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Topic: Will a Masters Degree Hinder my Career?
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| bjeffs | Posted – 6/26/2008 7:01:40 AM | show profile | flag this post During my last year of college (graduated last month) I made a major change in the plans for my life in wanting to pursure a career in literature rather than in the sciences. I thought that I wanted to go to grad school and become a professor, but I also have a big interest in becoming an editor. Here is my dilemna, I'm starting grad school for my masters in literature this fall. Will having that degree keep me fom getting an entry level publishing job? I had no editorial experience in college but I will likely be working at an academic journal published by my university for the next two years so I feel that at least my experience will benefit from the degree. I guess that my chief concern is that companies will be unwilling to hire someone for entry level work with a masters degree. Anyone with a similar experience? |
| writerandeditor | Posted – 6/26/2008 11:45:12 AM | show profile | flag this post Why one earth are you getting a master's degree in literature if you want to work in publishing? You would be far better off getting an entry-level job now rather than trying to get one two years from now, when you're even more in debt, with a degree that is going to mean nothing. |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 6/26/2008 12:24:06 PM | show profile | flag this post >>Will having that degree keep me fom getting an entry level publishing job?<< Not at all. You'll still be entry level. |
| mkelly | Posted – 6/26/2008 12:47:19 PM | show profile | flag this post I would advocate night school or some similar choice, while you try to get an entry-level job in publishing. You're one of the rare few who can, possibly, benefit from a master's degree in writing or journalism, since you studied a very different field as an undergraduate. It's the folks who get a BA in journalism and then an MA in the same field who are dolts, especially if they go to Columbia. But as others say, you'll be assuming a huge load of debt AND missing two years of earning real money. Think long and hard about that, because when you get out you'll be paid crap and judged on your talent rather than your degree. If that's the case, might as well get started on the crappy pay and the judgment right now and save yourself some money. But since you're a science major, you may well not be a very good writer and need some training. Hence the night school idea. Really, you want just enough education to get a job in your field-- then stop, see how you like it, and reconfirm whether you need more education or not to climb higher. And please note that I mentioned writing or journalism degrees, not literature. A master's in literature really is for English professors only. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 6/26/2008 1:17:25 PM | show profile | flag this post Something else to consider I don't think you'll learn as much if you are working in your field while going to grad school. Grad school is supposed to be for people who have some working experience as a way to extend their professional and academic achievements. I know many people go straight from undergrad to grad and do fine, but doing while learning will only reinforce your grad school courses. What happens if you get all the way to graduation and discover that you hate publishing? And, if you were applying for a job as an entry-level editorial assistant, which is what you would be without publishing experience, I would be reluctant to hire you because you would probably want a better salary than I could give. I would work first, then go to grad school at night. P.S. If your hopes are to go to the top of publishing, I'd be pursuing a business/management/publishing management degree, not literature. Lit grad degrees are for junior Lit profs. |
| bjeffs | Posted – 6/26/2008 5:28:02 PM | show profile | flag this post I will actually not be accruing any debt during graduate school because I will be getting a stipend and the school will be playing all of my fees. My undergraduate degree is in literature but I was a double major up until I was a senior. As a lit major I didn't think publishing was even a career choice for me and until very recently I was under the assumption that being a professor was my only option. I started thinking about publishing after I had already applied to graduate school. I then started applying to editorial jobs, but I have no job experience (I worked my way through school with on campus jobs and my only internship was at the Centers for Disease Control). With my assistantship I will be able to get editorial experience, but if it is just at a small journal or doing work for professors writing books will that still count toward the editorial experience that I need? |
| beenthere | Posted – 6/26/2008 5:59:57 PM | show profile | flag this post I can't imagine having a master's in lit would make you more employable. I've actually left my master's degree off my resume a few times, when I thought it would hurt my chances of getting an interview, and I have 15 years experience. If you want the degree, get the degree. But if your intention is to work in publishing, then you'd be better off simply getting a job. A number of places I have worked out would probably discount you for any entry level position if you had a master's degree. They would be more interested in real-life work experience and clips. |
| bjeffs | Posted – 6/26/2008 7:43:37 PM | show profile | flag this post As far as "clips" go, are these necessary for the literary publishing industry? I'm not really wanting to be in print media, I'm looking almost exclusively at book publishing (Random House, HarperCollins etc). I'm already registered etc for grad school so now I'm just hoping that I get to work on the Shakespeare journal as an EA. |
