<p>Next year is my final year in college (I would finish in the first summer session, but would be eligible to graduate in June). I’ve so far been unlucky in landing any decent internship (not even a call back). The chances of landing a job in the same offices and institutions that don’t even want my free labor seems nil, especially consideration I attend a third-tier university. I’m resigned to the fact that I’m one of those who simply didn’t make it in the field of my choice. And, as someone who has little interest in family life, this was a significant blow. </p>
<p>CONTINUED (apologies, accidentally submitted):</p>
<p>Anyway, to make a long story short, I want to attend graduate school for a year before I enter whatever dead-end job the economy finds suitable for me. My only concern is the ‘over-qualification’ phenomenon. Would having an MA or MPhil hurt my chances at finding entry-level work? The degree would be in either International Relations, or Conflict Studies (and other variants). I have serious doubts that I would be able to actually work in a traditional IR job, my lack of internships and foreign language being the most potent obstacles. So I’m still aiming for entry-level, The Office-type work----but I want a personal accomplishment for myself.</p>
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<p>Spotted an error in my first post. That should be “especially considering I attend…” Apologies. In a bit of a hurry. </p>
<p>Well, the question is - what do you want to do, and how can a graduate degree help you reach those goals?</p>
<p>Graduate school isn’t in and of itself a solution for being unable to find a job. Nor is it supposed to be used as the fulfillment of some dream or desire (“I’ve always dreamed of getting a PhD”; or “I really want to have a graduate degree”.) It is not intended to be a personal accomplishment. (FWIW, you already have a personal accomplishment - graduating from college). It’s a means to an end. The intent of a graduate degree is to give you a credential/qualification to work in some career field that requires one.</p>
<p>An MA in either of those fields would very likely be full-pay; conflict studies, in particular, tends to be a cash-cow program for universities (that doesn’t mean that it’s bad; just that one of the purposes is often to collect revenue for universities) and thus offers limited financial aid. Assuming you go full-time and have to borrow for living expenses, too, that’s $40,000 to $65,000 of debt for one year depending on what kind of school you go to (the low end is a public university in a cheap area; the high end is a private university in a higher cost-of-living area). Many MAs in conflict resolution are 1-1.5 years, but many MAs in IR are two years, so that’s $80-130K. But then you’re planning to do the same kind of job you could get with a BA…only now with MORE debt. In essence, it only makes sense to pay out the money to get an MA if 1) the jobs you could compete for have a salary raise that would compensate for the debt and/or 2) you really need the master’s degree to do a job you really want to do.</p>
<p>I also want to point out that you haven’t even gone on the job market yet. You’re giving up before you’ve even begun. Some internships are more competitive to get than many jobs, so I’m not sure what fields you’ve been trying in - but if you’re trying in international relations, those are some of the most competitive. Just because you haven’t been able to get a “decent” internship (whatever that means) doesn’t mean that you will come away from the job search empty-handed next year. It’s odd to resign yourself to not having “made” it when you haven’t even graduated from college yet. My advice would be to try for a job first, since it seems like what you really want is to work.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>To answer your question, yes, sometimes having a graduate degree can hamper your ability to get an entry-level job. Some employers will feel like they will have to pay you a lot more than they’re willing (or rather, that you will expect a higher salary because of your graduate degree). Others will feel like you will jump ship as soon as you see a better opportunity float along. Does that mean you will across the board not get hired with an MA? No, of course not. In fact, one of the common complaints about the economy is that many MA-holders are doing jobs that would’ve been taken by BA-holders a few years ago. But it is within the realm of possibility.</p>
<p>When I applied for undergrad, I was obsessed with avoiding debt and I succeeded. Zero debt, but I don’t like the school and it’s frankly been too easy. I guess it’s more about the experience than the MA itself, although I feel the degree would be a much greater accomplishment than my (impending) BA. </p>
<p>I’ve estimated that the programs I’m looking into would require me to take out $30,000 in debt. I’ll have $15,000 remaining from my college fund to cover the rest, and I think my family would be willing to fill in loose ends after that, such as textbooks and clothes. </p>
<p>I’ve applied for various internships in public officials offices’, companies, and non-profits. I just think it’s very unlikely I’m going to get a job in these places with zero experience on my resume…because I wasn’t considered for an internship. But perhaps you’re right. I’m certainly going to try to get a job. I just don’t think I’ll be successful. </p>
<p>Thanks. That’s mostly my worry. That I’m taking out debt and making things worse off. I wish there was a way to convey a message to employers, “I’m not looking for a Masters’ salary”.</p>
<p>It’s a little too premature to think about whether a MA really is for you. If you’re lucky to get a job with tuition benefits, and that it’s possible to do one part-time, then the MA will be less painful to do (at least financially). But a MA is not a be-all, end-all; maybe your job would then call for a different MA than today’s plans.</p>
<p>This is not for career advancement. I have a personal interest in the topic, and before I begin a life of work entirely irrelevant to it (and unfulfilling in general) I would like to have some personal accomplishment to be proud of. </p>