Are you thinking of studying Masters Degree? 🤔

Should you pursue your Master Degree immediately after or work for a few years? The answer: it depends!

I did my BSc in Psychology in Heriot-Watt University Malaysia and proceeded with MSc in Political Psychology at the University of Kent (UK) immediately after. Here is what helped make my decision (in terms of why I chose to study immediately instead of working first):

1. To work in my field / industry

I work in a multinational company, which is competitive to get in. It is not a must to have a Masters Degree, but it would help me to get a job and even a slightly higher salary. These big companies also look out for people who studied abroad because of the exposure we’ve had - this exposure helps us understand global trends better.

Similarly to roles that require a professional certification such as Accounting, Engineering, Actuarial Science or Law, then you’d have no choice but to continue studying in order to work anyway.

2. What matters more to me: title or freedom?

For me specifically, I wanted the opportunity to study and work (part time) abroad before I started working full time . I felt like it was a time of my life where I wanted to be in a fresh environment, meet new people and learn about different cultures. To be honest, it was also because I didn’t know fully what to work as yet 🙈 so this year abroad helped me learn about myself, different industries / companies / cultures, before I felt more sure about my career options and paths. BUT 😅 as a student, I didn’t have a lot of money. I worked part time and had to live frugal and only buy cheap things.

The downside is that I started working later, so my progression and monetary compensation is also slower compared to my friends. So it depends what is more important to you - climbing the career ladder faster or gaining freedom and experience first?

After few years of working, you might have more financial freedom while studying 😂😅

3. What type of knowledge or network do you want? 📚🤝

If you want to continue studying and acquire theoretical knowledge, then continue studying would be a good choice. If you want to learn through experience and get on-the-job knowledge, then working first would be great.

Networking at university immediately after Degree will help you make friends with other students and your conversations would probably revolve around your subject or personal life. Networking after a few years of working and if it’s a course that is more business-oriented (such as MBA) then you will meet other businessmen and your conversations will be related to your roles, companies, and might lead to collaboration.

What are your factors of consideration? Let me know! 💭

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