So you're deciding whether or not to go the graduate school route, a decision that will impact the next two to eight years of your life. A deeper level of knowledge and possibly greater earning power are some obvious and appealing benefits. But as long as you're in school you won't be able to commit yourself to the day-to-day requirements of a full time job.
Meanwhile, if you give up school in exchange for the workforce, you'll be able to invest your time and energy in immediate financial gain. You'll save the money that would have gone into your tuition and hopefully continue a steady climb up the career ladder. But you wonder if you may be haunted by the education you're passing up, the potential salary increases and a chance at an advanced career that you're truly passionate about, in exchange for convenience and practicality.
School Versus Work: How to Decide
If you're approaching mid-life and feeling paralyzed by this decision, you aren't alone. And if you've just finished your bachelor's degree and you haven't yet set foot into the workforce, know that you're surrounded by thousands of other young people facing the same predicament. Here are a few questions that can help you put this decision behind you and move forward.
1. How central is your financial health to your overall health?
Decide how large of a factor money plays in your happiness and sense of security right now. If you feel supported by your family or your current savings cushion, the cost of your education may be lighter than the sticker price suggests. If you have no children to feed, you're footloose and you're able to take on some debt without letting it crush you financially or emotionally, then don't let your life be controlled or held back by the fear of a few dollar signs.
On the other hand, if you can't afford a financial gamble, close your wallet and leave the casino. Our culture sends the constant message that education – no matter how expensive – will pay for itself in the long run, but this isn't always the case. If the reality behind this myth might put your children, your family or anything else you value at risk, walk away now.
2. Have you reached the end of the road with your current job?
Graduate school beckons when our jobs become stifling or our careers simply run their course. If your days in the office have become utter drudgery with no end, no change and no growth in sight, it's time to get out of there. But make sure you aren't just going through a case of the doldrums that will eventually pass on its own.
If you're truly finished with the present and excited to move on with the next chapter, visit LiveCareer and learn more about your long term options. Then get moving. If not, find other ways to ride out this spell of stagnation or uncertainty. Maybe it's time to chase a promotion, switch departments or move to another company.
3. Are you simply afraid to face the job search?
It's a tough job market out there, and employment isn't guaranteed, but if you're finished with school and ready to start climbing the career ladder, you owe it to yourself to at least try. With LiveCareer job search resources on your side and a few supportive mentors on your speed dial, there's no reason to hide away and put off the inevitable for another few years.
At the same time, if study, scholarship and research are what truly excite you, don't be driven out of the academic realm by a false sense of urgency. Tackle the challenges that make you feel the most alive and engaged. The workforce can wait, and the job you're destined to step into will be there when you're ready to apply.
Meanwhile, if you give up school in exchange for the workforce, you'll be able to invest your time and energy in immediate financial gain. You'll save the money that would have gone into your tuition and hopefully continue a steady climb up the career ladder. But you wonder if you may be haunted by the education you're passing up, the potential salary increases and a chance at an advanced career that you're truly passionate about, in exchange for convenience and practicality.
School Versus Work: How to Decide
If you're approaching mid-life and feeling paralyzed by this decision, you aren't alone. And if you've just finished your bachelor's degree and you haven't yet set foot into the workforce, know that you're surrounded by thousands of other young people facing the same predicament. Here are a few questions that can help you put this decision behind you and move forward.
1. How central is your financial health to your overall health?
Decide how large of a factor money plays in your happiness and sense of security right now. If you feel supported by your family or your current savings cushion, the cost of your education may be lighter than the sticker price suggests. If you have no children to feed, you're footloose and you're able to take on some debt without letting it crush you financially or emotionally, then don't let your life be controlled or held back by the fear of a few dollar signs.
On the other hand, if you can't afford a financial gamble, close your wallet and leave the casino. Our culture sends the constant message that education – no matter how expensive – will pay for itself in the long run, but this isn't always the case. If the reality behind this myth might put your children, your family or anything else you value at risk, walk away now.
2. Have you reached the end of the road with your current job?
Graduate school beckons when our jobs become stifling or our careers simply run their course. If your days in the office have become utter drudgery with no end, no change and no growth in sight, it's time to get out of there. But make sure you aren't just going through a case of the doldrums that will eventually pass on its own.
If you're truly finished with the present and excited to move on with the next chapter, visit LiveCareer and learn more about your long term options. Then get moving. If not, find other ways to ride out this spell of stagnation or uncertainty. Maybe it's time to chase a promotion, switch departments or move to another company.
3. Are you simply afraid to face the job search?
It's a tough job market out there, and employment isn't guaranteed, but if you're finished with school and ready to start climbing the career ladder, you owe it to yourself to at least try. With LiveCareer job search resources on your side and a few supportive mentors on your speed dial, there's no reason to hide away and put off the inevitable for another few years.
At the same time, if study, scholarship and research are what truly excite you, don't be driven out of the academic realm by a false sense of urgency. Tackle the challenges that make you feel the most alive and engaged. The workforce can wait, and the job you're destined to step into will be there when you're ready to apply.
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