| LAmode | Posted – 6/26/2008 8:49:48 PM | show profile | flag this post You still sound excited about going to grad school and studying literature--sounds like your heart is in it. And if your expenses are paid, so much the better. As one poster did point out, that entry-level job will be available in two years too! And you'll be the richer for having attained your master's. While in grad school, try different types of writing and editing in part-time jobs. You may not want to track so specifically into book publishing. You may not end up wanting to go into publishing at all. But THAT decision can wait--the decision to go to grad school can't. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 6/27/2008 11:33:05 AM | show profile | flag this post By all means get your masters, but if you do decide to pursue publishing, don't expect to get a salary better than entry-level editorial/publishing assistants with a journalism bachelors would get. The pay in journalism is typically equal to the level of experience (you have zip) and on par with the position's responsibilities, not the amount of education you have. You are one of the lucky ones not to have grad school debt. Gosh, it scares me how many people here are pursuing a masters because they hit a rut in their career and think more education will draw them a better salary. In 2008, it's not about who has the best education, it's about who can be the most productive and think on their feet with the least amount of money. Do yourselves a favor and don't saddle yourselves with extraordinary debt before getting your first job. |
| Agirlwalksintoabookstore... | Posted – 6/27/2008 11:49:59 AM | show profile | flag this post This is all interesting advice. I've been considering going back to school for a Master's degree in... medieval history. It's my passion, first and foremost, but after undergrad I decided it would just be easier for the moment to get straight to work. Medieval history is of course not the most practical subject to study, but I always wondered how going back to school would affect a career in media. However, from reading these posts, I feel as though I've made a good decision, working for a few years before considering the master's. You may want to do the same thing: get a little bit of real-life work experience first, then see how you feel about it in 2-3 years. |
| DQ102 | Posted – 6/27/2008 4:19:45 PM | show profile | flag this post Don't worry about the masters degree hindering you ability to get entry level work. Honestly, the masters degree won't help you or hinder you. But you do need to get some practical work experience. That'll impress potential employers more than the masters degree, so do some internships in publishing while you are getting your degree. Those internships will give you the experience and the contacts you need to get your foot in the door somewhere. Good luck! |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 6/27/2008 5:24:05 PM | show profile | flag this post I agree! I agree! pursuing an MA, for the purposes stated in this thread is not a good idea. Nobody cares. Nobody once even asked me about my education. and for the record: newspapers pay hourly wage of people who don't even have much college. Example: my friend finished her GED, no college experience, and makes more $ than me. being a talented writer or whatever, is a burden. if you can go to school without paying $ and want to, go for it! you're lucky... |
| epenthesis | Posted – 6/30/2008 5:56:43 PM | show profile | email poster | flag this post Grad school is dangerous. I went straight from college to grad school, thinking I wanted a life in academia, but burned out quickly and left with an MA rather than a PhD. And when I started looking for entry-level editorial jobs, it was apparent before long that my graduate degree was totally valueless--it didn't certify my intellectual ability any more than my BA already did, and it didn't prove that I could do the kind of work that employers needed. In fact, it raised questions about me. Had I tried to get the PhD and failed, or had I gone for the MA without regard to whether I could actually use it? I looked like either a failure or a dilettante. It took me two years to get the most basic of entry-level jobs --administrative; editors wouldn't take a chance on me--and three more to get an editorial job that, with luck, I could have landed right after college. (One of my coworkers at the same level was in fact a recent grad.) I did a lot of mopping floors, answering phones and signing for packages in those five intervening years. Now that I'm more or less established, my MA is a marginal asset--people are impressed that I've got one and count it in my favor. But it absolutely soured the deal when it was at the top of the page. I don't recommend grad school for people who aren't absolutely crystal clear about what they want to do and how another degree will help. If you're torn between two possible careers, why start down a path that even has a chance of messing one of them up? |
| bjeffs | Posted – 6/30/2008 6:48:48 PM | show profile | flag this post I want to thank everyone for responding etc., but as I have registered already so nothing can be done now. I've been looking into it and I think with the type of editorial work that I want to get into (academic publications and literature) and there are a lot of editors that have masters degrees and beyond so I have stopped worrying. As is turns out. I will most likely be an EA next year at an academic publication so I will have a year of that under my belt. |
| instylegirl | Posted – 7/23/2008 7:16:35 PM | show profile | flag this post You know, I find it interesting that people advise people of what a terrible mistake it is to go into debt for school. But what about the lame ducks who get into massive debt trying to live the "American Dream" by moving into some dreadful track home in middle suburbia with a two-door garage and a couple of gas guzzlers to fill them with. Let's not forget the boats, trips around the world and any other material goods or activities to keep up with the Jones's. So I will chime in with my dime on the topic. A student loan is about the safest, low-interest loan around and I always advise people to learn as much as you can IN and OUT of school. There are a grip of people drowning from debt, loosing homes, loosing a car to repo, etc. Your education can't be taken from you, plus, if you are smart, get your bachelors, work in the industry for a couple of years, and while others are trying hard to get up that corporate ladder, go back to grad school, freelance while there, save some of the loan money and come out with a masters and and a grip of clips from the freelance work you got while in grad school. At that point you are a professional writer with a masters and clips. On top of it there are so many ways to defer payment and when you hit it big (or at least feel financially secure) make your payments. After all, when times hit hard there is a thing called a deferment ... can't get that with a mortgage or auto loan. No, school doesn't guarantee a job, but have we forgot about KNOWLEDGE, that is important too. This is why the US is so far behind education wise when people are so quick to say, "Why go back to school?" To learn Einstein, that's why. Just my opinion. