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what employers value and are prepared to pay for. A postgraduate immediately has an uphill task explaining
an additional year; or three years, of study.’
This view may seem cynical, but, if you are about to graduate and are considering a further degree,
you should take the realities into account and ask yourself some hard questions:
- Is the qualification l am considering going to impress employers?
- Is it going to give me the edge over less qualified candidates?
- Is my consideration of a second degree because l am not sure of my career direction?
- Will employers consider that I lack drive and ambition because I have deferred my attempts to find
a worthwhile job?
Many postgraduate options exist that can help you to acquire the personal skills that employers in the
world of business are seeking. Consider, for example, the offerings of Strathclyde and Durham universities.
According to Dr Nic Beech, of the University of Strathclyde graduate school of business: ‘The MSc in
business management (MBM), offered at USGSB is suitable for students with a good first degree
particularly a non-business first degree — but little or no business experience. Our MBM offers these
graduates the opportunity to combine the specialization of their first degree with a general management
qualification – something employers recognize produces a well-rounded individual.
Graduates tell us that the MBM allows them to access sectors previously out of reach. It is designed
to develop the business knowledge, practical experience and personal skills which employers are seeking.’
At the University of Durham business school, Sheena Maberly is careers development officer; she too sees
high value in qualifications such as the Durham MA in management (DMAM).
She says: ‘Whatever your first degree, from anthropology to zoology, a postgraduate business degree
can help you gain a competitive edge in an over-crowded job market. If you’re just starting out in your
career, a business master’s degree like the DMAM will enable you to develop skills directly relevant to
employers’ needs. So, extending your studies into management can make you better equipped to ‘hit the
ground running’ — and that’s what employers expect. Recruiters are highly selective and a vocational
qualification is additional evidence of motivation.
Before committing yourself to postgraduate study, weigh up the options. Perhaps the best route might
be to take a job now and plan to do an MBA a few years down the line? Try to get sponsorship from a
company. Or go for a well-researched and thoroughly thought through masters that will help you land a
good job. Ultimately the choice is yours, but focus on the future, and on your target employer’s
expectations.