Should You Work Or Pursue Higher Education?

Work

1) Get Work Experience

By choosing to work, you will gain work experience which is a valuable asset in advancing your career. Many companies deem work experience to be more indicative of your abilities than your academic results.

2) Earn Money

Become self-sufficient. The decision to work means you will be earning a stable salary, which enables you to support yourself without relying on your parents. Not only does it relieve your family’s financial burden, it also means you can start to afford certain luxury items due to your increased spending power. 

3) Plunge Into The Working Environment

Exposure to working life will also aid you in self-development as you will pick up important skills which are essential in the workplace early on in life. Most of all, it will teach you to be more responsible person. Exposure to various industries is also an added benefit as it will help you make an informed decision on your career advancement. [Read: Successful Malaysian Entrepreneurs After University]

Post-grad Life

1) Get Higher Qualifications

Master degree gives higher qualification that is an advantage when it comes to employment. Besides that, the Malaysian government’s Tracer study showed that postgraduates frequently obtain a higher starting salary (66% start with RM3000+) compared to degree holders (17% start with RM3000+). [Read: Finland To Remove Science And Math In Their Education System]

2) Change The Field

If you are tired studying the same thing for 4 years you have chance to change the major and go for something you always wanted to do! Or if you have been working already for some time, you can start new professional path by obtaining a Master’s degree in completely different field.

3) Job Requirement

Obtaining postgraduate qualification is a prerequisite to a number of jobs, especially those in the academic field. For example, to qualify for the position of lecturer at Malaysian public universities, a Master’s is the minimum qualification required. So if your dream job requires postgrad qualification, then getting it is a step in the right direction.

4) Chasing You Passion

Passion and interest are also factors that should be considered. If you really love a subject or just want to know everything there is about your field of interest, go ahead! You’ll find that time passes quickly and your post-grad life will be a flash.

It doesn't matter which path you choose, you can rest easy for both offer good prospects. It’s only a matter of judging which most suits your needs. You can even do both! Many institutions offer part-time postgraduate programmes with night classes. Conversely, you can even work part time while doing a full-time postgraduate programme! At the end of the day, the important thing to remember is to take things one step at a time no matter what you choose.