What I wish I knew before pursuing my master’s degree
Written by Jenesy Gabrielle Burkett
Whether you’re considering getting your master’s degree or just started this fall, there’s a lot to expect in grad school. There’s good, there’s stressful and there’s downright maddening. When I started my master’s, I had a very clear idea of what I was getting into. Looking back on it, there are a few big things I wasn’t prepared for at all.
Here’s how it started: I thought about what I enjoy doing and what I excel in. I found a career path that fit that. Looked into annual salaries, necessary level of education, recommended level of education and came up with a plan.
After graduating with my bachelor’s, I went straight into a Master’s of Public Administration program. I specialized in nonprofit administration because I wanted to work in community development. But there wasn’t a specialization for that in the field of public administration. So I worked through my degree, volunteered with different nonprofits, did some projects with some city departments and saw myself graduating and working in one of those organizations.
I graduated in 2020 with a degree that felt totally useless in the social climate I was graduating in. The truth is, I do use my master’s degree every day, but not in the way I thought I would. The work ethic I developed throughout my studies, books I read, contacts I made and opportunities I experienced ended up being more valuable than most courses or the piece of paper I got at the end. Nonetheless, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I only wish I knew the real value of a master’s and not the value I thought I was getting. So here’s what I wish I knew before going into my master’s:
Your career isn’t everything. But your education can be.
Something I hear a lot is that you shouldn’t get a postgraduate degree unless it will further your career. Which isn’t totally wrong. But the thing is, the job market is changing.
When I graduated high school, a bachelor’s degree was the only path to a stable career (or so I was told). By the time I graduated college four years later, that degree was no guarantee. If you really wanted to be competitive in the job market, you needed a master’s. And in 2021, the job market is drastically changing. Millennials and Gen Z are changing the trajectory and standards for careers, as we should.
Going into my master’s, I thought it was all about the career my degree would get me. The truth is, careers are changing. It’s no longer the standard to stay in one career in the same field for 30+ years. I’m sure my career will change at least twice more in my lifetime. No matter what career I have, I learned valuable lessons and skills in each of my degrees that I take with me into my life and work. So, going into your master’s, don’t focus on what career your degree will get you, but focus on what your degree and education can give to any career you pursue.
You never know where you’ll make a contact – so make every interaction count.
Yes, this is a fancy way of saying network wherever and whenever you can. Yes, I’m aware everyone is hounding you to network. Unfortunately, they aren’t kidding. You never know where a contact will take you.
Luckily, networking is as simple as talking to your colleagues before and after class, going to professors’ office hours and can be as sophisticated as talking with guest speakers after an event or asking a potential contact to coffee. Going into your master’s ready to network and build your contacts will be invaluable.
The degree isn’t the only thing master’s programs have to offer.
Sure, by the end of it you’ll have a few letters after your name. But that isn’t the most valuable part of a postgraduate degree, not by a long shot. There are so many opportunities available to masters and doctorate students: student-teaching positions, research opportunities, access to conferences and guest speakers you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
In the second year of my program, I went on a 10-day research trip to Cuba. I had colleagues who assisted professors on research papers and were published writers before starting their thesis. You never know what opportunities your program and university might offer, so be sure to ask around, keep an open mind and remember that you’re there for so much more than a degree.
You’re exactly where you belong.
Imposter syndrome is a b*tch. And that only gets worse the further you get into academia. I was lucky enough to have people in my life to consistently remind me that I was exactly where I belonged. Even after graduating, pursuing a different career that my degree was designed for, I know that that program was exactly where I belonged. Don’t ever forget that you deserve to be in your program, even if it takes you somewhere different than your intent.
Header photo by (Olia Danilevich / Pexels)
