Is a Masters worth it?/being a research assistant?

anewman

I graduated with a first in Psychology from The University of Huddersfield. I have applied and been accepted on the Psychological Approaches to Health Masters part time at Leeds. I have had to apply for a CDL as I am currently unemployed.

So what I'm really interested in - does doing a masters in itself get you better bargaining power with your basic jobs (than just being unemployed)? Does having done a Masters increase your chance of a skilled job at the end of it? (I am aware there are differences in terms of the subject you do in terms of how employable you become.) Are the fees (around £3200) justified in respect with any increase in employability?

I am looking at being a research assistant in psychology - have applied for numerous jobs but only managed to get 3 interviews which went very poor. Other thing that concerns me about this field is job security seems to be rather poor - contracts generally run for the expected length of the research project. So this can be anything between 2 months to 3 years - I guess this would make it difficult to get a mortgage. I am also concerned that I may be unable to find employment and pay off my CDL.

woohoo_postingid

I've just finished an MSc which I really enjoyed. I started the course 5 years after finishing my BA and am really glad I worked in between.
Because I was going for a career/life change then I really put everything into it and have really achieved lots.
It also gave me a chance to pay off some of my original debts and save up the course fees for the Masters rather than just getting even further into debt.
My advice would be to either work for a while between starting the Masters (like I did) or do it part-time whilst working. Obviously this is your decision so you must do what you want.
With regards to employment, I can't really say. Completing the MSc has helped to get me a good job which I couldn't have got before but bear in mind that I studied something new and I had no experience in the field previously. In your field of work, I don't know I'm afraid.

Hope this helps

Eoin_McLove

Given that you want to work in a research post, a Masters is definitely worthwhile, and will certainly put you ahead of other candidates, particularly since you achieved a First for your BSc. https://www.prospects.ac.uk has some statistics on postgraduate vs. graduate earnings, and if I remember rightly, on average, postgraduates' starting salaries tend to be slightly higher than those of graduates.

In my experience, having done my MA this year has certainly impressed my interviewers (chartered accountancy). Without doubt, it gives you a significant edge over other candidates. Unfortunately, any plum can get a degree these days (although fortunately the people who really don't deserve to go to university attend the institutions which reputable employers will laugh at), so I think it's important to try to stand out; obviously this can be done in other ways, but a postgraduate degree says a lot about you. Personally, I did my MA primarily because I was very interested in the subject, and had plans to do a PhD afterwards, but also because I really didn't want to leave university with just a BA, which practically everyone else in the country has. I didn't really do it knowing that it would improve my career prospects, but I certainly feel, as I said, that my MA was highly-regarded by all of my interviewers, and it really, really did make me look a more attractive prospect than other candidates with their bog-standard BAs.

This year for my MA, I will have spent a total of around £12,000 in living costs and tuition fees. It's a lot of money, but I certainly think it's worth it. For my career in chartered accountancy, having an MA isn't ultimately going to give me a better salary, but for me it's the personal satisfaction of knowing that I've got two degrees and done something I really enjoyed.

I've also used a CDL to fund my MA. I was very scared when I took it out that I might not get a job in time to start paying it off, and it's obviously a legitimate concern. But remember that, if you haven't found a job, you can let your loan provider know, and they will extend your 'repayment holiday'. Having said that, you can always get an office job or something whilst you look for your dream career.

[Deleted User]

I did a degree in genetics (2:2, graduated 2001) and decided I wanted to enter the (over-hyped) field of computational biology. I did an MSc in Biosystems and informatics, then walked into a research assistant job at a good university. After 2 years I was offered a research fellow job title and promptly quit to go get a better paid job in IT in London. Turns out being able to write a genetics database makes you quite employable

Doing research was great. You were master of your own destiny and life was cushy. I worked in a well funded department, had the nicest office I could have imagined (fridge, stereo, 'graphics workstation' as games machine) but eventually you realise that in research, a PhD is everything.

Now, rather than going into an MSc course you would have to pay for yourself, why not apply for a PhD? You get paid AND if you wuss out after a year, you can often convert into an MPhil.

anewman

ringo_24601 wrote:

Now, rather than going into an MSc course you would have to pay for yourself, why not apply for a PhD? You get paid AND if you wuss out after a year, you can often convert into an MPhil.

Only if you're lucky enough to get funding, which in Social Sciences is difficult as I understand. ESRC funding usually comes in 2 forms, 1+3 awards (masters and phd), and also +3 awards (just the phd). To be considered for the latter you have to have already done a masters course recognised as research training by the ESRC (one of the reasons I chose this particular masters course). I guess the reason for this is they want to be sure you have adequate research skills before jumping into a PhD.

As far as I know a +3 award is easier to get than a 1+3 so thats what I'm hoping for if I do go on to do a Phd.

Snow_Angel

In the current job market for some degrees (and I'm afraid I'm not exactly sure how Psychology sits in this), I think having an MSc will be a help. Obviously at interviews you would have to justify your reasons for doing it.
A friend of mine has finished a degree in marine sciences (2:1), and all the "graduate" jobs he's getting interviews for at the moment, he's finding himself up against people with all the same experience as him PLUS an MSc, simply because the job market in that particular subject is fierce.

grade15

I think that doing a Masters also depends on what univ u did it with..
if its Leeds univ..a well respected univ..also popular and one of the largest..
it hasn't hurt my credentials
but with the fees nowadays..might be a rip off..

Voyager2002

Firstly, you should contact the people who interviewed you for research assistant jobs and get some feedback.

As you mention, being a research assistant does not offer job security. For most people, it is a way to get some practical research skills before doing a PhD, and/or a means of financing a PhD.

Have you applied for ! plus 3 funding? In some ways it is easier to get than the +3 award. And if you intend to have an academic career you will need enormous determination and be willing to face tough competition: virtually any other graduate career is less demanding and better paid.

anewman

Thanks for the replies - unfortunately I have never seen any graduate career opportunities that have particularly appealed to me. Also the recruitment process for graduate opportunities - particularly ones in the civl service - appear to be very in depth in terms of what they do for the selection process - ie. they only want the very best.

Voyager2002

In response to post #9, there will be some opportunities for which you will be the very best! You just need to find opportunities that match your particular skills. After all, you overcame enormous difficulties and came from failure at GCSE standard to getting a first at BSc level! That is a real achievement, and don't forget it! (I respect you for what you have achieved, and I have a PhD.)

As for graduate opportunites not particularly appealing to you, remember that at least they offer reasonable salaries and conditions. For much of the time, they would involve doing the same kind of things that a researcher does, but for lots more money.

I repeat, please get yourself to a carrers adviser, perhaps do something like gradscope that will compare your abilities with the requirements of different careers, and be willing to explore new avenues.

anewman

Not heard of gradscope. I will make an appointment with Leeds Uni careers to which I have never been - apparently as a graduate of a University within Yorkshire I can use any careers guidance service (some scheme called Graduates Yorkshire I think).