Should I get a new job or apply to grad school?
Applying to grad school and changing jobs require conflicting timelines. Starting a new position while waiting for admissions means you might have to quit and move after only a few months. However, delaying a job hunt forces you to remain stuck in a current role where your skills have already plateaued.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Seeking short-term contract or seasonal work with a firm end date.Did this help you?
- 2Applying to a feeder program that doesn't require standardized testing while simultaneously job hunting.Did this help you?
- 3Skip the master's degree and go straight into the workforce to gain real-world experience.Did this help you?
- 4Pursue a CPA license instead of a master's degree to fulfill requirements.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I already am well aware that a master’s degree is important for public accounting, which complicates my future after graduation, considering my parents do not want to pay for a 5th year of college.”source ↗
“I want to know if a master’s degree is still better for my career even though I am not going into public accounting straight out of college.”source ↗
“I feel like I’ve plateaued in terms of skills I’m gaining from this job.”source ↗
“I have three goals I want to accomplish soon: get my masters in public policy, and get a new job with more responsibilities. I’m having trouble figuring out which to prioritize however.”source ↗
“The problem with that is I don’t want to stay at my current job that long. Should I look for a new job and potentially move, even if it would be for less than two years? Should I try to cram for the GRE and apply for schools now?”source ↗
“If I started a new job in January and got admitted to my program, I’d have maybe 7 months there max before I have to move for grad school.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Should I take a higher-paying job if money is going to be tight?
- 2Should I still do internships after getting a full-time job offer?
- 8Is getting an EdD actually worth the time and money?
- 24How to choose between job offers when you have a baby on the way
- 2Should I take a lateral job offer?
- 8Is a massive pay cut for startup equity worth it?