Choosing The Postgraduate Route

A Higher Degree Increase Potential Earnings.

Today’s Blog follows on from last weeks which highlighted the various paths open to students and graduates by examining the advantages of a postgraduate degree.

Having finished college, the most popular route taken by graduates is into immediate employment but deciding to pursue further education, as well as diversifying, can give a potential employee numerous advantages in today’s job market.

Statistics show that the higher level of qualification a graduate has, the higher their earnings will ultimately be. This in itself may seem justification enough to seriously consider the postgraduate path. But research also shows that a higher degree has the benefit of increasing a candidate’s chances of being called to interview when compared with a bachelor’s degree. As many graduates know, competition in today’s employment market begins with CV appraisal and well before the interview stage.

Adapt and Thrive

The range of additional skills that come with further education can also be advantageous in the areas of self-management, confidence and the ability to diversify in order to find multi-level solutions to business problems and impasses. Prospective employees with the ability to think on their feet and bring a wide range of experience to an organisation are valued highly. Gary Hamel, one of the world’s foremost business thinkers and strategists, summed this up perfectly when he said, “You can’t build an adaptable organisation without adaptable people.”

Extra Third Level Funding

Funding for third level degree courses is expected to rise significantly in this year’s budget which will be announced in October. Some figures suggest an investment of over 100 million Euros, part of which will be allocated towards postgraduate grants. This is in itself good reason to reconsider the postgraduate path. Courses can accommodate varying needs, including both taught and research-based curriculum’s so there is room for manoeuvre depending upon a graduates circumstances. Whether a graduate chooses to progress in such varying sectors such as computing or healthcare the employment statistics tell the same story; the further a candidate progresses in education, the more likely they will be to find employment. Postgraduate job statistics continue to bear this out.