What's the point of getting the master degree ?
Hey guys, I'm an IT student, so , the question for discussion is this:
Is getting master degree will help me very much to get more paid job ? Or... is it maybe better to spend these 2 additional years trying to jump deeper into industry ?
Is getting master degree will help me very much to get more paid job ? Or... is it maybe better to spend these 2 additional years trying to jump deeper into industry ?
Well, here in Germany informatics used to be a diplom course. Since those usually lasted 5-6 years, a masters degree is nowadays expected from new graduates. However, depending on where you live the situation may be different, so I can't really tell.
Read this thread: http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/lounge/34850/
When you say your an IT Student, are you majoring in Computer Information Systems (Programming) or Computer Science?
When you say your an IT Student, are you majoring in Computer Information Systems (Programming) or Computer Science?
What really counts in business is your ability to program, not the degree. Majoring in CS might be a good way to learn programming, though, but you also have to practice a lot. Usually those guys at universities are better at it than code monk... ehm commercial programmers.
So actually it depends, whether you just want to do boring stuff like retrieving data from the database and putting it into XHTML forms - then masters degree in CS is useless, or some more interesting stuff e.g. natural language processing, searching new medicines, writing software controlling space shuttle or nuclear reactor, etc. However, for really interesting stuff, MSc might be too little. Many guys working in big R&D centers hold at least PhD degree (which of course if you want to get, you have to become MSc first).
So actually it depends, whether you just want to do boring stuff like retrieving data from the database and putting it into XHTML forms - then masters degree in CS is useless, or some more interesting stuff e.g. natural language processing, searching new medicines, writing software controlling space shuttle or nuclear reactor, etc. However, for really interesting stuff, MSc might be too little. Many guys working in big R&D centers hold at least PhD degree (which of course if you want to get, you have to become MSc first).
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When a prospective employeer sees that you have a Masters Degree they will imedialty assume that you want more money the someone with a lower degree. You should have the experiance in the field to justify this increased cost weither it's imaginary on the part of the business or not.
I had a friend who went right to his MBA (not the same I know but stay with me) while working at some diner near his school. It took him two years after graduation to find an entry level job because he did not have the experiance to justify the paycheck people assumed he would want. He didn't even make it to his first interview for an entire year, and that's with a solid 3.5 GPA + after school activities.
I had a friend who went right to his MBA (not the same I know but stay with me) while working at some diner near his school. It took him two years after graduation to find an entry level job because he did not have the experiance to justify the paycheck people assumed he would want. He didn't even make it to his first interview for an entire year, and that's with a solid 3.5 GPA + after school activities.
Hi Computergeek01, may I know that happen in which country? I believe different country employers may have some differences in their hiring procedures. At least in my country government service, an excellent qualification prepare you for a cushy job in the government sector and if you are a scholar, you are ready to be groom-ed for politics where you will be very well compensated for your effort.
@Computergeek01: In my country, most of the students doing their majors in CS, have some real job in IT already. So the lack of experience is not a problem when they graduate. I got my entry level job when I was at the third year. 2 years after, I earned much more money than my classmates who decided to stay with the Bachelor's degree.
Sorry guys, sometimes I forget how diverse this form is. MBA = Masters of Business Administration, so when I say it's not the same I really mean it's not the same as a Computer Science degree which would probably be an MSE (Masters of Science and Engineering). This was in the US, he had moved to North Carolina I forget which city but I know that it was having something of a miniature economic boom at the time.
Anyone in the OP's posistion please read rapidcoder's post, this is what I call the right way to do it. Get your entry level job early, that way if you want to stick with school for a more advanced degree you'll have the experiance in the field as well. Some people tell you that it is very difficult to get your Masters degree while you work, these people also assume that you have to go to school full time; this is completly false in the US. No one will care that it took you ten years to get your Masters Degree once you have it, there is no reason to torture yourself with school work + a job and accumulate a suicidal amount of debt all at the same time. Go to school part time while you work and life becomes much easier.
EDIT: For anyone who thinks I'm just making this up I'm not. I was doing this for about two years and it was working great for me. I had to stop when my daughter was born. For me doing all three wasn't possible but who knows you might be tougher then I am so if you're in that position don't give up just because some guy you never met couldn't do it. I have no regrets though, having kids is an individual choice and for me it was the right one I couldn't be happier.
Anyone in the OP's posistion please read rapidcoder's post, this is what I call the right way to do it. Get your entry level job early, that way if you want to stick with school for a more advanced degree you'll have the experiance in the field as well. Some people tell you that it is very difficult to get your Masters degree while you work, these people also assume that you have to go to school full time; this is completly false in the US. No one will care that it took you ten years to get your Masters Degree once you have it, there is no reason to torture yourself with school work + a job and accumulate a suicidal amount of debt all at the same time. Go to school part time while you work and life becomes much easier.
