Studying on a postgraduate degree course means you have your own reasons for obtaining the qualification that could align with certain career and personal growth goals.
A fair few of today’s better paying jobs, and certainly careers in the professions require at least an undergraduate award, although a postgraduate qualification is not only beneficial, at times its required.
Does it look dumb if you get two masters degrees?
There’s many working career & personal benefits gaining an extra graduate qualification, and it’s normal in some industry jobs, so it doesn’t look dumb or bad if you get two masters degrees in USA or UK.
Reasons getting and having 2 or multiple master’s degrees:
- They are related in the same specialist field, complementary to a job role or qualification & skills requirements.
- Gain a high paying job with added responsibilities with a salary benefits package you want.
- Add additional learning for personal development & professional growth.
- A person is able to complete more or complex tasks at work.
- Can stand out as an expert in 2 fields from other candidates applying for a new job, promotion, colleagues at work, and running a small business start up.
- Make a career change to a new industry sector requiring altogether re-skilling to apply, and be employed in a new job role.
Industries that prefer its employees to have more than one master’s award include information technology, medicine, sciences, finance and engineering so they have knowledge in more than one study field.
Having 2 master’s degrees is a good idea
Working in a commercial medium sized company at managerial level, and responsible for running different departments in the organizations its beneficial to have not only a management qualification, but expertise in more than one field.
To become more effective at work it’s not weird, as it’s perfectly normal to hold 2 masters graduate degrees that complement each other providing additional expert knowledge & skills for the job role.
Indeed, some companies & organizations in the public sector do fund graduate study for certain employees so they can bring back skills & knowledge to benefit the company. Additionally, these same employees can continue developing professionally in the role, stay up to date & ahead of new developments in the industry.
Standout as an employee
When I was a lecturer at college I seen academic faculty with 2 complementary degrees at postgraduate level was able to teach on two separate courses, such as accounting & finance, and geography & history.
This made them standout in the respective college schools, and was able to apply for senior faculty positions as they would be able to supervise & manage 2 different departments in on academic college school.
Long career benefits
Once you’ve gained 2 postgraduate awards or multiple master degrees you have them forever, and they can benefit a person’s professional development, and have an enduring impact on they’re career goals.
The work place can be competitive with multiple candidates in the frame for a promotion, although there’s only one senior management role available. Having two master qualifications it’s not odd as it can set you apart in many ways both personally and professionally ahead of internal & external applicants for the vacant job role.
When it’s bad to get two master’s degrees
1. For some people a second master in a related or different subject field is a waste of time when they have no prospect of using the qualification in a work, research, academic or personal capacity.
Reasons why could include you continue working in the field of the first masters, thus don’t require the second and postgraduate qualification or knowledge for work or further study.
2. Didn’t help you’re career as you are passed over for promotion by a current employer or you have limited career change chances of the same level of professional job if applying for a new position elsewhere at 50 years old with an MBA.
3. Working in certain industry field people are better off getting one masters then PHD to become a highly qualified & specialist in on field as its more beneficial for a professional career trajectory. So, a person can use they’re existing postgraduate qualification, and don’t require a second master qualification unless they’ll become senior management and require new knowledge.
4. Return on investment (ROI) is poor where by an employee has no further pay rise getting a second masters qualification, resulting in a waste of time effort and course tuition fees money.
5. Completing a second masters can be bad realizing there’s significant overlap of subject topic content resulting in you learning insufficient new knowledge & skills that could be useful for work and career goals.
6. A job candidate can become what some employer’s term “over qualified” for a role as they see you as taking the job short term, and then leave when a better job comes along.
Basically, various employers in different industry sectors in UK and USA may not take a highly qualified candidate for a position seriously unless it’s a highly specialist or more senior role requiring varying knowledge.
7. When becoming highly experienced with 2 different masters some employees subsequently ask for a pay rise, as result they are now too expensive to retain by a present company. Looking for a new job role with another employer? its becoming harder to secure another role with a new organization as you’re competing with candidates that are less expensive to employ.
8. Study for an extra master’s qualification can look odd online, such as MBA and it doesn’t have much value applying for desired jobs you want for a future career. Some people study for an MBA as a second masters on a cheap course only to find prospective employers will not accept the qualification.
The course may have not been rigors enough or even at an accredited university, thus not providing sufficient knowledge & skills required to be offered a job position by the company.