Almost 353,500 students enrolled in postgraduate studies between 2009-10 (according to the Higher Education Careers Service Unit - Hecsu), demand for master's degrees is up by 7.4% and the number of PhD students increased by 1%. 2011 saw even higher student numbers embarking on postgraduate study, but the question is - will it help you secure a graduate job?
Clearly a masters or PhD can help individuals stand out when graduate job hunting, in an increasingly competitive climate. Many courses have industry links, which can help post-grads enter into work directly after completing their degree. It is important to pick courses carefully however, mainly to ensure that you are getting the greatest value for money, but even more importantly to check out graduate job prospects, extending your degree will feel fruitless if you are unable to find work at the end of it. Looking for courses that are more likely to lead to jobs afterwards can help prevent disappointment upon graduating, however it is important to remember that a job is not guaranteed after further study. More specific programmes are said to be better in securing jobs afterwards. As James Intriligator, senior lecture at Bangor University explained, 'Graduate recruiters take notice of highly relevant, specialised programmes'. Hand-on-experience in a post-grad course is also of importance, as it can be something notable to talk about in an interview, and can certainly help you stand out more.
If you are intending on returning to academia after completing your higher education degree, it is important be able to justify why you are doing it, and explain the value of it to future employers. Post-graduate qualifications can be very worthwhile additions to a CV if they are undertaken for the right reason, and graduates can prove their worth. Employers are easily able to determine between post-grad courses that are merely to delay searching for jobs or are a last resort, with courses that are chosen for enrichment purposes and because the graduate taking it has a real interest in the subject.
Therefore, post-grad courses can be worth undertaking if graduates put enough thought into the specific courses they want, the job prospects of each course and are doing it for the enjoyment of and interest in the subject, rather than as a delayer or last resort.
Kate, GRB Journalist
