Masters dilemma: Great opportunity, not sure which path to take
March 24, 2016 4:56 AM Subscribe
I have a sizeable scholarship to get a Master’s at a school that has a great job placement rate at some pretty cool companies. However, it’s for a field that I don’t know that much about and have no professional experience with, plus I've been accepted into programs directly relevant to my current field.
I’m 26 and have a few years as a business blogger/social media and content manager under my belt. I have always considered myself a writer. I enjoy talking to people and finding out about their lives and what makes them tick. At first, I really wanted to be a journalist, but the bleak career outlook turned me toward a career in marketing or communications. I applied to Master’s programs because my mother has always been a staunch believer in higher education, and she is offering to pay my tuition, so I'm in a fortunate position in which I don't have to worry about money.
I applied to a few marketing and communications programs at Northwestern and Columbia, but through a series of random events I also applied the information school at University of Michigan, seduced by the great job prospects and just to see if I could get in. I also read up a bit on UX Research and thought the field sounded pretty interesting and possibly a good fit for me, considering my penchant for interviewing people.
Well, I got into all three, and while I thought the main decision would be choosing between Michigan and Northwestern, now I'm weighing the pros and cons of Columbia, too. I visited UMich for its visitors' weekend recently, where some faculty gave a few mini-lectures. I found both the faculty and the lectures interesting. Everyone I’ve talked to has raved about the program’s career services office; the school has a great job placement and job satisfaction rate. And in addition to the scholarship, the school is also offering me some money to travel to an industry conference. So I think it would be silly of me not to take it, but part of me is afraid I’ll go to the program and end up not liking the work or the field all that much. Sure, the lectures were interesting, but what you find interesting in an academic setting may not mean you'd enjoy the field all that much, right? I was also hoping to end up in a big city for a change, and Ann Arbor, while nice, seems less than exciting.
Here's what I'm thinking about each school:
Northwestern: The program's just over a year, and I could see myself ending up in Chicago. The school would be an opportunity to dive deeper into marketing and build on what I've learned so far. Plus, part of me still clings to the marketing/communications route because I feel like if I were to go the HCI route at UMich, I’d end up even further away from the professional writing path that I wanted to go on. (I realize that if I were to go the HCI route, Content Strategy is an option, but I wonder if I’d be happier as a copywriter). I'll be visiting the campus in a few weeks, but only a few days before I need to let Michigan know my final decision.
UMich: There are a few things drawing me to the school besides the financial aid. Ever since I graduated from undergrad, I’ve also had the desire to pick up some more technical skills so that I could be more employable. Marketing and communications certainly aren’t dying fields, but UX does seem to be a great field to get into right now, since it’s expanding and the pay seems quite good. I look at some of my peers who have bigger salaries than me and do kind of wish I had a bigger paycheck. I think that going into UX would help make that happen. And even if I find out I don't want to go into UX, I figure it would be easier to transition back into marketing rather than go the marketing route and later try to jump into UX if I wanted. But Ann Arbor, while lovely, does seem a little sleepy for my taste. This program would be for two years.
Columbia: Columbia would open some great professional doors. But the program (also about a year) is housed inside the School of Professional Studies, not an actual communications school, and whenever I think I might choose Columbia, I look at the classes and cringe: They really don't seem like they'll broaden my skill set in the way I'm looking for. The program can be completed within a year, but you can also opt to do an additional quarter working an internship. In the other two programs, internships are already part of the curriculum. And even though if I went there I probably wouldn't opt for the internship anyway, part of me is resistant toward the school for making internships an expensive add-on, just on principle.
TL;DR: UMich=very good financial aid, opportunity to pick up new skills and learn about a growing field, which is very exciting but I also don't know if I want to spend two years in a college town learning about a field that I ultimately may or may not want a job in. Northwestern=good location, opportunity to dive deep into what I already know something about. Columbia=would open lots of professional doors, but the program itself seems lackluster.