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/23/2008 7:39:05 PM | show profile | flag this post --No, school doesn't guarantee a job, but have we forgot about KNOWLEDGE, that is important too. This is why the US is so far behind education wise when people are so quick to say, "Why go back to school?" To learn Einstein, that's why.-- That's true. At the same time, most people want to know if the time and effort they put into getting a master's degree will be valued in the workplace. And the odds are a master's in literature probably won't translate into any particular benefit in the publishing or magazine world. |
| ManhattanMatt | Posted – 7/24/2008 1:46:23 AM | show profile | flag this post Or any other world, for that matter. |
| detour_memphis | Posted – 7/24/2008 11:44:00 AM | show profile | flag this post Amen ....live and learn |
| Anne Any Mouse | Posted – 7/24/2008 12:25:49 PM | show profile | flag this post the biggest concern for an employer has already been covered - a BA with 1-2 years of real work experience will trump a fresh MA with no work experience due to the expected salary requirements of an MA being higher. **And, if you were applying for a job as an entry-level editorial assistant, which is what you would be without publishing experience, I would be reluctant to hire you because you would probably want a better salary than I could give. I would work first, then go to grad school at night. ** |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 7/24/2008 1:20:03 PM | show profile | flag this post why not do both? I don't think anyone here has mentioned that a lot of publishers have tuition reimbursement programs. Since you're going to have an EA job at a journal, maybe do one year full time and get that job experience, then in your second year try to get a job at a book publisher and continue school part time. Usually you have to work one year at a co. before they'll start paying for school, and there may be limits on how much $$ they'll give you, but it'll kill three birds with one stone: reduce your debt, let you continue with your degree, and get your foot in the door in your chosen career without wasting time. I earned almost my entire MA degree on my employer's dime. And by the time I was near the end, I quit to finish up my last year and thesis full time while starting my freelance career. |
| alexishauk | Posted – 7/24/2008 5:39:24 PM | show profile | flag this post Do what will make you happy I think what a lot of people are forgetting on this conference is how in demand people are who are INTERESTING, have a variety of experiences, and love what they do--people who not only have experience writing and editing but also traveling or who have a particular field of experise in something like, oh, literature. Don't feel discouraged, or don't talk yourself out of pursuing a degree in something that interests you. Peoples' careers change all the time. I currently have a professor in the publishing program I'm in who got a master's in divinity at Harvard--and now he's a freelance writer on business ethics. Rather than making choices based on how they'll affect you in the future, make choices based on what feels right now. (Of course, international master's programs are much, much cheaper-- as are in-state programs)... So go for it if you really want to immerse yourself in the subject! Don't let others tell you what to do with your life (not even me)... Listen to your instincts. Don't worry too much. I have learned that most of the things I regretted most over the years were all decisions I made out of fear. =) |
| beenthere | Posted – 7/24/2008 6:10:40 PM | show profile | flag this post The title of this post is question whether an MA will hinder career goals. That is why most opinions are in the negative of pursuing a degree as a means to employment. ***I think what a lot of people are forgetting on this conference is how in demand people are who are INTERESTING, have a variety of experiences, and love what they do--people who not only have experience writing and editing but also traveling or who have a particular field of experise in something like, oh, literature.*** Actually that is not entirely true. Generally if you do not have the exact experience an employer wants, you are not hireable. They want to see that you have knowledge-based experience in a particular topic, not wide ranging hobbies. Job descriptions are specific--and if you don't fit the criteria, you won't get the interview. Unfortunately, learning and becoming employable are two separate goals. |
| Blossom | Posted – 8/5/2008 6:26:13 PM | show profile | flag this post 2 thoughts, second more important It may be true that employers shy away from "overqualified" applicants (those with advanced degrees) applying for entry-level positions. I've seen that happen. But in that situation, you don't have to mention your MA. More important than job opportunity is life enhancement. You love literature. You're excited about grad school. It won't cost you. You will get experience and broaden your knowledge and your concept of self. I say GO TO SCHOOL. Enjoy it, learn, get experience. Grow yourself. Life isn't only about a paycheck. |
| Bleak Spouse | Posted – 8/6/2008 1:02:36 AM | show profile | flag this post It shouldn't help or hinder your career. I think your time spent in grad school will likely be more enjoyable than any editorial job you end up with. At least that's the way it was for me. So if you have a free ride, I'd do it. The only downside is you'll be starting your career a couple years later so there will be people with less education further along in their careers than you. But school is a much more worthwhile thing to do with your time than any job. And life is short. |
