qubelife.com

A lot of young engineers are faced with a dilemma after they graduate with their undergrad degree. After spending 4 (or in my case, 5) long years to get your Bachelors Degree in an engineering field, many people start to weigh their options after graduation. Engineering / Computer Science are one of the few fields that many Bachelor’s degree holders can get a good-paying job immediately.

I’ve made the following assumptions:

• You are not sure if you want to straight to work or grad school
• You are actively interviewing for jobs as you get ready to walk
• You are actively applying to grad schools

Reasons TO go back to grad school

1. You basically already have your thesis mapped out.
2. You know the job you want and a graduate degree is required
3. The job you want doesn’t exist. The companies that would do this work don’t exist, and academia is the only place that will sponsor your idea.  This is a nice starting point for a Ph.D
4. You’ve researched multiple programs and know the grad school you’re going to has a strong industry reputation for the field you are pursing.

After completing your undergrad degree, a lot of people decide to go straight for their graduate degree for a variety of reasons.  They should all be to narrow the focus of your studies to some

Reasons NOT to go to graduate school immediately

1. You couldn’t find a job
2. You’re not sure what you want to do
3. You feel like you need more knowledge
4. You don’t know what your thesis will be, if you do go to school
5. Because your parents will pay for it
6. Go back because you think you’ll earn a lot more with a Master’s Degree.  (This especially is a no-no for Engineers / CS types)

There are a lot of little things that are very telling about someone who is going onto graduate school for the wrong reasons. Items #2 through 5 above are basically indecision. After not having much responsibility for the better part of 20 years, it can be tough to have to go out into the “real world.”

For #1 and 6, means you may not have the correct perspective on your job search.  For item #6, the difference between a BS in EE and an MS EE is about (generously) 15% in terms of starting salary.  Now, assuming it takes one year to complete your Masters, it means you lose one year’s salary (approx $60k) plus your school expenses (approx $10k to 35k), and at the 10-year mark in your career, the two are basically a wash in many respects.

Simple math:

• $85,000 of lost wages and extra costs for school
• $6,000 salary increase at the beginning of career
• At the 10 year mark, you may not have any additional value vs. a BS

The main benefit of a Master’s Degree (other than being able to teach at community colleges) for Electrical Engineers and CS people in general is if (as stated above) you need the MS to qualify for a specific job that you really enjoy.  The number above show it, you’re better off getting a job after your BS and going for your Master’s part-time if you don’t know what you want to do.

Lack of focus, indecision and lack of knowledge of the job market are common causes for not finding a job. Several candidates spam their resumes to anyone who will look at them in the search for a job. The best way to first pick and choose to whom your resume will be going.  You need to think about WHY you couldn’t find a job in your area of interest. Do you sound like this guy? Whining about the fact that foreign workers are taking “your job”? Getting an engineering job is a priveldge not a right. You need to show potential employers that you have something to offer them.   Most of them want to know that they are hiring someone who truly cares about their job and is passionate about it.  Not someone who whines like a union worker when the going gets tough.

I’ve interviewed a lot of candidates, and at the end wondered why they even went to grad school (no thesis or can’t remember their thesis).  Or for that matter, why they even went into the field they studied (do not go into Computer Science because you like video games).

As a related note, Lifehacker.com had a link to “How do you know you’re on autopilot“.  It’s mostly aimed at the pre-graduation crowd, but it’s still appropriate.