Any advice for me, AskMeFites? What other factors am I not thinking of?
I’m 26 and have a few years as a business blogger/social media and content manager under my belt. I have always considered myself a writer. I enjoy talking to people and finding out about their lives and what makes them tick. At first, I really wanted to be a journalist, but the bleak career outlook turned me toward a career in marketing or communications. I applied to Master’s programs because my mother has always been a staunch believer in higher education, and she is offering to pay my tuition, so I'm in a fortunate position in which I don't have to worry about money.
I applied to a few marketing and communications programs at Northwestern and Columbia, but through a series of random events I also applied the information school at University of Michigan, seduced by the great job prospects and just to see if I could get in. I also read up a bit on UX Research and thought the field sounded pretty interesting and possibly a good fit for me, considering my penchant for interviewing people.
Well, I got into all three, and while I thought the main decision would be choosing between Michigan and Northwestern, now I'm weighing the pros and cons of Columbia, too. I visited UMich for its visitors' weekend recently, where some faculty gave a few mini-lectures. I found both the faculty and the lectures interesting. Everyone I’ve talked to has raved about the program’s career services office; the school has a great job placement and job satisfaction rate. And in addition to the scholarship, the school is also offering me some money to travel to an industry conference. So I think it would be silly of me not to take it, but part of me is afraid I’ll go to the program and end up not liking the work or the field all that much. Sure, the lectures were interesting, but what you find interesting in an academic setting may not mean you'd enjoy the field all that much, right? I was also hoping to end up in a big city for a change, and Ann Arbor, while nice, seems less than exciting.
Here's what I'm thinking about each school:
Northwestern: The program's just over a year, and I could see myself ending up in Chicago. The school would be an opportunity to dive deeper into marketing and build on what I've learned so far. Plus, part of me still clings to the marketing/communications route because I feel like if I were to go the HCI route at UMich, I’d end up even further away from the professional writing path that I wanted to go on. (I realize that if I were to go the HCI route, Content Strategy is an option, but I wonder if I’d be happier as a copywriter). I'll be visiting the campus in a few weeks, but only a few days before I need to let Michigan know my final decision.
UMich: There are a few things drawing me to the school besides the financial aid. Ever since I graduated from undergrad, I’ve also had the desire to pick up some more technical skills so that I could be more employable. Marketing and communications certainly aren’t dying fields, but UX does seem to be a great field to get into right now, since it’s expanding and the pay seems quite good. I look at some of my peers who have bigger salaries than me and do kind of wish I had a bigger paycheck. I think that going into UX would help make that happen. And even if I find out I don't want to go into UX, I figure it would be easier to transition back into marketing rather than go the marketing route and later try to jump into UX if I wanted. But Ann Arbor, while lovely, does seem a little sleepy for my taste. This program would be for two years.
Columbia: Columbia would open some great professional doors. But the program (also about a year) is housed inside the School of Professional Studies, not an actual communications school, and whenever I think I might choose Columbia, I look at the classes and cringe: They really don't seem like they'll broaden my skill set in the way I'm looking for. The program can be completed within a year, but you can also opt to do an additional quarter working an internship. In the other two programs, internships are already part of the curriculum. And even though if I went there I probably wouldn't opt for the internship anyway, part of me is resistant toward the school for making internships an expensive add-on, just on principle.
TL;DR: UMich=very good financial aid, opportunity to pick up new skills and learn about a growing field, which is very exciting but I also don't know if I want to spend two years in a college town learning about a field that I ultimately may or may not want a job in. Northwestern=good location, opportunity to dive deep into what I already know something about. Columbia=would open lots of professional doors, but the program itself seems lackluster.
Any advice for me, AskMeFites? What other factors am I not thinking of?
I would like to reiterate coffee_monster on this, and also say: getting a Masters in a field you're unlikely to work in (or whose specialized skills you are unlikely to use) is a cruel thing to do to yourself.
