Planning your career after grad
school is an important step towards reaching your goals in life. How will the choices
you make about studying abroad impact your career?
Sometimes it is hard for us to plan
a few years forward, but in the case of grad school abroad, you should view it
as a step on the way to something. Gone
are the days of paying $50,000 a year and just going abroad to have fun. If you
can afford it just for the experience or have full funding from other sources –
good for you, though most people cannot afford it (and even those who can
should plan ahead as well – this time in your life will not return), and
therefore should plan how grad school will fit into their career trajectory.
The economy around the globe in
recent years forces us to be very deliberate in our choices regarding study
abroad. If 6-8 years ago, international graduates had a reasonably high chance
of finding a good job in the country where they studied (especially in the
fields of business, engineering and law), since the economic crisis in 2008, it
has become much harder. This is not to
discourage you from trying – there are still many people who are able to find
jobs even now, and graduate school abroad can set you up for career success in
other countries as well, but you must calculate the risk and see
how it will fit into your future career.
There are three main factors that
should be considered when making the decision to attend graduate school abroad
that can impact your career: The field of study, the target country and the
school / university that you are targeting.
The field you choose is
important – If you studied a general field for your undergraduate degree and
have several options to choose from for your graduate studies, consider which
fields are currently trending positively in the global market and in your
target country, but also remember to consider how it will be like to go back
home after your studies and find a job in that field (believe it or not – most
people go back to their home country after completing their studies). If you
are completing a specific undergraduate degree (e.g. Engineering, Law, Biology),
look into the situation in your field in the countries you are targeting. Examine
which fields are in high demand in the target country – such as engineering and
nursing in the US are now.
The geography is important – Think
US vs. Europe / Asia in 2007 – it may have been promising to find a job then in
the US, but those who graduated one year later in 2008 in the US faced a big
challenge and may have been better off studying in their region. If you can choose
a field that is transferrable to other countries (including your home country) -
that is best. The goal should be that even if you are not able to find a job in
the country you are studying in, you will go to your country or to another
country and be in a better position than you were before you went to study
abroad (and will be able to repay the loans you will take out to fund your
studies). If there are indications that the markets in the country you are
targeting are on the way down, or that the field you are considering is
unstable, consider postponing your studies for a year to see what happens, or
apply to more than one country / field of study.
The school is important – Seeour post on the ranking of schools. The school you attend is
probably the most important factor in determining your next step after school
and how high you can go quickly. There are exceptions of course, but going to a
leading school (Ivy League in the US, Oxford or Cambridge in the UK etc.) will
make it much easier for you. In many cases, employers will actually come to
look for talent on your campus in these schools, so you will have a direct
opportunity to meet them and impress them. Remember though – the school is only
the way to open more doors for you – you will still need to work hard and prove
yourself when you are already on the job. You won’t be able to ride the “I went
to Harvard” card forever…
So how do I decide?
The combination of these three
factors: The field of study, the target country and the school / university,
should help you make a better decision. Put together a roadmap / flowchart that
will simulate your career outcomes following the choices you make on graduate
school. Start by choosing a field of study and country and then narrow down a
list of schools / programs that could be suitable for you. You can use our
acceptance predictor to narrow down your list of potential
schools. Then, go to the internet to see what the graduates of this school are
doing today, or try to connect with a person who has already studied there (www.gradtrain.com/search) to
understand where it can lead. Read about the situation in your field in the
target countries and in your home country. Repeat the same process for all of
the fields and countries you are considering. Now that you have the full picture,
you can decide if this is the right field to pursue, do you need to do anything
to improve your chances against the known rivals in your dream schools (seeblog on reach, match and safety schools), and perhaps to even consider not travelling
abroad for school at this time until the economic situation abroad improves.
Generally, graduate school abroad
can set you up for academic and career success. This is an experience that will
open your mind and expose you to different cultures and can be a life changer. The
choices you make will have an impact on your career, jobs will depend on it –
whether it be in academia or in the private sector and you will need to spend
large sums of money to fund your studies. Therefore, you should consider these
factors early on to guide you and set you up for success.
Go to www.gradtrain.com to use data tools to
assess your chances of acceptance and find a coach who has been through the
process successfully and can guide you to make the right decision.
