Contemplating a Masters degree?
Here are four reasons why pursuing a Masters is worth it (based on my personal experience)!
Enhance your knowledge… Or completely switch your area of interest!
There’s no doubt that a bachelor’s degree carries great educational and professional value. However, the main difference between an undergraduate and a postgraduate course is that a Masters is much more in-depth and it can extend your knowledge on many levels. A Masters degree is not general at all, it only lasts for one or two years (depending on the mode of study and course content).
Personally, I decided to do a Masters degree as I knew I had to enhance my knowledge of Marketing. Even though I had worked as a Marketing Assistant for over a year, I had studied something completely different for my undergraduate degree. I graduated with a BA in Theatre and Performance. I minored in Marketing with two modules: Marketing Fundamentals and Creative Enterprise. Therefore, pursuing an MSc in Marketing seemed ideal.
Enhance your personal development!
Developing your knowledge and skills is undoubtedly important, but growing as a person can have a huge impact on your future career. Doing a Masters, which is in nature more challenging and autonomous than an undergraduate degree, can make you stronger, more motivated, and determined! Not only do you get to pick most of your modules based on your own interests, but you also have the opportunity to focus your coursework on areas that you like.
For example, in my essays, reports and during exams, I talk about topics that I am personally interested. This includes fashion, car, smartphone and beauty industries as well as social media marketing and branding. In my course, some modules require group work. You can learn so much by working in a team, trust me! Not only do you develop team-working skills, you can also learn from other people’s knowledge, get inspired by their talents and can even make really good friends.
Job prospects!
This is quite a controversial topic as so many people have managed to be successful in their career without doing a Masters, and some without going to university at all. What I’m trying to say is that a Masters degree won’t guarantee a better future. This mainly depends on the individual, how hard they work, and sometimes on a little bit of luck as well! However, no one can deny that having a second degree is a benefit that most employers recognise. If this is combined with some other ‘pluses’ such as work experience, advanced skills and personality, it can be such a big competitive advantage!
It gives you more time to figure things out!
I must admit that this was the second main reason for me. After graduating, I was unsure whether I was ready to get my first full-time job. I felt like something was missing, other than the knowledge and experience. I decided to go for a Masters as this would not only benefit me professionally, but it would also give me some more time to ‘figure things out’.
And it did! Now, I am more aware of the industries that I would be interested in working in. I also feel more confident in trying new things and potentially starting my own business in the future. Lastly, I have decided to be more open in terms of where I’ll be after graduating from my Masters. Two years ago, I thought I wanted to stay in England for work. One year ago I changed my mind and wanted to go back home, to Cyprus. Now, after taking some time to think clearly, I have realised that I shouldn’t overthink about where I will be in the next couple of years. Instead, I should focus on getting a job that will fulfil me as an individual.
If a Masters degree sounds like something that could benefit you, all I can say is go for it! Just make sure that you are very interested in the course you choose. The more interesting you find your studies, the more fun it will be. You can search for different postgraduate courses on the University of Birmingham website. I hope it helps!
Thank you for reading my blog!
Sending positive vibes only,
Eleni x x