Masters Degree Hindering Job Prospects?

moonshinerocks

A friend of mine mentioned that she tried taking her Masters off her CV and suddenly she started getting more interviews. Also, I overheard an employer on the train saying that he would be reluctant to hire people with postgraduate qualifications for entry level/ lower paid jobs as they are likely to stick it for a month or two and then move on when they get a better offer. Has anybody got any experience of this kind of thing? I have an MA in Sociology but work experience in administration (I know, should have picked a better Masters with actual job prospects!) and I hope it is not putting potential employers off.

Red Alert

Unfortunately this attitude prevails among a lot of employers. They don't realize that they are missing out on valuable transferable skills that people pick up over the course of postgraduate degrees. It may be also a reverse-snobbery on the part of "recruitment consultants".

tinnuvial

They are worried you will be bored and also that since you went to the bother of getting a masters in a subject it seems obvious you would want to work in that field. If you don't, you need to make that clear on your CV. I've found a few employers in this country that almost have a set against people with more than a Bachelors. Especially if they never went to college themselves. One employer asked me if I wouldn't have been better off not bothering with the education stuff and had just gotten a job out of school. Alright for him, he had a family business to walk right into.

starlit

I didn't realise that doing a post graduate course whether it be a Higher Diploma, Graduate Diploma or a Master's be looked down on by prospective employers? Sure the whole purpose of doing one is to gain more skills and experience in a subject area in order to be more employable! I had been unemployed for six months after my degree and just happened to get a job around then. Although it wasn't to be, my contract wasn't extended due to not extending temporary contracts and not hiring any more people externaly any more within that company, so was let go. Did some voluntary work last summer, couldn't find work so decided to go back to college to do a Higher Diploma course cause it was getting so difficult to find work again. It was better doing that course than sitting around doing nothing! It kept me going for the year and got to learn something new to add to my degree. Hoping to do a few professional courses and then do a Masters maybe a PHd or just find work abroad if I have to its pointless, no matter what qualification even with good and valuable work experience behind you, employers don't want to hear of it! It's a pain and I am sick of it!

Mr. Loverman

It depends on what sort of job you're looking for. My M.Sc (and my soon to be gotten PgCert) are related to my career so they help me...

I would be of the opinion that someone with an MA probably won't want to be working as a receptionist for very long, so personally I would not hire them.

starlit

I have an Ordinary and Honours BA in Information Systems Management and a Higher Diploma in Applied Computing Technology and hope to do a Masters in Computing or Interactive Multimedia. The courses would overlap a bit but some similar and new stuff I learnt from my Hdip which I thought would enhance what I learnt from my Degree. I felt my degree and h dip would complement each other in the hope of me being more employable.

Mr. Loverman

snuggles285 wrote: »

I have an Ordinary and Honours BA in Information Systems Management and a Higher Diploma in Applied Computing Technology and hope to do a Masters in Computing or Interactive Multimedia. The courses would overlap a bit but some similar and new stuff I learnt from my Hdip which I thought would enhance what I learnt from my Degree. I felt my degree and h dip would complement each other in the hope of me being more employable.

Yeah in IT qualifications are a good thing. My only concern would be the fact that "Interactive Media" is a bit of a fluffy subject. What are you hoping to work as?

Btw I'm a bit old school (I like my degrees to be non fancy sounding, you know... pure maths, pure computer science, etc.... so my opinion may be a bit dated. )

starlit

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Yeah in IT qualifications are a good thing. My only concern would be the fact that "Interactive Media" is a bit of a fluffy subject. What are you hoping to work as?

Btw I'm a bit old school (I like my degrees to be old school... pure maths, pure computer science... so my opinion may be a bit dated. )

I am a bit undecided yet whether to go for a standard or a specialised computing masters or to do the interactive multimedia one.
Yes, I see what you mean that interactive multimedia is a bit of a fluffy subject. A lot of the multimedia masters vary from colleges and uni's though.

I am hoping to go down the Technical Support route/network and security or web design/web programming/web content management. I'm a bit afraid to go down the software development road cause of the Java and engineering/maths would put me off. My degree area was in business informatics while my h dip is in the area of computer science.

