bad habit, the time and effort you put in will be more than worth it. You’ll enjoy greater career prospects with more options while enjoying the respect of others in your field. The potential to earn more money will be icing on the cake.
To learn more about your options for entering into a master’s degree study program, get in touch with Lewis University today.