Lauren Friese, founder and president of TalentEgg Inc. The company’s online career hub, TalentEgg.ca, focuses on students and new graduates.

Lauren Friese, founder and president of TalentEgg Inc. The company’s online career hub, TalentEgg.ca, focuses on students and new graduates.

TalentEgg.ca's Lauren Friese and RECSOLU's Jeremy O'Krafka joined in on a Facebook Forum discussion on this issue.

I'm about to graduate (or have recently graduated) and I'm facing the worst job market in decades. I think I'll just ride it out in grad school.

Good idea?

Not necessarily, say many career experts.

"Students are wrong in assuming that a masters will help them get a job in the current environment," says Lauren Friese, head of TalentEgg.ca, a career website for students and new grads.

But, she adds, "Grad school is fantastic if you know what you want to do and a grad degree will help you get there."

While enrolment in postsecondary institutions is spiking as the recession drives many to boost their credentials, experts caution undergrads against leaping into grad school out of fear and without knowing why they're going.

"It's a stay of execution," says Sharon Irwin-Foulon, director of career management at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Once you get your masters degree, you'll be facing prospective employers who "don't want to hear you were waiting out the economy; they want to hear it was part of a grander plan."

Work experience

"The only students who should be considering grad school should be ones who would be considering grad school in other economic climates," says Jeremy O'Krafka, vice-president, Canada, for RECSOLU, who helps employers with campus recruitment and internship programs.

Previously, students and grads had "tunnel vision" in looking for traditional entry-level jobs in larger corporations. In a marketplace where these opportunities have shrunk considerably, they need to think more creatively, he says, suggesting things like unpaid internships at smaller businesses, travel, or other experiential learning.

TalentEgg's Ms. Friese suggests people look at a variety of ways to get work experience: co-op placements while doing an undergraduate degree, volunteering or unpaid internships, "modern-day" apprenticeships where grads seek to pair up with experienced staff in organizations, going abroad to build life experiences and have exemplary stories to tell in job interviews.

"A lot of students say they can't afford unpaid internships," she says. But they should bear in mind not only the cost of a graduate degree but also the opportunities they might lose from not gaining work experience.

Job seekers with a graduate degree also run the risk of being seen as being overqualified for entry level positions, says Ms. Friese. Employers may "see the person as more expensive," she says. Or, that they have "higher expectations in the workplace."

"Students need to see internships and volunteer work as an investment," she says. "Interning and unpaid work is a great way to figure out what want to do." It also shows a prospective employer your interest and drive in your field of interest, she adds.

"One of the things I have observed is that it's very hard to know exactly what it is you want to do when you graduate if you don't have the opportunity to explore the options in a more detailed way," adds Wendy Cukier, Associate Dean, academic, at the Ted Rogers School of management at Ryerson University, who had a masters degree in medieval and Renaissance history and had started a PhD when she got a $100-a-week government job that exposed her to a huge range of career opportunities. She ended up going back to school and doing an MBA, and later a PhD in management science.

Personal brand

What about the idea that a masters can differentiate you from people who only have a BA?

"As your career progresses, a masters degree does help you advance your career. For a brand new graduate, it's better to get experience in your field first," says Anne Markey, executive director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers, noting that "if you want to go to professional school - for instance to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher - perhaps that does make sense to go to graduate school immediately." Still, she adds, "most professional schools would value [work or life] experience on your application."

And for recent grads who are frustrated at not getting their dream job and think that a graduate degree will land it for them, they need to do some serious self-assessment, says Ryerson's Dr. Cukier.

"Graduates have to do a really tough assessment of their skills and abilities and understand whether they're not getting the job because of their [lack of] credentials or because of a skills gap." For instance, she suggests students assess their maturity, interpersonal skills and communication skills - soft skills that are crucial in the workplace. Or, she suggests students who are new Canadians or for whom English is a second language would get more out of work experience and working on the language or other skills they may be missing, than getting another degree.

"What we see is success in the business world is as much dependent on your interpersonal skills, your EQ - Emotional Quotient - or your ability to build relationships as what you learn in books. Being a well-rounded person requires having a well-rounded background that includes school, work, volunteering and a social life."

Don't panic

"It would be a mistake to suggest that one route is better or worse than another," says Dr. Cukier. Whether or not to go to grad school "depends on the discipline, on your financial circumstances, your background, your career aspirations. It really is important for someone who is in that position to weigh the various pros and cons."

She adds: "There really isn't any right or wrong choice. If you go in one direction and aren't happy, you have huge opportunities to shift course."

As people mull their options, Ms. Friese reminds them not to panic: "Don't forget, boomers are retiring and there will be labour shortages in the next five to 10 years." There will be opportunities for people, especially if they position themselves correctly now, she says.

TalentEgg.ca's Lauren Friese and RECSOLU's Jeremy O'Krafka joined in on a Facebook Forum discussion on this issue.

Lauren Friese is founder and president of TalentEgg Inc. The company's online career hub, TalentEgg.ca, focuses on students and new graduates. Ms. Friese is a graduate of Queen's University and holds an MSc in economic history from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Jeremy O'Krafka is vice-president, Canada, for RECSOLU, who helps employers with campus recruitment and internship programs. Previously, he was the national manager of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers, and managing editor of Career Options Magazine.

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