Working while "secretly" going to grad school to change careers

December 17, 2007 10:46 AM

Going to graduate school to pursue a different profession while still working at my job?

I know people do this, but I'm starting to doubt how to handle this. Ideally, I will work for about 6 more months because I need the money and don't want to go into debt for the full cost of my education. It should take about 15 months this way, which is fine for me. My plan was to take the night and weekend courses and simply not tell my current employers.

I'm worried, though, that my current employer will find out. They will know that I'm going to leave after I get my new degree, because it's not a degree that will help in the current company.

If found out, how should I explain it, yet maintain my job? I've taken classes simultaneous with working before- I know my work won't suffer, but they could find out because coworkers or clients may know someone in my graduate program.

Should I not even consider this and just suck it up and find a temporary job? That has been difficult- people think I'm overqualified because I'm looking for part-time or otherwise entry level work even though I'm in the work force. And they don't want someone who has their eye on a different future anyway.

posted by Rae Datter to work & money (12 answers total)

Do they have any business in what you do after work hours?
If they ask, just say it's for your own pleasure.
posted by PowerCat at 11:15 AM on December 17, 2007

As long as they're not paying for your education, what does it matter to them what you do during your free time? So long as you're not compromising company business or information or using work time to study. Personally, I don't see any conflict here.

Personally, I would be open and honest about it, but not advertise it.
posted by indigo4963 at 11:16 AM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

Not to mention, the worst they could hear is that "Oh, so and so told me that Rae Datter is taking a class in The Laws and Regulations of Imperial France." They wouldn't necessarily know that said class is a requirement for a given degree, thus making it a lot easier for you to lie if/when confronted.
posted by lizzicide at 11:19 AM on December 17, 2007

It is none of their business. Would they fire you if you told them you're going to be in school for XX degree?

They should be thrilled that you are trying to be a happier person.

Most of the larger companies are promoting a work/homelife balance anyway...because they think it makes people work more efficiently.

I would tell my boss that it has nothing to do with them, but I'm going back for XX degree. I would then tell them that I wish to stay on for YY period of time, and will ensure that my after-hours classes don't reduce my at work productivity.
posted by rocket_johnny at 11:26 AM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

Better educated employees are always a benefit to the company. That is why so many larger firms help pay tuition. I wouldn't make any huge issue out of hiding it.
posted by COD at 11:28 AM on December 17, 2007

The only issue you should be concerned about is the competing demands on your time. Since you say you'll be able to handle it, you shouldn't have any problems. Managers, HR, etc. are generally pretty emotionally detached -- if they let their employees' "infidelity" get to them they'd go nuts. All bets are off if your manager likes to start shit, though.

FWIW, I am doing almost the same thing, and my supervisor found out through some co-workers I had told (real discreet, I know...). Six months later and no flak. Good luck!
posted by kickback at 11:34 AM on December 17, 2007

This seems weird to me, to approach it as something to hide.

I've had plenty of coworkers and subordinate employees who were working while going to school in an unrelated field with the understanding that (a) this was their job, (b) that was their eventual career. Management didn't mind at all, and in the case where they were "my" people I actually liked it. In fact, I think it was generally liked all around: I think employers would be quite content to know that a person is there until exactly January 2011, or whatever. This is not a bad thing. It sure made my own team-planning easier to manage.

Of course, if the career education wasn't related to their job, I don't think any got any financial support, but it was never an actual problem.
posted by rokusan at 12:56 PM on December 17, 2007

I'd actually be more concerned or ?insulted if it was something hidden, I think. Might be a corp culture thing, though.
posted by rokusan at 12:56 PM on December 17, 2007

It's interesting that you think it shouldn't be hidden. I guess I imagine them seeing this as evidence I am unhappy and then just asking me to leave, which is not how I"d prefer to leave the company. Maybe it's telling that I don't know that they'd fight to keep me.
posted by Rae Datter at 1:13 PM on December 17, 2007

I've had plenty of coworkers and subordinate employees who were working while going to school in an unrelated field with the understanding that (a) this was their job, (b) that was their eventual career.

I think some of this depends on whether you started your current job with the understanding that it was to be a career job. When I worked in retail during college, it was no secret that I wasn't planning to be in retail for the rest of my life. But now that I'm in my "real world job" that most people would consider a life-long career track, I think it would be weird to tell my employer ahead of time that I was going back to school for something different. Like Rae Datter said, I could see them taking that as a sign that they should find my replacement now.

My advice would be to keep your plans to yourself, and make sure your work doesn't suffer. If the boss finds out, you can either 'fess up, or tell them you're just doing something on your own time to keep your mind nimble. (Whether or not that's believable will probably depend on what classes you're taking.) In the mean time, I think you should figure out how much notice your company would need to prepare for your leaving, and be willing to give them that much notice. If you do end up getting "caught" by your boss, you can tell him how you've considered the effects on the company and were planning to give them at least that much notice. That would (in my mind, at least) excuse the secret keeping - you'd show that you had considered when they would actually NEED to know your plans, and you were going to tell them at that point.
posted by vytae at 2:23 PM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

Nthing None Of Their Business and nothing to hide.
posted by desuetude at 3:22 PM on December 17, 2007

I'd go with "exploring other areas of study" (who knows if you'll really like it?) rather than "I've long known I was going to leave and was planning to tell you X months from now." That is, if you think full openness will get you fired right away. I generally agree with those saying that it's probably not worth trying to hide it. Most managers (in the fields I've worked in) are aware that younger employees are trying to find their path in life, and they know that it's a somewhat small chance that it'll be [that same field]. Knowing the full story gives them certainty, which is worth something.
posted by salvia at 10:58 AM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]