Do you think a Master's or PhD

Depending on the major, a Master's with little or no experience may not hurt you, but a PHD with no experience is going to make you look like someone who would rather bury their head in a book than get their hands dirty. I agree, you absolutely must have some real life hands-on experience along with the schooling. In fact, you will look even better if you can manage some work experience or volunteer community activities while working on the BA or BS. Employers loves a person of action, a multi-tasker, if you will.

i have found in my line of work and years in the work force it depends on your company size and vision. You can get in a small company and prove yourself, your work expeirence propels you up the ladder, leading to better job offers. I have alway thought a B.S was for bullsh*t and M.B.S. is more bullsh*t and a P.H.D. is piled higher and deeper.

hi angusthethird, Well, I agree with your post. I am a college fresh graduate. I took the course Bachelor in Secondary Education, majoring in English.I can say that experience is the best teacher. People may learn so many things and get a diploma or certificate with it. But without the necessary experiences, it will be useless. What we learned in the universities are just theories. And we just can say to ourselves that we learn, once we apply those theories.Honestly, some of my classmates want to take up Masteral's degree right away. I also want to take up Masteral's degree someday. The only thing that is just refraining me from getting such is lack of financial. I have still a younger sister who is studying in college. And we all know that college is very expensive. So I decided, to apply for a teaching job first. My younger sister will have to spend two years in college,then she can graduate. So, I think that I must teach for at least 2 years first so I can support her spendings.I think that perhaps, the experiences I will get from teaching will give me enough background when I study Masteral Degree. By the way, are you a teacher also?

In China, yes, a high degree promise a decent job because employers are superstitious about this, partly because many employers want to hire such people to make up for their lack of higher education, they take such people highly. But since these people have spent too much time on books and lack of practical skills, they are not very competitive and seldom gain profound performances at work.

Yeah, but considering the economy right now, it is becoming very difficult to get any experience, especially without any already. Plus if you have student loans you cannot afford to spend time at internships. Further education can eliminate some jobs for you but a masters or phd indicates a lot and means a lot to an employer. It wil not garatee you a job but I am finding out neither will experience.

Not necessarily, though if you are heading into a competitive career area it doesn't hurt to have a higher level qualification. Personally I believe work experience is becoming increasingly important, and at times more so that the qualifications you have. So take the Master's or PhD if you think it will make you stand out, if not, maybe get some work experience!

No, not always. One of my college professors said he was homeless for awhile after he got his masters. There are some people out there right now who have masters and they cannot find the job that they want.

No, and it all depends on the job/profession you're pursuing. If it's one where an entry-level job requires a Master's or a Ph.D., then you'd have to get it. But a job in general terms, you can get anywhere, especially if you've got related experience. I don't know how it is there, but this is how it is in Canada. It even gets a little crazy here, 'coz a high school grad, i.e. educated here, can edge out one with a university degree from overseas (even those from your country & Europe). I had friends with Master's degrees in different fields, and I recall one telling me before the job she wants/needs are being done by high school students/grads. Isn't that something, not to mention, depressing? But then, I think biases come into play on this issue too.

Here's the thing: there's nothing saying that you can have different levels of degrees in different things. Example: bachelor's in psychology-Master's in Christian counseling. Either way, you're marketable in a couple different areas in fields that are related, but not the same. It's not a bad idea to slightly differentiate in degrees. Some people I know have Master's degrees in two different fields. There's always a way to make yourself more marketable to potential employers. Don't be afraid to think out of the box, either. Heck, if no one will hire you, start your own business. Usually, by the time you have a Master's or PhD, you have some experience doing something. There are also a lot of places that hire consultants and/or freelance writers and need people who are experienced and/or have a lot of knowledge in certain areas. Just some thoughts.

Maybe.I am pursuing my PHD degree and I have ever left school for about one year before my PHD study.I did not help me a lot in my life but the experience let me know that my favorite is my study,so I come back to school to continue my biological study.

It may have been the case once upon a time but there are plenty of MAs and PHDs out there who are pouring coffee and driving taxi cabs. It seems even more prevalent in the U.S. when the person is from another country. One thing that seems to still work in your favor is that some jobs pay more (like education) according to what level of college you have completed. Some advanced degrees are only good for teaching and publishing though, or so it seems.

I like that idea. But in my degree most jobs are offered when you are a PHd. So graduate is school in our degree I think is a must for us to have a good job.

you r right for me am doing medecine so i have a compulsary internship for a year and then i have to work as a medical officer foranother..so its kind of good...but in this world its getting true that u have to be a master or phd to get a good living...just grads in medecine dont have much scope..but then ur field becomes restricted when u go for a masters...!!!

I think it depends on what career you are looking for. I work in the science field and, for most cases, people will have some research experience as an undergraduate. In this case, getting your Master's or PhD right after graduating is alright. You'll still be able to get a good job after that. In fact, PhD students get a lot of experience while completing their PhD.

I will get my master'degree in the next year, i will find a job instead of doing doctor rearch. I agree with you that some practical life experience is more importent than a degree. Sometimes, we studied many in school, but it is no use in the society. So it is better to find a job and acquire some experience, then you will find you will have some defective, then you can go to school and learn something customized.

It really depends on what career that you want to pursue. For example, if you want to be an academician or researcher, then PhD is a must. Think will be different if you want to go to industry. Normally, they will prefer master than PhD because PhD someties is overqualified. That overqualification is sometimes not needed in the industry.