by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Deciding to seek one or more graduate degrees is a major commitme a decision not to take lightly.
You will face several years of intense work and research -- a much more demanding course load than in your undergraduate
program. Before deciding your next step, you should take the time to honestly answer these five questions.
Five Key Questions to Answer About Graduate School
Why are you considering a graduate degree?
Career Goal: You need to have a clear understanding of what you want to do with your career -- and
how earning a graduate degree will help you reach that goal. If you have any doubt at all about your
professional goals, consider putting off graduate school and, instead, spend some time working on
some self-assessment and career planning. If you go to graduate school without a clear goal, you will
probably end up wasting both time and money.
While certain careers definitely require an advanced degree -- doctors and lawyers, for example -- many
other careers offer plenty of job opportunities for job-seekers with just an undergraduate degree. In fact,
in some situations having an advanced degree can actually hurt you in a job search if you also
have little or no job experience.
Compensation: Most studies show that people with advanced degrees earn more on
average than people with bachelor's degrees. According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009
the average worker with a bachelor's degree earned $56,665, while a worker with a master's
degree earned $73.738. Furthermore, a worker with a professional degree (such as a JD, MD, OD, DVM) earned $127,803,
while a worker with a doctorate (PhD) earned $103,054. (Obviously those salaries
are s the key is the difference in salary by education level.)
Staying Marketable: While a graduate degree is not required for many "entry-level" jobs,
you may need to earn an advanced degree to keep your training and skills current -- and
make you more marketable for career advancement.
Career Change: A graduate degree can often make sense for a job-seeker who is
looking to make a career change, In this case, you would be earning the graduate degree
in the field you plan to enter. Read more about career change strategies in our article,
When should you consider obtaining a graduate degree?
One of the questions most often debated is when is the best time to consider a graduate degree.
Is it better to attend graduate school right after you complete your bachelor's degree, or is it
better to wait a few years and gain some work/life experience first. As mentioned above,
certainly do not consider going immediately to graduate school as a default
move -- or to avoid getting a job.
The reasons for going straight to graduate school after earning your bachelor's degree:
you are accustomed to being a student --
some occupations require an advanced degree even for "entry-level" positions.
The reasons for working for a few years before going to graduate school:
you can better know your career goals by working in the f
some graduate programs req
you bring a broader world
you have a more mature outloo
many employers will pay some or all of your grad
you can gain sol
you can improve your chances for acceptance to graduate programs -- especially if
you were not the best student in your undergraduate program.
What is the best graduate degree for you?
There are two traditional categories of graduate degrees -- master's and doctoral -- although
there are also numerous hybrid combined-degree and certificate programs at many universities.
Master's: Master's degree programs are growing and evolving, with degrees offered in just
about all fields. Master's degrees can be professional or academic. Professional degrees,
such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA), are designed for employment or
advancement within a given field. Academic degrees, such as a Master of Science, are
designed for intellectual growth and (sometimes) a prerequisite for doctoral work within
a given field. Master's degrees may take one to three years to complete.
Professional Degree: Professional degrees, such as the
Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the Juris Doctor (JD), stress the practical application
of knowledge and skills. Professional degrees can take two to five years to complete.
Doctorate: The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) is the highest possible earned
academic degree. The focus of a Ph.D. is on advancing knowledge through original research in a given
academic field. Doctorates may take three to six years to complete.
What is the best graduate school/program for you?
Just as important a decision as whether to go to graduate school is the decision of where
to go to graduate school. In fact, some experts say your choice of a graduate school is much
more important than your choice of an undergraduate school.
We've developed a .
A more fundamental question for many, though, is whether to simply continue graduate studies at the
college where you earned your bachelor's degree. Unless you attended a top-tier undergraduate
college, most experts suggest that you should seek a graduate program at a different college
from where you earned your bachelor's degree. The idea is that by attending a different school,
you are exposed to different faculty, different perspectives, and different resources -- all
designed to broaden your knowledge and experiences within your field. It's a lot harder
than simply continuing on at your alma mater, but change is almost always a good thing,
especially in graduate education.
Can you afford graduate school?
Just as with your undergraduate college, it is crucial to look at the costs of the various
graduate programs that interest you and determine what mix of financial aid will make
attending the programs feasible. It's best to study the literature each school sends you
and then talk with a financial aid adviser at those schools that interest you. Besides
some of the same types of financial aid offered at the undergraduate level, most
graduate programs also offer fellowships (for teaching or research assistance).
And if you're currently employed, don't forget to see if your employer has an
tuition reimbursement program.
Other Resources Related to Graduate School:
An online directory of 18,000 graduate and post-graduate programs worldwide including descriptions,
contact information, and institutional advertising. Also includes chapters from The Grad School Handbook.
An entire section devoted to articles about graduate programs, trends in graduate education,
and rankings of the best graduate programs. From U.S. News Online's .edu.
With more than 100 free sample college and graduate school application essays and pages
and pages of essay writing tips, this site is the Net's largest resource for admissions essay
consulting and editing.