...not that I'm bitter about past choices, or anything.
*cough*
Anyway, it sounds to me like you should sit down (probably over the course of a couple days) and really plot out, step by step, where you want your career to go. You may discard this plan later, but it will still be useful in organizing your thoughts (as Eisenhower said, "plans are worthless, but planning is everything")
Then, if the degree is a genuinely helpful step, you'll have enough information to pick which program. To be blunt, pursuing the degree simply because it might be an interesting experience strikes me as, fundamentally, defrauding your mother.
posted by aramaic at 6:06 AM on March 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
...not that I'm bitter about past choices, or anything.
*cough*
Anyway, it sounds to me like you should sit down (probably over the course of a couple days) and really plot out, step by step, where you want your career to go. You may discard this plan later, but it will still be useful in organizing your thoughts (as Eisenhower said, "plans are worthless, but planning is everything")
Then, if the degree is a genuinely helpful step, you'll have enough information to pick which program. To be blunt, pursuing the degree simply because it might be an interesting experience strikes me as, fundamentally, defrauding your mother.
posted by aramaic at 6:06 AM on March 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
I personally would only go to grad school if it was effectively a job. The financial and opportunity costs just don’t pay off in most fields. When you say “financial aid,” do you mean they’re covering your entire tuition plus giving you a living stipend? If yes, consider it. If not, don’t, and propose another way for your generous mom to spend her money.
posted by metasarah at 6:44 AM on March 24, 2016
posted by metasarah at 6:44 AM on March 24, 2016
Response by poster: It's a half-tuition scholarship.
And as for my mom, I have tried my hardest to convince her I don't really need a Masters; it's not like I am doing this purely out of my own whimsy. She believes it will be better for me in the long run, in terms of getting a job. I know that this isn't always the case; I've resisted going for some time for that very reason.
Yes, she could use that money for something else. But I have tried and tried to convince her that a Master's isn't necessary, and her viewpoint remains the same.
And after trying to make things work in my mid-sized home city, I've realized I would like to end up in a larger city where there are more interesting work opportunities and where I am just isn't it. She wants me to further my education, and I would like to set up shop somewhere different and expand my skills, so at this point I figure it's a win-win.
posted by dean_deen at 7:05 AM on March 24, 2016
And as for my mom, I have tried my hardest to convince her I don't really need a Masters; it's not like I am doing this purely out of my own whimsy. She believes it will be better for me in the long run, in terms of getting a job. I know that this isn't always the case; I've resisted going for some time for that very reason.
Yes, she could use that money for something else. But I have tried and tried to convince her that a Master's isn't necessary, and her viewpoint remains the same.
And after trying to make things work in my mid-sized home city, I've realized I would like to end up in a larger city where there are more interesting work opportunities and where I am just isn't it. She wants me to further my education, and I would like to set up shop somewhere different and expand my skills, so at this point I figure it's a win-win.
posted by dean_deen at 7:05 AM on March 24, 2016
OMG hi, former me. My mother also persuaded me to take on a masters in a field I did not and still do not want to go into because I got most of it paid for by the state I live in and I swear to god the only good thing I got out of it was a best friend and maybe a few skill sets I didn't have before. If you are in the same position of being pressured to get a masters when you don't actually really want one and are self motivated enough to learn a topic on your own, I really recommend it. I'm a UX designer and there are so many resources out there that can get you up to speed without the emotional/financial time sink that is grad school. Then you can decide really early on if it's right for you without all the strings attached -- and whether or not you really do want to go to grad school for a different program altogether. Just... Don't do it because the money's there and because someone is pressuring you to.
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:04 AM on March 24, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:04 AM on March 24, 2016 [3 favorites]
Also I say this as someone who absolutely adores Columbia and thinks the world of it as an institution: its weight as an alma mater is dwindling. Unless you know FOR SURE that the program you'd go into there would get you jobs, you may be overestimating its impact on your hire-ability. YMMV.
