Now I am the Master
When and why you should go for a Master's degree?
I think you may already know this, let me say it again for the ones who might be here for the first time - I am not a postgraduate. The only degree that I have is a Bachelor's in Technology. Has it stopped me from achieving all that I have wanted to? Absolutely not. Could it have? If I had been a different person or had different goals, very possibly. A Master's degree has its own value, and before taking the plunge, you should understand whether you really need it or not.
go for a Master's when you
want to settle in foreign countries
Getting a postgraduate degree is the best way of settling in a foreign country. And the most popular destinations happen to be the European and American countries. So if you want to settle in some foreign land and you want it now, go get your master's degree from that country and those doors will open up for you.want to work in research-heavy fields
To get a foot in the door of fields like AI or security, you at least need a Master's degree, preferably a Ph.D. If research is what you want to pursue, post-graduation often is a necessity.want to become an expert in your field
You want to solidify your learning but more importantly, you are ready for the rigorous study regime of a postgrad degree, do not hold back and go for it.are not internally motivated
The lack of a Master's degree on my profile never bothered me or my growth because I have always been motivated to learn and put in efforts for the same. If you are not that person, but you want to learn, grow and get a good job, pursuing a postgraduate degree would really help you. The deadlines ensure that there is no procrastination and you do put in the work.have enough money to spare
You want to experience the culture and lifestyle of a foreign country and money is not a worry. Go for the degree and live your life!
don't go for a Masters degree when you
plan to do it for promotions or placements
If you are hardworking enough, you will get promotions, you will get placements, Masters or no Masters.think you need an MBA
Engineering ho gya? Beta, MBA kar lo.
If you are a real good coder, do not opt for an MBA immediately after engineering. Even if you really want it, you can take an executive MBA degree later on. Put your coding skills into the industry and witness your career trajectory shoot upwards. Agar tech h tagda, MBA kyu h ragda!see some old CEOs or managers have those degrees
Understand one thing. Satya Nadella earned his Bachelor's degree in 1988 and Master's in1990. 30 years have passed since then. The job market has completely changed. The timeline has completely changed. So just because that CEO or that manager has the degree, you do not need it. Today, all that matters in any good company is the quality of your work. If you have that, no degree can ever stop you.want the US salary
Yes, you can earn what seems to be a very huge sum in INR in the USA. But if this is the only reason for pursuing a postgraduate degree, do look up something called Purchasing Power Parity before you take the decision.want to please people
Please do not go for a Master's degree because your parents want you to. Do what you are passionate about and do it wholeheartedly. Yes, they may be temporarily angry or upset, but when the success will show up and the bank balance will get higher, everyone will be happy.
some common gyaan
Whenever I use the term Masters or postgraduate in this issue, I mean the degrees provided by good foreign universities or by the top Indian colleges. Everything else, especially the postgraduate degrees provided by Indian universities, is a sheer waste of time and money. They do not add any value to one's profile.
If you happen to get a chance to go to an Ivy League or another college of that stature and brand, do go for it. The brand value and the networking opportunities are something that you just cannot miss out on. Other than this, everything really boils down to how hard you can work. If you have resilience, you will get through all your goals and dreams.
till next time
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Tanay, great piece. Especially appreciated the common gyaan section. Often people have half-understanding due to the author being distant from the immediate problems of juniors and they assume things on their own, however, the section after the main text clears up any possible misconceptions. Another thing I want to add is that the Indian tech scene is very different compared to just 10 years ago (including salaries). Plus, one should know that for any first generation person to shift abroad, life takes a different turn after a certain age where you are constantly worried of your parents while building your own family. I've seen a post where the happiness levels of such people were significantly lower in their 40s and 50s compared to their 20s and 30s (honeymoon period of moving abroad)
Still the cost of 50 lacs and the hanging visa sword , plus staying away from our folks like a secondary citizen with very less chances of return does not excite me.