Post Graduate Studies
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Choose to post this here cos I think there are more people around my age and who might have a better understanding of what I am trying to say here.
I am 31 this year and I am working in a MNC in a Junior Management position. The pay is pretty good, the prospects are promising (of cos no such things as certainties). I am in the so called 2nd Generation program which identifies employees with potential for faster progress. My career wish has always been to work in a regional role. This was been taken note of but the bad thing working in some MNCs is that they have offices around the world and they pretty much prefer to employ locals for alot of roles except for middle to senior management roles.
I am 2 years into this company and of course I do not expect myself to progress much faster than I am right now. There are opportunities for me to move into regional roles but I guess I am around 2 grade levels away to stand a chance. According to my observations, these 2 grade levels may take me at least 2-3 more years to attain provided I do not mess up.
Now my dilemma. I have always wanted to further my studies overseas. I never had a chance to study overseas during my university education because it was my parent's money and they could only afford for me to study locally and I am grateful for that.
And so my question is, for those who had taken their Masters or post-graduate's studies,
1. how did you all come to a decision to do that especially those who took full time. Cos it can be a risk to quit the job and go back to studying full time. I do not intend to do it part time cos I never believe I would be able to cope with this job and studies. I do not mind working part time.
2. When do you think we should consider post-graduate studies?
3. What can we expect from post-graduate studies.
Anyone can share any experiences or difficulties after your finish your post-grads etc...
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And ya also how much is expected to spend on top of the course fees
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1) Do u have the money to sustain u thru post grad study?
2) Do u really have the motivation( whatever reasons u may have) to do post grad?
3) Do u have a good performance record in ur company?
If yes for all above, go ahead to do post grad, cos u will most likely get back ur job and with better future prospect.
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Originally posted by Mostwanted5125:
1) Do u have the money to sustain u thru post grad study?
2) Do u really have the motivation( whatever reasons u may have) to do post grad?
3) Do u have a good performance record in ur company?
If yes for all above, go ahead to do post grad, cos u will most likely get back ur job and with better future prospect.
In terms of finances, I gather I should have enough although after the 1st semester, I can work part time as some of my friends suggested to get the feel of how it is like as a MBA student first before working.
The motivation I have to do post grad is an opportunity to do it overseas and also I like the challenge of studying again.
In terms of performance, I guess I have a pretty good record. But a post grad course requires around 14-20 months, there are no guarantees they will take me back by the time I finish. But having said that, as we have offices in Australia too, I can apply for internship during my studies there so that might help.
But well I am in the phase of considering, it may take me another year or more before I will commit myself to it..
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have u asked ur current company if they do sponsorship?
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Originally posted by gasband:
In terms of finances, I gather I should have enough although after the 1st semester, I can work part time as some of my friends suggested to get the feel of how it is like as a MBA student first before working.
The motivation I have to do post grad is an opportunity to do it overseas and also I like the challenge of studying again.
In terms of performance, I guess I have a pretty good record. But a post grad course requires around 14-20 months, there are no guarantees they will take me back by the time I finish. But having said that, as we have offices in Australia too, I can apply for internship during my studies there so that might help.
But well I am in the phase of considering, it may take me another year or more before I will commit myself to it..
Judging from ur reply, u already know the answer urself. U would like to give it a try dont u?
31 is actually still young. So go and test ur capability when u are still young!
Anyway, the economy is bad nowadays, why not take the chance to study for a few years? Maybe economy is better then and arm with ur more superior qualification and ur job experience, u can even soar higher!
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i dun think my company got such sponsors....
I dun think I can do it within this one year...as my father passed away this year, so I dun wanna leave my mother alone in Singapore so soon...but i guess its never too soon to start gathering information and opinions for a very important decision kekeke
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You want to do an MBA?
The full-time MBA programme at NUS costs $50K over three semesters.
Linkie: NUS MBA Course fees
I don't know about other unis, but you can ask around.
All I have to say is that where possible, get sponsorship for graduate studies. It costs a pretty penny to pay your own way through. If NUS already charges this much, overseas unis would certainly cost more. Go ask your HR department about whether they sponsor personnel to do full-time postgraduate studies.
In the first place.... why are you considering foreign unis only? Not that it's a bad thing (and foreign exposure will be a good thing), but it's not like our local unis are bad, no?
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just go and study lar...you only live once.
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For Monash, for a MBA its around 28K AUD for 2 years. Plus all the living expenses, I guess it will come up to close to 50K SGD or abit more than that.
