I might be too quick to judge here, but I don’t think my career has taken a back seat just because I’m in graduate school. The reason why I’m here is absolultely clear – I need a better guarantee into the field of Human-Computer Interaction, and a Masters in HCI has generally been sought after by practitioners.

But just in case you might want to gain more confidence in deciding to get a Masters, think again.

Avoid Graduate School for careers in traditional roles

This particular report based on the UK industry noted that “traditional graduate occupations may be reaching saturation point”, and that “new graduate occupations might still be growing”. If you are in a more traditional role such as Finance, Accounting or Project Management, it may be better to obtain professional certifications rather than a Masters degree. The reason is because they offer more effective training with less money and less time, and they generally hold their value quite well. I hold a PMP accreditation for Project Management, and it’s internationally recognized as a proper qualification for practitioners in the field. It’s a better deal than a Masters qualification, especially if I’m practicing and not into academia.

For emerging industries, maybe

A Masters is OK for the HCI industry, because it’s a relatively new field. I know at least one person who’s been in the industry for a few years tell me verbally that demand for HCI practitioners is increasing internationally, such that they’ve had to import them from various places because there isn’t enough talent locally (she was speaking of the Australian market). She also remarked that HCI has traditionally been established by academia and found its way into the corporate world, such that skilled practitioners were previously researchers with Masters or PhD qualifications, causing a large gap in the industry. In fact, from a recent survey, there are more HCI practitioners with Masters degrees than there are Bachelors. For more emerging jobs, take a look at this article from US News and World Report on Best Careers 2008.

Graduate School isn’t about taking a break

In my perspective, graduate school is about a career extension, not a career overhaul or a career upgrading. I don’t think employers buy that anymore, and they are less likely to substitute experience for credentials (1, 2, 3, 4). This of course, again, depends on whether this experience is mostly gained in the workforce. If it requires complicated mathematics and in-depth study, it may change the game a little. But in short, don’t do it just because you think it’s going to get you a better salary.

Graduate School closes doors?

Penelope Trunk wrote an article about how graduate school closes doors instead of open them. While I don’t agree with her completely, I do agree that the cost of graduate school is very high now, and that it will influence the decisions you make past graduation point. This does limit your options quite a lot. Graduate school is not just expensive, but taxing too. It’s not easy to launch a startup while you’re busy writing that thesis.

In a sense, if you have the means to innovate and start fresh without challenges and limitations of a particular environment (could be graduate school), then what you need is motivation, discipline, and a sound way of getting things done… not a Masters qualification.

If you’re 200% sure, go for gold

If you’re darn certain a Masters degree is for you, give it your 200%. I am one happy camper, and I am relishing the learning, intellectual discourse, networking, and potentially unlimited opportunities that this new field can offer me through this Masters programme. But that means I’ve had to form new habits of planning my schedules properly, strategizing my studies, make full use of my networks, and be more focussed about my goals.

The only reason why I see non-bumiputra students still keen on local scholarships and placements is because of cost. A secondary reason could be family. But I don’t know. I’m not in the position to say much. You and the students in the same boat as you should know better.

But I want to ask if the alternatives seem as bleak. Will the National University of Singapore be equally uncompromising to high achievers? Or even other overseas universities? Some universities in India are world-renown, especially in areas such as medicine and engineering. You don’t have to go as far as the UK or the US, though I feel that it would broaden your perspectives even further.

Try to think for the longer term (5 to 10 years). It appears that the kind of experience a high achiever stands to benefit from in other countries seems much more fulfilling, compared to some of our local students here. At the end of the day, I believe both types of graduates stand the same chance to enter the workforce – it does come down to personality, attitude and experience. And what you gain from that experience can be worth everything.

My question to you is – what do you want?

If it’s a fulfilling education experience you want, I don’t know if you’ll find it here as compared to overseas. If you stay, the obstacles you will have to put up with may not even be related to your field of study.

You’ve already come this far – I’d hate to see your qualifications and experience go to waste. The world is a big place, and sometimes searching for the right thing can be extremely frustrating and lonely. But the treasures that you will end up receiving is worth far greater. My advice to you is to broaden your perspectives, challenge the status quo, seek alternatives, consider all your options, and work hard to find what you want.

You have a potentially rewarding life ahead of you. For your own sake as well as your family’s, I hope that you will continue your fight and determination to get what you deserve and desire.