should I pursue a masters?
Unanswered
Sun bear posted this in #help-forum
Sun bearOP
I’m a new grad with a BS in CS. I need advice, should I pursue a masters degree? I’ve been recruiting and starting to look for a job but as many can relate… the struggle is real. Im finding that most of the jobs min requirement is a BS but the preferred requirement is a Masters or PhD. Moreover, this also means I’m competing with people with graduate degrees and more experience.
For me, I feel like getting a masters degree will help me get a job in the long run and give me a second shot at internships which in turn will give me more experience. I also feel like having a cohort will be beneficial to my future.
The caveat to a masters degree is… of course cost. I’ll pretty much almost double my student debt. Also there’s the matter of getting into a graduate program. In undergrad my gpa isn’t very competitive, so I’m planning to study hard for the gre to make up for it. I’m praying I score in the 85th percentile.
Need some advice and guidance. Im asking in this discord because I recognize that there are many industry professions here so I feel like there is some words of wisdom here. Thanks
For me, I feel like getting a masters degree will help me get a job in the long run and give me a second shot at internships which in turn will give me more experience. I also feel like having a cohort will be beneficial to my future.
The caveat to a masters degree is… of course cost. I’ll pretty much almost double my student debt. Also there’s the matter of getting into a graduate program. In undergrad my gpa isn’t very competitive, so I’m planning to study hard for the gre to make up for it. I’m praying I score in the 85th percentile.
Need some advice and guidance. Im asking in this discord because I recognize that there are many industry professions here so I feel like there is some words of wisdom here. Thanks
1 Reply
Skye Terrier
While I'm not sure this is the right medium over say reddit or dev.to, I'll chime in here if you're willing to tolerate a dinosaur.
I'm into my 26th year doing this nonsense, and a grade 10 high school dropout. It wasn't really that hard when I was in my early career; the industry was still booming and wasn't really saturated like it is now. Back then, I would have sworn no you don't need a degree. But, technology changes. And it moves fast; the speed of the past four years or so have been near breakneck. I'm not sure it's enough to have passion and drive any more. I confess even now there's still things going on in tech that I don't quite understand; learning how to learn isn't quite enough.
If you want to stay with your BS, there are a few things that you can do to increase your visibility. Be active with open source projects, start and maintain an app or project, have a well rounded github profile. Apply for jobs no matter what the education requirements are (for me, I have way more experience than education, and its only come up in an interview once). You'll get a lot more rejections or non-responses, but you'll have eyes on your resume and that's what matters.
Finally, figure out what your long term goals are. Start a company? Join a board? Find a home where you can be for a few years? If you want to start something, being a plucky upstart goes a long way. If you want to join something, you may want to consider more education. It will cost more, but it helps you stand out.
Good luck!
I'm into my 26th year doing this nonsense, and a grade 10 high school dropout. It wasn't really that hard when I was in my early career; the industry was still booming and wasn't really saturated like it is now. Back then, I would have sworn no you don't need a degree. But, technology changes. And it moves fast; the speed of the past four years or so have been near breakneck. I'm not sure it's enough to have passion and drive any more. I confess even now there's still things going on in tech that I don't quite understand; learning how to learn isn't quite enough.
If you want to stay with your BS, there are a few things that you can do to increase your visibility. Be active with open source projects, start and maintain an app or project, have a well rounded github profile. Apply for jobs no matter what the education requirements are (for me, I have way more experience than education, and its only come up in an interview once). You'll get a lot more rejections or non-responses, but you'll have eyes on your resume and that's what matters.
Finally, figure out what your long term goals are. Start a company? Join a board? Find a home where you can be for a few years? If you want to start something, being a plucky upstart goes a long way. If you want to join something, you may want to consider more education. It will cost more, but it helps you stand out.
Good luck!