A matter of degree The Unemployment Line

by Cynthia Baxter

Is a bachelor’s degree good enough?

About seven years ago, I was asked to complete a self-assessment as part of an employee review process. I had outlined job-related goals in previous positions, but for the first time ever, I had to list personal long-term goals in addition to professional ones. I indicated that I planned to earn a master’s degree before I turned 40. At the time it was pure bull, though I suspect I had a latent desire to further my education. Well, the jig is up. Unless a college decides to bestow upon me an honorary degree in the next two days, I failed to reach my goal.

I never thought about seeking a graduate degree before then. And to be honest, I’m still unsure as to whether I should pursue one. If I had a master’s degree right now, yes, I do think I would benefit. I have applied for lots of jobs for which a master’s was preferred.

I suspect what I am feeling is just a touch of what my dad endured years ago. He lacked a degree yet worked for a company that required its managers to be college-educated. Time and again, he was passed up for promotions despite his years of high-quality work and dedication. In fact, often, he was the one who trained his newbie supervisors who knew nothing about the workplace but had the required degree. Eventually, his company changed its policy, setting a new precedent in order to give him the promotion he rightfully earned.

Things are a different now. Earning a bachelor’s degree is much more commonplace and typically an expectation for the positions I seek. I can’t specifically cite an occasion when I was bested by a youngster with a master’s degree, but I have to wonder whether having one myself would give me the extra oomph to come out on top as I regularly battle hundreds, if not thousands, of other job-hunters.

I was watching a news special recently on which recent college graduates were speaking of their decision to stay in school, to work toward a master’s degree, because they felt it was a much better alternative than to enter the job market in its present state. Smart kids. (Great – I’m already talking like a 40 year-old.)

Since declaring my goal of attaining a master’s degree, I have looked at graduate school programs on occasion but always determined my priorities were elsewhere, namely with my family.

Today, in my current state of joblessness, I’m reconsidering. I attended an informational meeting recently and started researching the advantages, and disadvantages, of pursuing a master’s. Here’s the catch: It costs money, something I lack at the moment. I certainly don’t want to discredit anyone who has dedicated the time and resources toward attaining a graduate degree, especially while raising a family. The decision is a matter of personal choice. Of course, if I were truly the one in control, I’d be working right now.