From Peterson's, this piece raises many useful issues -- such as 20 reasons to go to graduate school
and 15 reasons not to -- for you to consider regarding any graduate program.
Have you taken advantage of all our ? Find everything you ever wanted to know about locating and attending graduate
school -- as well as jobs for job-seekers with advanced degrees.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our .
Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of ,
one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of
. He is also founder of
. He is publisher of
including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter,
. Dr. Hansen is also a
published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often
quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is
also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his
reach him by email at .
Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of , which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35
career, college, job-search topic areas.
A member of :
Quintessential Careers -- Kettle Falls, WA
. All Rights ReservedFZWLW Mortgage Refinancing | Everything You Need To Know Before Considering A Home Loan Refinance | The Benefits & Costs of Mortgage Refinancing
What is mortgage refinance?
You may have heard that mortgage interest rates are at an all time low.
However, if you don't know what a mortgage refinance is, you won't be able to benefit from this development.
If you are curious how you can refinance your home, the good news is, the topic of mortgage refinance isn't a difficult one.
Refinancing your home simply means procuring a new mortgage which you will use to pay off your existing one.
Why would you do this?
If your existing mortgage charges you a 6.5% interest rate, and you get a new loan at a rate of 4.5%, you could save a bundle on your interest payments over the life of your loan.
If this sounds good, let's walk through it step by step.
The process for refinancing your home is nearly identical to getting that first mortgage to purchase your home.
First, you will compare the rates of several different lenders side by side to locate the best product.
This is probably the most complicated step, as it can be difficult to compare loans on the same terms.
Well, some mortgages offer you the chance to pay points up front, to lower the cost of the repayment of the loan.
These can be tricky, and for the most part should be avoided, unless you have a large sum of cash with nothing to invest it in.
Second, you will need to decide between adjustable rate mortgages and fixed rate ones.
Most experts agree that the wisest financial move you can make in this area is to select a fixed rate mortgage.
You will have the option to choose between a 30 year fixed and a 15 year fixed rate loan.
The shorter the repayment period, the higher your monthly payments will be, but the less interest you will end up paying.
Third, now you will have selected several mortgages that have identical points, are fixed and of the same term.
When comparing them, what else should you consider?
Closing costs are the last factor you will need to examine.
This is an upfront fee that all lenders charge when you refinance your home.
These can be significant, ranging up to several thousand dollars.
You need to ascertain if the savings of your interest rate will make up for the charge of closing costs.
For example, if you save $60 in interest every month, that comes to a savings of $720 over the course of one year.
If the closing costs for this refinance are $1440, it will take you two years to break even.
Therefore, you can see that it is only sensible to refinance your home if you plan on staying in it for at least two years, preferably longer.
Once you've completed your comparison shopping, you are now ready to go ahead with refinancing your mortgage!
You will be asked to submit the same basic information as before, such as employment and income verification.
When this process is complete, you will be approved and issued your new mortgage.
You have now successfully refinanced your home and saved a bundle off your payments in the long run!Steps to Take as a Foreigner Before you can Get a Job in the USA
Many people who live in other countries want to work in the United States for many reasons. One reason is to earn more money and have better employment opportunities. Another reason is to know more about the country and the cultural variations. One more reason is to learn the city to move permanently one day and become a citizen. However, before considering this life change, there are a few things foreigners can do to better their chances in the USA.
One issue is the language skills. Ahead of time, polish your English, so you can communicate better and compete with other applicants that manage the language or have better communication skills. Another important issue is to have all your documents ready, depending on what country you are coming from - green card, visa. Contact the embassy for more information.
Have clear in your mind what type of . If you want to be a restaurant manager, but do not have much , then you may have to start in a lower position, and work your way up. So map out a plan that you can follow once you get to the USA. Depending on the type of job you are trying to get, learn and study the customs of the area, and local points of interest. Learn how to navigate through the area and the most popular places. Today, if you have access to the internet, this is easier than ever, as there is a lot of information available.
Polish your interview skills. You may be interviewed by phone or in person, even over long distance, so you want to make the best impression possible since the interviewer may only have your voice, communication skills, and background work as a reference and cannot see you, unless you are interviewing through a computer or smart phone.
Research salary offerings for the position you are applying for so you know how much it pays, when it is time to negotiate your salary and compensation. Depending on the area you will live and work, salaries vary, paying much less in rural areas than in the city.
Secure a place to live, and calculate what your living expenses will be. Be realistic about this number, as it may surprise you. Many Americans are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, so don't let that factor discourage you or opaque your dreams and goals. Focus on your future and plug in into the working system. If you assimilate into the culture, it will become much easier for you.
In addition, consider sponsorship, and be open with your future employer from the beginning. If she/he sees a lot of drive, determination, and honesty in you, this will work to your advantage and you may be getting the job after all, despite other applicants. The most important thing is that you can show how much you can offer the company and the skills that you have. In addition to that, learn as much as you can about the company you want to work for and its history. This always works in your favor, as many times, applicants forget about this important step. For more information on this topic visit Usa-job.org| Northwest Herald
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