Ya I see what you mean, by degree being old school, that you prefer them specific yet kinda broad and pure in either the computer science or maths sense of things.

starlit

I had done Interactive Multimedia as a module in 3rd and 4th year of my degree and did multimedia in my h dip course so have a fair idea what the interactive multimedia masters might entail. Still two minds about whether to go down the multimedia or computing route?

tenchi-fan

I was applying for an admin job through an employer's website.

One of the first questions was "education level.. leaving, degree, masters"
I ticked "masters" and it said "we do not have any suitable vacancies at this time"

I hit the back button and chose degree and proceeded with the application. I skewed the dates on my cv to make my 3 year degree look like a 4 year degree and fortunately they did not notice.

I stayed in the job 3 years. leaving next month.

Manach

For IT related MSc, it seems to be have been a plus (my experience) - adding a little bit of polish to a CV.

gollem_1975

snuggles285 wrote: »

I had done Interactive Multimedia as a module in 3rd and 4th year of my degree and did multimedia in my h dip course so have a fair idea what the interactive multimedia masters might entail. Still two minds about whether to go down the multimedia or computing route?

assuming that you are of average ability (by that I mean getting 2nd class honours in your undergrads) if I was you i'd look at getting onto the webactivate program or WPP.

this will leave you in a better position with regards to getting employment than a one year masters in interactive media (unless you are super-talented and get a job with the college running the course!)

R.D. aka MR.D

Well my story is that I was including my education on my cv and being truthfull about it.

Then I went to my fas registration appointment and they told me to leave it all off. What I did was minimalise it. Just name of college very basic name of the course and result. Did the same with my postgrad.

I started to get more interviews with my new cv but actually got the job I am in now from the old cv.

So in summary, I have no flipping idea!!!!!!!

Bluetonic

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Well my story is that I was including my education on my cv and being truthfull about it.

Then I went to my fas registration appointment and they told me to leave it all off. What I did was minimalise it. Just name of college very basic name of the course and result. Did the same with my postgrad.

I started to get more interviews with my new cv but actually got the job I am in now from the old cv.

So in summary, I have no flipping idea!!!!!!!

alex73

moonshinerocks wrote: »

A friend of mine mentioned that she tried taking her Masters off her CV and suddenly she started getting more interviews. Also, I overheard an employer on the train saying that he would be reluctant to hire people with postgraduate qualifications for entry level/ lower paid jobs as they are likely to stick it for a month or two and then move on when they get a better offer. Has anybody got any experience of this kind of thing? I have an MA in Sociology but work experience in administration (I know, should have picked a better Masters with actual job prospects!) and I hope it is not putting potential employers off.

You have to "Dumb" down your CV to match each job Application. You need to have the "right" qualifications. Main thing is to get in the door to the interview..Too many people have a standard CV they send without doing their homework for each job application.

For the years you did the masters put... Job experience at the university in the area of your masters... then explain if they ask in the interview..

Don't lie.. but you need to adjust your CV to get in the door. Once they meet you they may see the candidate you are and consider you.

Often times over experienced candidates get rejected because employers think they will demand high wages or not fit with current team.

pow wow

I take my MA off my cv about 75% of the time, unless the job is related to the subject I did and then I put it on. I worked the whole time I did it so there are no gaps on my cv because of it.

I think the same, employers must think I'm biding my time if the job is totally unrelated to what I studied. So far so good

alex73

pow wow wrote: »

I take my MA off my cv about 75% of the time, unless the job is related to the subject I did and then I put it on. I worked the whole time I did it so there are no gaps on my cv because of it.

I think the same, employers must think I'm biding my time if the job is totally unrelated to what I studied. So far so good

Exactly!

genericguy

Red Alert wrote: »

It may be also a reverse-snobbery on the part of "recruitment consultants".

man, recruitment consultants don't have an obligation to the public at all, they work for the companies that pay them to find staff - they just go off and find the people best matching the requirements the company gives them. in this climate nobody cares about transferable skills if they can get someone with solid experience.