Dun get me wrong, I have done some research and yeah our local unis do come up pretty good for MBA ratings but I guess I wanted that overseas exposure..... maybe if I get my regional posting, then maybe i will not yearn so much for that haha.... Maybe i should check with my HR again on this....no harm...
thanks....
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have yet to check UNIMELB's fees
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It would be really good if you're working for a firm that supports postgrad studies. To me, Postgrad studies sometimes are more for interests than to help you to get a good job. You might miss out on many good opportunities in your career progression with your current company if you decide to go overseas to further your study.
If I were you, I would do part-time postgrad studies in Singapore instead. I know you would rather further your study overseas but it's might be at your best interest to keep your job to gain more working experience while studying for your master. Once you have completed your part-time studies then you can decide if the company is where you want to stay. By then, you can negotiate for more pay with your master degree and working experience.
That's just my view anyway.
Good luck on your decision!
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Gasband,
I have taken the route overseas and so far have not looked back. I am presently working in the UK as an engineer and have found the job satisfying and the career path very promising. With regards to your questions:
1. how did you all come to a decision to do that especially those who took full time.
Well, to be honest, the opportunity came up when I did my undergraduate studies in the UK. It was not a difficult choice to make because I know that there are too many graduates in Singapore and the rest of the world so to stand out you really need a Masters Degree, Ph.D or an MBA. I had listen to the advice of some of my seniors at University to do the Ph.D because it will lead to much better opportunities. From experience I can tell you that your salary scale will be much higher than most graduates if you have a postgraduate degree. The minimum requirement in both US and UK now is graduate school because a basic degree is not sufficient to get affiliated with professional organisations.
2. When do you think we should consider post-graduate studies?
When you are still single or have a girlfriend. Post graduate studies is a huge commitment and it would be extremely unfair to your wife if she has to give up her career to spend time with you doing the Post Graduate stuff. Also, you have to be sure of your own ability to perform and do well in your studies and the only way is to have extreme interest in the subject area. This is something you will never learn in Singapore schools (learning was never fun) so it's something that you pick up when you work. You need this strong interest to develop your own ability.
You also need to get some assurance that the subject area that you are pursuing will lead to job opportunities which pay well. In Singapore, the opportunities can be limited because of the goverment's emphasis in certain areas, like Finance and Research. You have to think global because it will push you to work harder and join bigger MNCs and work in their HQs. The only reason why MNCs will have offices in Singapore is because 1) Singaporeans are paid lower than their Western Counterparts and 2) Cheap Talented Workforce is the only thing that attracts foreign investment. I would say at the moment in the UK, renewable energy is the emphasis and there is alot of investments in Wind Farms and cutting gas emissions. So if you are one of those tree hugger types, this is the place for you to work.
3. What can we expect from post-graduate studies.
I feel in the long run you will get better opportunities in Life. It will be more difficult with a basic degree even if you are in a management role in a local MNCs. If you feel that it's absolutely certain that you can earn 12-15K a month in Singapore in the near future, I will recommend you to ditch doing postgraduate studies. Otherwise, give yourself a chance to improve yourself by studying overseas and try to get a decent job in US or UK. There is as much racial discrimination as you think it would be, and as long as you work hard and are assertive and absolute in what you say and do, you can also make it in the western world too.
Hope that helps
Danny
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before you embark on your MBA, please look around..
not to throw cold water but whatever is happening in the world is being taught as "economics".. and is worshipped by economists and gabraments in the world...
it was this same flawed economics which is bringing the world to its knees now...
i've said ad nauseum over and over that this economics cannot hold, where an economy is deemed "successful" if it can produce and consume more and faster than the next guy...
it doesn't take much common sense to know that this cannot hold forever... the world is only starting to learn that.. but gabraments are still resisting pulling their heads out of the sand... even as we speak, there is talk by economists of trying to "make China consume more to kickstart the global economy"
*rant over*
what i'm trying to say is that if you are going for an MBA, you might want to think twice.. because whatever you are learning and whatever is bring taught may be rendered obsolete and proven to be a pile of rubbish soon.. if those who have a vested interest in the status quo (the professors whose rice bowl is economics, economists who know nothing else, and politicians who are in for the quick fix) don't get their way...
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There is a government subsidize of 40% for all part time studies in local university for Singapore citizens.
Assuming, your course fee in NUS is $40000, you only need to pay $24000.
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https://share.nus.edu.sg/registrar/info/gd/GDTuitionCurrent.pdf
tuition fee is 4.5k per year for engineering students.
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for MBAs, try to look towards the US biz schools or some of the European ones eg INSEAD. believe INSEAD has campuses in Asia/Sg?
and typically the average work experience of the incoming class is around 5 years. the minimum i've encountered is about 3 years.
