As early as 2014 in an article in The Guardian, “It’s alright to change career direction at postgraduate level” it was said that if you think it’s the end of the world to change your direction at the end of your degree, don’t worry, because it is much more common than you think.
From OUR EDITORIAL STAFF, we are always looking for useful information, based on personal experiences and especially the statements of responsible administrators and / or professors of universities and business schools, we believe that it is interesting to get rid of this concern, because it undoubtedly overwhelms people who They are looking for a postgraduate specialization and job improvement, but are faced with the dilemma of a change of direction.
As The Guardian points out, “some people decide what career they want when they are children. Many change directions at the graduate level. We all know people whose professional trajectory has been traced since the age of 10. They are doctors, lawyers and engineers with a predetermined path through education and towards a job”
Clearly, the journey to specialization and improvement at work is not the same for everyone. But it must also be added that university degrees tend to have a wide scope and, when the time comes to finish the university stage and graduate, the interest of the recent graduate may have taken a turn in terms of the subject area to which they dedicated a lot of time, but that for reasons of taste, but especially for issues of professional growth, as well as new job expectations, they need to be interested in a new, potentially unrelated subject area, which leads them to undertake postgraduate studies in a very different field.
The Guardian quotes Professor Eric Meyer, director of graduate studies at the Oxford Internet Institute, as saying: “College students may find that their favorite subject in adolescence is not as aligned with their long-term goals as they once thought. “.
And according to what this medium had already investigated in the United Kingdom, around 40% of people who go from the first degrees to postgraduate studies choose a different subject area or obtain a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), according to the Higher Education Funding Council of England. It also claimed that conversion courses such as the GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law) and PGCE are popular with students who want to enhance their career prospects, as they provide the vocational skills that leave them ready for employment.
Change of address due to work
Let’s say that, if someone or something is to be blamed, without a doubt, the work and the changes that occur in the evolution of a person in their position (for promotions and personal growth), also because there has been an expansion in the organization, lead to many students applying for postgraduate studies after spending time on the job and realizing that the desired career requires different knowledge and skills. Postgraduate studies are an opportunity to realign your education with your goals or even restart your career.
Sarah Spickernell, 26, according to The Guardian, studied biological sciences at Oxford University but turned to advertising, where she discovered a love of writing. She says spending a year working made the transition to an MA in interactive journalism at the University of London less overwhelming, stating that she “made me appreciate learning more than when I was a student.”
It also gave her a clearer goal of how she wanted to use her new qualification: “The purpose was to get a job in journalism, which spurred me on the most.” She now she is an online journalist at City A.M.
For other students, studying a new subject at the graduate level is an opportunity to indulge their personal interests.
The Guardian also asked Benjamin Levy, 22, a Cambridge law graduate who at the time was pursuing a postgraduate degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art and stated that “friends ask me why I am studying art history, after to complete three years of a hard professional career that could get me a first level job in a law firm in the city. “
According to Professor Meyer “unsurprisingly, it can be a challenge to start from scratch as a graduate, as there will be skills and knowledge to catch up. But the benefits of changing subject area at the graduate level seem to outweigh the drawbacks, both for individuals and for groups ”.
There is no doubt that the combination of people from different academic backgrounds creates a dynamic environment. For example, students at the Oxford Internet Institute come from subjects as broad as communications, political science, law, computer science, engineering, languages and literature, history, and philosophy.
Meyer argues that “being able to work with many other interested students on related topics is invaluable to his research as it allows people to get insightful and often unforeseen feedback from peers with different backgrounds.”
It should not be a problem for us to change direction at the graduate level
Whether you’re already working and want a career change, or you’ve reached the third year of your career and feel like you may want to change the subject, there are many options for you at the graduate level.
A variety of postgraduate conversion courses are offered designed to help you quickly enter a new profession after completing a bachelor’s degree.
Several of the existing courses accept students at the graduate level, regardless of their undergraduate subject. As long as you have a good bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible to apply to a variety of courses.
What is a conversion course?
A conversion course is a graduate course that does not require you to have a specific college degree. They are designed to help you enter a new career, which may not be related to your college degree. In some courses, you will take a short introductory course so that you have a broad understanding of the subject area, before you start studying.
Most conversion courses offer you the opportunity to study full-time or flexibly part-time. You will develop your existing skills and be able to adapt to a changing and increasingly competitive job market.
Why you might want to change your address
You may see an opportunity in another sector. Each topic is valuable, but you probably know more about its original topic field than you did at the beginning of your course. If working in that field no longer appeals to you, then it is possible to transfer your skills to another discipline. Similarly, you may have limited progression in your field due to lack of roles or other factors, so why not try another area?
You may no longer be interested in your topic
Happens! And you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Three years is a long time to change your mind, and your reward for standing your ground is the opportunity to get into something you’re passionate about at the graduate level.
You started work after graduation and want a change of pace.
Sometimes the career you had in mind doesn’t work out or you may have become interested in other things. A postgraduate degree opens doors and, if you study part-time, it is possible to study around your work.
You seek to progress in your career
Doing graduate school is a great way to stand out from the crowd and improve your employability, making you more qualified for the positions and making you more attractive to employers. Those with a master’s or doctorate have a fairly significant salary differential that, according to objective data over a 40-year working life, could range to an average value of € 300,000 or more depending on the circumstances, than someone with only an undergraduate degree. .
How can it help you
If you are nervous about jumping from undergraduate to graduate studies, or returning to education after a break, the academic center of your choice can help you develop all the academic, technical, and numerical skills necessary to successfully complete the course which can include workshops and tutorials, as well as some type of optional course to follow online during your free time.