EDIT: For anyone who thinks I'm just making this up I'm not. I was doing this for about two years and it was working great for me. I had to stop when my daughter was born. For me doing all three wasn't possible but who knows you might be tougher then I am so if you're in that position don't give up just because some guy you never met couldn't do it. I have no regrets though, having kids is an individual choice and for me it was the right one I couldn't be happier.
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On the note of Degrees, I feel bad for chemical engineering majors, if you want to get an entry level job you need a bachelors degree. If you want to get a job that pays well you need a Doctorate. From what my closest friend tells me (a second year Chem Eng student at the best Eng school in the tristate) there is no middle ground. with a masters your over qualified for entry level, but under qualified for the high end jobs.
He could of course be wrong in this information, i just feel bad on the grounds that it might be true.
He could of course be wrong in this information, i just feel bad on the grounds that it might be true.
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IMO, a Masters degree doesn't get you a job but it does get you a higher salary. Getting the position is left up to the student!
@ moorecm: Getting the position is up to the person hiring the student. First impressions count and upon seeing a Masters Degree the employeers perseption of that student shifts. So you are right in that it is not a guarentee but it helps.
I believe having a high qualification ensure you have the "key" to open the door. But once you are in, the rest is up to your capabilities to perform and no longer hinges so much on your high qualification.
I believe we can apply the analogy to the working world. We need to be called up for the first job interview correct? How do recruiters do their selection? If the potential recruit is a seasoned developer, then he can fall back upon his past employment experience BUT what if the recruit is just a recent graduate? There isn't any way to gauge his capabilities except his paper qualification isn't it?
This is a typical and logical mindset recruiters have and I think it is normal. Only on rare occasions do recruiters gave fresh graduates or those with "lower" qualification a chance. Some recruiters firmly believe some people are best at working and not at studying. This is true to a certain extent but that hinges heavily on the recruiter beliefs correct?
So the best bet is to get a "high" qualification so as to increase your chances of being called up for first round interview :P
I believe we can apply the analogy to the working world. We need to be called up for the first job interview correct? How do recruiters do their selection? If the potential recruit is a seasoned developer, then he can fall back upon his past employment experience BUT what if the recruit is just a recent graduate? There isn't any way to gauge his capabilities except his paper qualification isn't it?
This is a typical and logical mindset recruiters have and I think it is normal. Only on rare occasions do recruiters gave fresh graduates or those with "lower" qualification a chance. Some recruiters firmly believe some people are best at working and not at studying. This is true to a certain extent but that hinges heavily on the recruiter beliefs correct?
So the best bet is to get a "high" qualification so as to increase your chances of being called up for first round interview :P
I have asked some friends from the HR department what they think of applicants with a master's degree. They said that it is a guarantee that they have mastered their subjects to the level that they could teach it to students as well. Though, as how goof it looks on paper, it does not help prove a point to which one would be the better option to take in. I am a graduate of computer science with major in software technology and i have been thinking if i would pursue a master's degree or explore paths in software engineering.
| Though, as how goof it looks on paper, it does not help prove a point to which one would be the better option to take in. |
But if the HR has 2 applicants on their hand. One is a Masters, the other is a normal degree. Both are fresh out of Uni, who will they take? :)
Most likely it should be Masters isn't it? Reason being all things equal (as in both does not have working experience at all), HR would pick the one with higher qualification. The only exception I would see is during the interview the guy/gal with the normal degree can express his/her ideas much better and clearer than the Masters else by default most likely the offer is to the Masters.
When I say offer it does not mean the Masters get the job. Possibly that Masters demand a higher starting pay due to his qualification but is out of the HR budget and the offer will be re-offered to that degree guy/gal.
Any recruiters disagree with my reasoning? :P
Getting a job really has nothing to do with holding a degree. In the US, most IT positions will accept an equivalent level of education and experience, which is I believe 2 years of exp. for every year of college. When it comes down to entry level positions, unless the the candidate is required to have a masters, I would assume both applicants stand an equal chance. The deciding factor would really be their personalities, how well they would fit in the company culture, and of course how well they do on a technical test, assuming the company required one.
Exactly. It never comes down to with or without a Masters--it comes down to the interview.
I'm still pursuing an undergraduate degree and have done quite well for example.
I'm still pursuing an undergraduate degree and have done quite well for example.
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| In the US |
I don't remember the OP saying he was from the US though. Here, depending on the actual job, having a degree can easily mean 2-3 times the salary.
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| I don't remember the OP saying he was from the US though. |
As far as I can see a Masters Degree would demonstrate 'mastery' or 'a good overview' of a specific field of study. This may be an advantage if the job is in this area of study but also could be a disadvantage if not.
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