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Thanks for all the comments and opinions, all accepted as part of my consideration. Have been working for the last 6 years after I graduated with a degree, so I thought I would like to give something new a go...most probably I will go and check with my company whether they would have sponsorships etc
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I planning to do some masters degree for fun as part time.... just started work... so looking at Aug next year... hopefully...
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typically for entry into business schools, applicants take an average of 2 years from the time of starting search process to first day of school. something along these lines:
first year: R&D, search for schools, speaking to alumnas, study/prep and take GMAT
between year 1 and 2: do the essays (it can be up to 6-8 per school and you're probably gonna send it to maybe 4-5 schools)
second year: interviews with the admission staff/MBA board; once you have the yes letter, the preps for going into school/moving overseas etc
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Hi gasband,
I am leaving to do my postgrad next yr at Perth UWA. Told u that in the other thread. I am taking sabbatical, but going there with my own $$. Employer offered to subsidise my postgrad but I turned it down cos there was a bond. Jus wanna share with u some stuff cos I think u may be in a similiar situation.
Like u, I was educated totally in sg, and had always yearned to do either a overseas posting, either via studies or work. On the work front, it seems remote thus I decided one day, when I woke up from my bed and did not feel like going to work, that I had to refresh my life. Life is not jus about work and I cannot imagine myself doing what I am doing now for the rest of my life. Thus, I decided to try to open new doors in my life and I think, studying a postgrad in Perth will help to expose me to new lifestyles and new employment opportunities.
I had friends who migrated to Perth and in the year that I am there, I will also be looking forward to the "different" lifestyle and will explore the option of staying in Perth after my postgrad. Thus, I did not want to have the bond. I wish u luck in your pursuits but I feel that since it is your life, you have to live it to the full. We are never in our 30s always, so I want to live my life while I am still young enough to live, but old enough to think.
;)
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oh yeah.. if going abroad, for crying out loud, go out and make friends with the locals...
see what it is like to live like the locals... travel there as much as you can... broaden your horizons, it'll change your view of everything...
it is an education in itself which is more valuable in the long run than the "education paper" you're chasing..
whatever you do, never ever do what i've seen when i was abroad.. clusters of foreign students keeping to themselves and not going or doing anything other than studying... then rushing home (both to their apartments/dorms or flying to their homeland) every chance they got...
they just wasted their time in another country..
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I think it's a huge risk to give up your job to study full-time because we often underestimate the costs of living and other hidden costs. In an economic climate of vast uncertainty, it's better to hold on to your job and study part-time. Afterall, that's what most people do. You just have to bite the bullet for a period of time and you'll reach the end of the finishing line too.
Recently, I was offered the opportunity to explore post-grad education, with a 75% sponsorship from my employer. I thought about it, took an Introductory course for it, and realised that whilst I wanted to do it, I don't think I am ready to do it NOW because I realised how tough it is and I'm just not ready to undergo that at this stage so I'll put it off for now. I just am not ready to put in the hard work that is required and it helps to know others who are already in the program because I get to assess if it's really what I want right now. I have other goals for now, so I shan't bite off more than I can chew.
Before you embark on it, it's best to assess your situation and it's a good thing that you're gathering information now before plunging into it. Only do it when you're sure you can commit yourself to it and have the resources to complete it. It's better to postpone it and do it later than to rush into it now and then have to give it up or defer halfway.
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Hey thanks for all the feedback again.
I think the reason why I wanted to consider going overseas for my postgrad is that what Angelfire mentioned, to get away from the current monotony and also to give myself a chance to see whether there are other "doors". To be honest, the difference is, I am very happy in my current job. I see no reason to leave but yet the struggle I have is that, I am 31 now, If i dun do it now, when. The reason why I am non commital to alot of things including relationships, buying a property etc is precisely I want to have the freedom to leave Singapore anytime but then I cannot wait forever, and I know the longer I wait, the more difficult it will be for me to leave everything here.
I have also talked to my company about it. My boss is candid abt it and said it would be difficult for the company to allow me to go on a 1.5yrs sabbatical leave and promise that there will be a job waiting for me when I am back. They do not mind sponsoring part of my studies locally without any bond but for overseas, the best they can do is to maybe help me get attached for my internship in my AUstralian Offices but whether I can get a job with this company again whether in AUstralia or Singapore, it will be when I finish the studies and I will have to go thru the whole recruitment process again.
So well, yeah I am still considering. THere are many other factors including my mum who is a very important 'sway' factor.
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whatever it is all the best to your endeavors.