Is there such thing as too educated?

05Sep08

I stumbled across this article today in a bought of procrastination: Too Educated for Entry Level? Quite honestly, it left me feeling a bit uneasy. 

As my story goes…I have a BA in Environmental Studies, am proficient in Spanish, have experience living abroad, was awarded a leadership scholarship for implementing an environmental education program in a high school in rural Costa Rica, tutored ESL at the jail, worked with school children at the Seattle Aquarium, have management experience as well as administrative experience (about three years) and cannot find a job (the kind with benefits where you actually get paid) in my field. I’ve been interviewed, second interviewed….and ultimately declared it impossible. 

I’ve applied a few times with an Environmental Consulting firm downtown. I’ve read up on their projects, met the people their, heard about them from friends at other firms, and would really love to work with them. Still. I think its the sort of job I can “grow into” – which is exactly what I am looking for. 

After my last round of interviews with them, where I was one of three finalists and they did not make me the offer, I met with one of my interviewers. We had a nice meeting over coffee and said something to the effect of: “you are really great…really great in a pool of 90 candidates…I know you don’t want to hear, “hey you almost got it” but unfortunately thats the case. We made the offer to a candidate with a master’s degree and internship experience with one of our clients.”

Wow.

We had a great meeting nonetheless and he really encouraged me to continue my education. The environmental job market is just too competitive in Seattle without a master’s degree. Honestly, 90 applicants? For entry level consulting?

Right now I work on campus, which allows me up to six credits of free tuition a year. I was just accepted as a Graduate Non-Matriculated student, and am working on getting into the first real class that will go towards my degree in the event that I am accepted to the program when I apply come January. 

All that said (and man, that was a lot… you still with me here?) this article was like hitting a brick wall. Not that its going to derail me from going to graduate school and getting my masters – its just, so the opposite of anything I have heard so far. 

A few key points and my commentary:

“I can say there is some real truth to having a master’s or above hurting you in the job search — but only if you have less than three to five years’ experience,” said Kate Warren, a recruiter in the international development industry.

I suppose this is comforting since I will have a good five years experience under my belt by the time I have completed my degree – but not in my field. Which is the real catch 22 for me…

Warren said that many of her clients frown upon hiring candidates with graduate degrees for junior-level positions. “Those with the graduate degrees always expected higher compensation and had a higher sense of entitlement to the kind of projects and level of work they should be doing. Most of the junior-level positions tend to be very administrative — thus the day-to-day tasks do not require a master’s degree to perform well, but rather an organized, motivated individual.”

In some cases, it comes down to money. “Why hire a grad student for 40K-plus when you can hire a recent undergrad for 30K?” Warren said.

I’ll tell you why! Because the 40k grad student is going to stick around and the 30k with a BA/BS might go back to school so they have more earning potential. 

“And it goes beyond just the salary. The recent undergrads actually tend to perform better, and stay in their job longer, than the master’s holders will. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally the B.A.-level employee will be much more eager to tackle the admin-level tasks . . . often required in this level of position. Generally speaking, master’s students come in with a somewhat inflated sense of abilities or just end up generally frustrated with the ‘mundane’ tasks they are asked to do.”

As someone with a BA and an admin-based job, I can tell you that I will do the “mundane” tasks with a smile, but I think I am above this. Whats worse, there is no end to the mundane road I am on…its mundane for miles. I think I’d feel like it was more of a stepping stone if I had my MA…

Here, Warren also sees a case for working a few years before pursuing a graduate degree. “If you go straight from undergrad to grad, you will be competing for jobs with recent undergrads — jobs [in] which your master’s will give you no edge and could actually be to your detriment.”

However, she said, people who take entry-level jobs out of college, work their way up and then head back to school will find that their graduate degree will be more valued.

Sure…if you can get the job in the first place. 

Did anyone else come across this article today? Whats the word?

Filed under: career, goals, graduate school, working   |  5 Comments