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2016
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2016
I'm generally anti-MA programs.
However, I'm very close to both NW and UM's programs and UM's is older and better developed. The UM program has more tenure track faculty teaching in it, if that matters to you.
The thing that you will want to consider is where you're going to live when you are done and what networks exist there. I assume NW's Chicago-area network is very good.
posted by k8t at 8:11 AM on March 24, 2016
However, I'm very close to both NW and UM's programs and UM's is older and better developed. The UM program has more tenure track faculty teaching in it, if that matters to you.
The thing that you will want to consider is where you're going to live when you are done and what networks exist there. I assume NW's Chicago-area network is very good.
posted by k8t at 8:11 AM on March 24, 2016
You're me! I wanted to do journalism and landed in corporate marketing instead, mainly because I wanted to write. (I've also found that a hybrid copywriter-content strategist is a rare breed, which is how I've successfully framed my career.) I always knew I vaguely wanted a master's, but wasn't sure in what. Finally, by the time I was 27-28, I'd spent enough time in marketing that I knew it was where I wanted to invest my time/energy, so I did Northwestern's Master's in IMC program. It was a fantastic program, completely worth it, and exposed me to other corners of marketing I hadn't previously experienced. We didn't explicitly learn about UX (I graduated in 2012), but we definitely studied some of the same psychology that feeds into a good UX approach, and I've found myself able to easily add to UX discussions at work. The NU network is strong, especially in the Chicago area.
That said, you're not sure which path is right, but it sounds like you want to experience a big city. Maybe defer your decision for a year, go live in Chicago (or another big city), and network like crazy with fellow marketing and UX people. Go to all the local educational and networking events, find out what kind of work you'd actually be doing with either degree, and decide what sounds most appealing.
posted by writermcwriterson at 11:19 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
That said, you're not sure which path is right, but it sounds like you want to experience a big city. Maybe defer your decision for a year, go live in Chicago (or another big city), and network like crazy with fellow marketing and UX people. Go to all the local educational and networking events, find out what kind of work you'd actually be doing with either degree, and decide what sounds most appealing.
posted by writermcwriterson at 11:19 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
I only recommend a Masters degree if it is required in your field or you have a clear job path with supporting job experience. A required Master's degree is increasingly rare unless it's on the path to a required doctorate (professors, researchers, and the like).
My MBA came at the time when the market was hiring every single MBA out of the top 20 or 30 schools. Everyone had 4 or 5 offers. That is just not the case now. The Master's market is flooded with people who continued going to school as a means to defer student loans or to keep moving life forward when there were few entry level jobs.
The idea that a Master's is going to open lots and lots of doors is outdated.
Defer your acceptances and use the next year to sort out if any of these degrees are worth it to YOU. Don't spend a few years of your life running down the wrong path because your mom thinks it's the right one.
posted by 26.2 at 12:19 PM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
My MBA came at the time when the market was hiring every single MBA out of the top 20 or 30 schools. Everyone had 4 or 5 offers. That is just not the case now. The Master's market is flooded with people who continued going to school as a means to defer student loans or to keep moving life forward when there were few entry level jobs.
The idea that a Master's is going to open lots and lots of doors is outdated.
Defer your acceptances and use the next year to sort out if any of these degrees are worth it to YOU. Don't spend a few years of your life running down the wrong path because your mom thinks it's the right one.
posted by 26.2 at 12:19 PM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yes, she could use that money for something else. But I have tried and tried to convince her that a Master's isn't necessary, and her viewpoint remains the same.
She can think whatever she wants, but if you don't enrol in a Master's, she won't spend the money on it. Are you leaving out some reason why you have to do what she wants?
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:20 PM on March 24, 2016
She can think whatever she wants, but if you don't enrol in a Master's, she won't spend the money on it. Are you leaving out some reason why you have to do what she wants?
