According to a recent article in USA Today graduate school applications are commonplace when the economy is not doing well. A recent study showed that “the number of applications to U.S. graduate schools grew 8.3% from 2008 to 2009”.
More students are taking the GRE and it is estimated that this year might set record highs. Here’s an excerpt from the USA Today article discussing this trend.
Concern about the job market — and wanting to put off paying back student loans — were major factors for University of California-Davis senior Daniel Yeshiwas, who says he changed his plans to work for a few years before attending graduate school. He plans to apply for fall 2011.
“I don’t really know exactly what I want to do yet, but going to graduate school, it’s still moving me towards a career, and it’s something to further put off that question of what I’m gonna do for the rest of my life,” says Yeshiwas.
Grad school is a great investment in yourself. It does help you stand out and can also open up job opportunities that bachelor’s degrees don’t always provide. However a word of caution for current college students considering graduate school in the same viewpoint as Daniel. I have seen many people choose to go to graduate school for this reason. They don’t have any idea of what they want to do after four years of college. They don’t want that pressure of what are they going to do for the rest of their lives, and sometimes the are just intimated by the job market.
But here’s the problem… Some young college grads make the decision to go to graduate school, without knowing what they really want to do. Because of this they end up working in the workforce in a job they hate. Not only are they upset about a job they dread, but that they wasted all their education on a career path that wasn’t suited for them. Unfortunately this is a very common problem that we see with many of our coaching clients.
In a recent AJC article, Colleges: Freshmen looking for career advice now, they discuss a recent trend among college freshman getting a jumpstart on their career search. More freshmen are going to their career centers and are paying attention to what job they want after college.
Here’s an excerpt:
College is expensive and difficult … probably the largest single investment that our students will ever make,” said John Kniering, career services director the University of Hartford. “It seems natural that freshman year is not too to start…
Freshmen who are concerned by the nation’s 9.6 percent unemployment rate and the prospect of repaying college loans don’t want to squander tuition money on irrelevant coursework.
Trying to figure out what you want to do while you are in college and before grad school / employment is a very smart decision. This is an optimal time to find the ideal career path for you!
We offer career assessments and coaching sessions designed to help college students identify a career path that fits them. Contact us for a complimentary consultation
Here’s to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coaching
