anyone here got a masters?

hittman · 5 Dec 2007 at 23:58

cleanbluesky said:
The short and sharp answer is do a masters because you want to do a masters. It isn't going to be a golden ticket, working hard isn't going to be a golden ticket, staying within a company isn't your golden ticket, experience in double figures isn't a golden ticket.

Work isn't set up to offer you advantage, it is set up so that you can spend YOUR TIME making SOMEONE ELSE lots of money. Remove the mindset of "what can please others" to "what pleases me, regardless of what effect it may have in others". There is nothing that will make you more successful than confidence, and looking for ways to make yourself more palatable to others isn't the way to get this.

valid points mate. are you a graduate? do you hate students?! lol

cleanbluesky · 5 Dec 2007 at 23:59

hittman said:
valid points mate. are you a graduate? do you hate students?! lol

I am a graduate and a student

slambo69 · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:02

Im not sure about business, but I have spoken to reps from companies that only take on those with masters (engineering). They say that when they get contracts, they want their employers to know they have the best and by only allowing those with masters in, it raises the companies profile.

Dist · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:03

cleanbluesky said:
He can't even spell 'companies'...

oh noes, i made a typo when writing a post out at midnight. everything i say must be a lie.

hittman · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:07

cleanbluesky said:
He can't even spell 'companies'...

Let the mods worry about spelling and keep to topic please. thanks *No fighting please*

freshy · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:19

cleanbluesky said:
Does anyone actually work in recruiting here, or is this a conversation with recent grads and undergrads extolling their idealistic view of employment after education?

i used to recruit for my investment bank alongside working on my desk. i was part of the graduate intake a few years ago so have been through the process. i will be starting my mba next year.

hittman · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:22

freshy said:
i used to recruit for my investment bank alongside working on my desk. i was part of the graduate intake a few years ago so have been through the process. i will be starting my mba next year.

what is your opinion with regards to graduates with masters?

freshy · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:25

hittman said:
I understand, having a masters maybe of benefit in the long run in a job you already have but how about in the short term. for example, assuming two candidates have equal personality etc and going for the same job position but who would you hire in the following circumstances:

1) Candidate 1 - has a 2:2 degree but also a distinction masters.
2) Candidate 2 - 2:1 degree.

please discuss.

Reason I ask is because I am candidate 1 and just wondered if graduate employers favour graduates who have master degrees.

it really depends on the firm and sector you are talking about.

for investment banks and the big strategy houses the 2.1 will be more suitable simply because they often use auto filter application systems. some firms say that a masters overrides an undergrad in their system in which case you would be ok with a 2.2 and a masters.

if you are not planning on getting onto a grad scheme then the masters student would probably be better off.

having the masters would usually also be better in areas of specialism. for instance a maths masters student would have a tangible benefit over an undergrad student. but since you spoke in general business i am thinking you are speaking quite generally.

for us to help you more i would suggest you outline what careers you want to consider

freshy · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:30

hittman said:
what is your opinion with regards to graduates with masters?

many of my colleagues have master degrees. many don't. many wait until they hit senior management and go from an undergrad to an mba, which is the business exec standard.

the experience is another issue and is personal to you - if you want to do a masters then do it, but it won't guarantee a job - much like your undergrad.

all these qualifications do is get you through the auto filter and into the game - tests, interviews etc. once you are in qualifications of this ilk matter little as we study for industry standard exams eg. cfa etc.

Andy100 · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:52

I'd say a masters would only really be useful if there were 2 potentials with otherwise identical backgrounds.

Industry experience, relevant knowledge and qualifications, good references and not being a **** would all be more important to most employers.

[TW]Fox · 6 Dec 2007 at 00:55

Andy100 said:
not being a **** would all be more important to most employers.

Not the most quantifiable of traits, though.

Andy100 · 6 Dec 2007 at 01:00

[TW]Fox;10630684 said:
Not the most quantifiable of traits, though.

Easier than you'd think in an interview. You can have all the qualifications in the world but if you have limited social skills you'll find it hard to get a job.

We were recently recruiting for a senior accountant to fill the position I left. One that turned up had more initials after his name than would fit on a page. He was on the board of this and the council of that and had relevant experience but he came across as such an arrogant git in the interview that the CEO and I both agreed we could never work with him.

Danger Phoenix · 6 Dec 2007 at 01:06

I graduated in Computer Science from Warwick with a 2:2 earlier this year, which I thought was pretty rubbish so I decided to do a Masters here. Was at a careers fair a few weeks ago and I was telling employers that I got a 2:2 and they didn't seem too impressed... then I added I was doing a Masters and they started handing me all the application information

fini · 6 Dec 2007 at 01:09

I'm doing a masters at the moment. I'm doing my masters in IP law. I want to specialise in IP law, yet was unable to take it at degree level so it was a no brainer for me to do a masters in it. By the time I've finished this year I'll have spent a year doing nothing, but IP and will have written a dissertation on digital IP (specifically relating to online piracy). I would hope that would give me the edge over someone who did a single IP module at degree level - though hope's perhaps the operative word.

IMHO having a masters also shows a certain level of commitment because it costs an arm and a leg and you're slowing your progress by a year - so you don't just do a masters 'cause you can't feel stuffed to do anything else (unlike, for some, a degree).

EDIT: Shame the application form they were handing danger phoenix was for the role of male prostitute.

Oh and don't you already have a full time job copying me?

Tweek_1984 · 6 Dec 2007 at 05:14

I'm on a masters course in canada and wish I hadn't started until A. I could afford it and B. I had worked in the field.

While the course itself includes an internship which may lead to employment, it's physically and mentally demanding - a big step up from my undergrad. Whether I want to work in the field now is also debatable.

My advice - If you think a masters is going to be beneficial for climbing the employment ladder then save-up, and do some research on what exactly the course will entail - for example, my GIS course is incredibly stats intensive, something which caught me off guard.

Oh, and if you sponged off other people to get work done during your undergrad, don't even consider doing a masters. Class sizes are small, the student demographic is much older and wiser, and you will be expected to fully grasp what is taught so you are ready to use what you've learned in the field.