How postgraduate study can further your career

A postgraduate qualification is not an automatic green card for a fast track career, but for some jobs it may be essential. Some courses will be directly relevant to your chosen job, for example those that provide the accredited professional training required for entry to specific careers, such as social work or librarianship. Alternatively it can add a more specialised orientation to a related undergraduate degree, for example a business studies degree followed by postgraduate study in marketing or a chemistry degree followed by a masters in biomedical science. If this study has the added value of professional recognition, exemption from professional exams or even work experience it has the potential to enhance your job applications by demonstrating commitment and insight within a specific field. 

For many students, of course, the choice of course is not related to a specific job but may still bring benefits when you come to start looking for jobs. More in-depth academic study of your subject can give you advanced ‘transferable skills’ to add to those you have already gained through undergraduate study or work experience. If you’re doing a research degree these could include project management, self-directed and reflective learning, and negotiation skills. All these can be potentially valuable to employers who seek applicants who can demonstrate an advanced level of core competencies that can be harnessed and developed within a graduate entry programme.

How do employers view postgraduate study? 

While a postgraduate qualification does not guarantee a job, it can be valued by employers if you present it as part of a thought-out decision and can clearly explain its ‘added value’ in terms of the skills you have developed. When considering a postgraduate course it could be useful to think a few years down the line and what you may say to the question: ‘why did you choose to study your postgraduate programme?’ 

If you are applying for graduate entry roles with a postgraduate qualification, it does not necessarily follow that your starting salary would be significantly higher than for those with just a primary degree. However, you are likely to see the value of your study, in terms of earnings and career progression, in the longer term when combined with relevant work experience to present yourself as a well developed candidate for future promotion. 

The one disadvantage of having a postgraduate qualification is that some employers may adopt a negative stereotypical view, seeing you as overqualified and not able to adapt to the ‘real’ world of work. An extreme example would be an employer viewing an applicant with a PhD as someone used to wearing a lab coat and not able to function outside academia. You should be aware of these potential views and ensure that you present your qualification as a package of skills, knowledge and insights that can be related to the requirements of an organisation or a role. This should always be to the fore of any postgraduate's career planning.

Career paths for postgraduates 

While many taught postgraduate diplomas and degrees are more likely to be seen as a stepping stone into the job market or a specific career path, those choosing the research route may have thoughts on an academic career. Industry and the commercial world may also be potential routes for postgraduate researchers who want to apply the specialist knowledge and skills derived from doctoral study to technical and scientific roles such as research & development, or a job such as a scientific or research officer, or a technical or business consultant. Beyond these potential career paths, postgraduate researchers are increasingly being encouraged to apply their skills to the broader job market, particularly where their expertise can be blended with business and entrepreneurial skills, creating and developing new business opportunities or products.

An academic career 

If the world of academia is an attraction in terms of a future career, you should think long and hard about your understanding of what is required to eventually secure a teaching/ lecturing post. Three years of PhD study will be the first step on a protracted and uncertain path of postdoctoral research posts of one to three years’ duration, until finally securing amore established lecturing post. 

Apart from evaluating your passion and stamina for further specialist research, you should also consider the career path that lies before you. Three years of study, living off limited funds, is only the start of the process. It is likely that you will need to secure a number of fixed term post-doctoral research positions after completing your PhD, and these are not necessarily well paid. It can also be desirable to have international research experience, so living and studying abroad may have to be an option. 

Essentially, while your contemporaries in business, industry or public sector are well on in the career ladder five to ten years after graduation, enjoying the benefits of a well-paid employment, you may still be living an uncertain existence as you move from one contract/temporary post to another until you secure a permanent position. Of course, a more positive spin would be to accept that this is the nature of the field and look for opportunities to blend a range of roles and working styles such as part-time tutoring/teaching, or working as a freelance researcher, writer or consultant. Essentially, you should recognise that you have valuable skills and expertise to offer but that you need to be creative in promoting these when sourcing and identifying employment opportunities. 

Written by Marina Lennon, Student Services Manager at the Open University in Ireland.

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