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:20 PM on March 24, 2016
I'm going to go against the MeFi grain I guess and say that a free Master's degree is worthwhile if the following set of specific circumstances are all true: a) you're looking for a change in both your living situation and your professional life, b) you're not exactly sure what you want to do next but you have some direction, c) the program has a strong record track of job placements with companies you'd be interested in working for, and d) you know yourself, and you aren't self-motivated enough to make a major career shift or learn a new field on the side.
My husband got an MBA from UMich three years ago under exactly those conditions, and is now happily employed in a field far-removed from anything he'd have been comfortable exploring in a less formalized setting. (Data analytics, so we interacted with the School of Information here & there.) Based on our two years there, I actually think Ann Arbor punches well above its weight culturally for its size. (Moreover: short drive to Detroit, even shorter drive to the airport.) However, what I don't hear in your description is a clear idea of what you want to do with your career, and I think that (plus the parental thing) is why you're getting so much pushback on the idea of doing an MS in general.
Finally, you probably know this, but an MS in information (at least in this program) wouldn't limit you to a single specialty; you'd have a lot of flexibility to stay focused on communications, or to move into something new like data analytics, or human computer interaction, or UX if that ends up sparking your interest. So I think if your goal is to take a break, explore some career possibilities, and have strong institutional support system at the end of that time to set you up with job interviews to let you take a substantial payraise (I'm assuming, since you've been doing blogging/content management) and move to a bigger city, this program could actually be a good fit for you. But if you're actually really particular about what that job is (beyond "it should be related to my field and not something I hate"), you need to really scrutinize that list of job placements and be sure that the program has many graduates in jobs you would be satisfied with. TBH, you should do that anyway, but if you're a work to live person who can be satisfied with a wide range of possibilities provided the pay is good, it's less crucial than if you're super picky about your work focus or corporate environments. But honestly: your priorities and value system are what matter for a life decision of this size, not your mom's! Figure out what they are, and which of these programs (if any) are likely to further them.
I don't think a master's degree in a program without a good career placement record is worthwhile unless you have an airtight case for why it will further your very very specific career goals. Just my 2 cents.
posted by deludingmyself at 4:16 PM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
My husband got an MBA from UMich three years ago under exactly those conditions, and is now happily employed in a field far-removed from anything he'd have been comfortable exploring in a less formalized setting. (Data analytics, so we interacted with the School of Information here & there.) Based on our two years there, I actually think Ann Arbor punches well above its weight culturally for its size. (Moreover: short drive to Detroit, even shorter drive to the airport.) However, what I don't hear in your description is a clear idea of what you want to do with your career, and I think that (plus the parental thing) is why you're getting so much pushback on the idea of doing an MS in general.
Finally, you probably know this, but an MS in information (at least in this program) wouldn't limit you to a single specialty; you'd have a lot of flexibility to stay focused on communications, or to move into something new like data analytics, or human computer interaction, or UX if that ends up sparking your interest. So I think if your goal is to take a break, explore some career possibilities, and have strong institutional support system at the end of that time to set you up with job interviews to let you take a substantial payraise (I'm assuming, since you've been doing blogging/content management) and move to a bigger city, this program could actually be a good fit for you. But if you're actually really particular about what that job is (beyond "it should be related to my field and not something I hate"), you need to really scrutinize that list of job placements and be sure that the program has many graduates in jobs you would be satisfied with. TBH, you should do that anyway, but if you're a work to live person who can be satisfied with a wide range of possibilities provided the pay is good, it's less crucial than if you're super picky about your work focus or corporate environments. But honestly: your priorities and value system are what matter for a life decision of this size, not your mom's! Figure out what they are, and which of these programs (if any) are likely to further them.
I don't think a master's degree in a program without a good career placement record is worthwhile unless you have an airtight case for why it will further your very very specific career goals. Just my 2 cents.
posted by deludingmyself at 4:16 PM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by coffee_monster at 5:55 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]