Postgraduate Studies worth the money?

Auditor

I think it very much depends on the profession you are in and your specialisation within that profession.

In my particular profession, the construction industry, post graduate qualifications count for very little. In fact in my experiece, professional qualifications of any sort give little indication of anyone's actual ability to do the job. Experience being far more important.

I have interviewed some highly qualified people who clearly haven't a clue what happens in the real world and similarly some poorly qualified individuals who could do the job standing on their head.

Gary

I can't say for your job market (assuming somewhere in the EU) and profession (and this is free advice, so value it accordingly!) but in the USA's engineering job market earning an advanced degree or MBA while employed only helps your salary in the NEXT job.
You'll find that employers are generally willing to help you with fees and even some on-the-job work toward your degree but the salary increase only comes when you take your experience and new degree to the next place.
Your present employer may value you more highly (i.e. place you higher above the "bar" when it is time to reduce the workforce) but won't pay you substantially more.
David

Gary-
In my engineering career I've seen an inverse relationship between advanced degrees and the ability to actually perform on the job, much like you describe.
This is punctuated by notable exceptions, of course, but my first thoughts of a practicing engineer with a PhD are wondering if they can actually produce anything tangible/profitable!
David

quote:

Originally posted by NaimDropper:
Gary-
In my engineering career I've seen an inverse relationship between advanced degrees and the ability to actually perform on the job, much like you describe.
This is punctuated by notable exceptions, of course, but my first thoughts of a practicing engineer with a PhD are wondering if they can actually produce anything tangible/profitable!
David

LOL. I beg to be different. How about a person with an advance degree (in engineering) and with considedable level of experience. Who says that you can't have both?

Tuan, I'll bet you are one of the notable exceptions!
David

quote:

Originally posted by Tuan:

quote:

Originally posted by NaimDropper:
Gary-
In my engineering career I've seen an inverse relationship between advanced degrees and the ability to actually perform on the job, much like you describe.
This is punctuated by notable exceptions, of course, but my first thoughts of a practicing engineer with a PhD are wondering if they can actually produce anything tangible/profitable!
David

LOL. I beg to be different. How about a person with an advance degree (in engineering) and with considedable level of experience. Who says that you can't have both?

Tuan

I'm not for one minute saying you can't have both, merely that a post graduate qualification (or any qualification for that matter) doesn't automatically make you capable of doing the job and vica versa)

I am a director in a firm of surveyors. I am a quantity surveyor by qualification (construction economist to those outside UK), but I mostly specialise in project management. One of the main problems we have is finding suitable staff who have experience in how things actually get built, as opposed to what the text book says. We see all manner of graduates who come to us with qualifications galore, usually looking for very high saleries, yet they don't know how one brick sits on top of another! They could produce a lovely looking programme (technically useless) and draw up a great contract, but nothing would ever get built.

There's simply no substitute for experience in our game, but obviously it's going to be different for other professions.

Gary

I have a PhD in animal behaviour, which really helps in my job in local government finance....

But the three years doing the PhD were great!!

Nigel

In that case Nigel I think you have every opportunity to keep your learning fully excercised, reeading some of the postings here!

Happy New Year To You! George

Actually it is quite amusing observing people doing the primate crotch display in meetings....

Nigel

Laugh Out Loud! G

quote:

Originally posted by hungryhalibut:
Actually it is quite amusing observing people doing the primate crotch display in meetings....

Nigel

Dare I google that, or is it likely to affect me permenantly?

/dl

If your employer won't pay the fess (as mine wouldn't) then they either do not value you, the degree or both (both in my instance I suspect).

In my experience it will open doors to interviews and may continue to do so once in place elsewhere (unless you are applying to/reporting to a 'University of Life' type with a chip on his/her shoulder).

I seem to remember my old management school (Surrey) having statistics about pre/post earnings which were very positive but they would, wouldn't they?

I almost immediately left my employer when finishing the course and joined a small business as a partner thereby rendering the stuff I had just sweated blood over largely redundent.

My wealth has improved markedly since graduating but it has little to do with the degree.

How about doing something simply because you find it interesting and would like the challenge and stimulus of working towards and achieving something in your 'spare time'?

Or am I just being a dinosaur in seeing Degrees in something other than 'financial worth'?

James