Over 35 percent of undergraduates plan to attend medical, law, business or graduate school immediately following graduation, according to last month’s Herald poll. About one-fourth of current students — 23.9 percent — indicated they plan to take up jobs after graduation, and 7.6 percent indicated they would be participating in service programs such as Teach for America and the Peace Corps. More than one-fourth of undergraduates are still unsure about their plans. This survey forms the basis for my worry even though I have not yet graduated. I will be graduating by the end of this semester with a degree in accounting. This means that I would be able to choose being employed in any institution, which specializes in my line of study. After the graduation, I may also choose to pursue a master’s degree in accounting. This project is about finding the better option between working and going for further studies after the graduation. Both of these options have importance on my life after graduation with the problem of choosing depending on three reasons: my GMAT score of 550, the expiry date of my visa card, which is drawing near and nearer, and only a few major accounting universities open during the spring semesters. All these reasoning serve as the basis for the dilemma between the two options since they favor both of the sides. In order to solve the problem, I would have to consider the magnitude of each option in relation to the three reasons. Masters proves important to me as survey done shows that the average person who holds a master’s degree earns an additional $13,000 per year beyond bachelor’s degree holders. This means that it would be beneficial for me when I consider starting work after master’s degree than start working after the graduation.
However, starting job with a graduate degree also proves equally significant since I would start making ends meet on my own and would take masters degree in the future. This sets the project into listing my career opinions in order to decide whether they pose a brighter future for me. The opinions include analyzing the company, location, requirement, wage, prospects and the disadvantages. The location is important during the evaluation since it is a factor for the efficiency. I would need to consider a choice which will present me efficiency especially in terms of location. The location should present me a condition, which has all the social amenities in addition to being near to the institution I would like to attend. This is because the institution would always need an individual who is near to work as this has direct relation to the productivity of the workers. Further, the right option will be that which offers me a suitable wage, which will support my daily needs. The wage should be able to suit all my needs while also leaving me with some amount for saving. With the entrepreneurial skills I have, I would consider an option, which can allow me to save for the future investment. I would also have to analyze the prospects of the institution in question since this serve in illustrating its quality. I would consider an institution, which is established in the market with a greater command on the potential consumers. A greater command in the market is the important factor that determines the success of a firm in the industry and hence depicting the high salary amount to the workers. Studying the prospects of the firm would also help me in determining the way the management relates to the employees. A successful business depicts that the institution have healthy relationship with the employees. Every individual will always prefer those institution that provide a healthy environment for the workers. The opinion for pursuing the master’s degree includes analyzing the university, location, costs, requirements, time duration, benefits and the disadvantages. This would help me in choosing between the two in accordance with the type of impact that they have.
Introduction
I am a senior student majoring in accounting and due to obtain my graduate degree this semester. This implies that I will be entering a stage in life where I should be responsible for my decisions. After graduation, it is clear that I would have the chance to get employed in any job requiring a graduate degree of which I will be owning. I am seeking direction for my future life after I graduate. I am facing a dilemma in choosing between two options; right now I am torn between finding a job or pursuing a master’s degree. All these serve importantly in my life since I consider my personal earnings as important in supporting my family and the option for going back to China. I reasoned that this could form a platform for me taking my master’s degree in the future, as this would help in paying my fee resolving the issue of the spring semester. However, the other option sets in that I should consider masters degree as the first because it would form a strong platform for me receiving a good job. Of these two, I am still not decided on which one to go with as my date for graduation nears. But I would have to consider the option which will satisfy my dream of becoming a better accountant who can secure job in well established firms.
Purpose of the project
The purpose of my project is to find the better option between working and going for further studies after I graduate. The research question is should I pursue a master’s degree or find a job first?
Encountered Problem
I encountered several problems in the course of choosing between the two options. Firstly, my GMAT score of 550 was not impressive enough to get me the offer I wanted. Had it been a better score, I would have been enrolled for a master’s degree in one of the universities that I desired. Secondly, since I am about to graduate from the undergraduate school, the expiry date of my visa draws nearer and nearer. This gives me a hard time when weighing the few available options I have about what I should do after graduation. It is a limitation to the research process. Thirdly, only a few universities with accounting major remain open during the spring semester. This denies me the chance to get an immediate offer after my graduation with my graduation occurring this spring. I have to consider an option that would influence positively in my life and both of the options have their advantages and the disadvantages.
Opinion of master degree
If I get an offer to study for a master’s degree, it would increase my chances of finding a better job than the one I would get with my first degree. The employers always have a high affinity for the master’s degree graduates because of the high experience and skills they associate to them (the graduates). They base their argument on the assumption that the higher the education level then the higher the yield of an individual. This provides that the master’s graduate will always produce more compared to the bachelor’s graduate. The high production forms the basis for the interviews whereby the employers in the lucrative firms will ensure that they have only employed individuals whom they relate to higher production. The rest of the individuals in the interview will then be chosen through the consideration of other factors. According survey done the average person who holds a master’s degree earns an additional $13,000 per year beyond bachelor’s degree holders. This would mean that if I seek for a job before going for the master’s degree I would have wasted myself with $13,000 per year. This triggers into me the feeling that pursuing master’s degree would influence my life positively.
Opinion of finding a job
There is an option of going back to my home country, China, after graduation. Going back to China would give me the chance to process a new visa card for my stay in USA. However, if I choose the option and go to China, I may find it hard to return to the United States because of the lengthy processing of visa and other documentations. This would mean that I have wasted a lot of time, which I could have used to work for income or pursue master degree. Therefore, unless I get an offer to work or study in the United States, going to China will not be the wisest of choices for me. This implies that working in the US would be the next viable option. However, I would only consider this option if I do not get an offer for a master’s degree. Again, the problem here would be the expiry date of my visa because I would not be enrolled to any learning institution. The US institution would not accept registering me because of not possessing a new visa for replacing the expired one. As my other option, to study for my master’s degree would require a successful application or an offer from a graduate school. I would prefer offers from graduate schools in universities located in California as going to China would prove as an expensive option.
Opinion of Career
Company: PwC, Officially known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC is an international global services firm with headquarters in London and found in 1998, United Kingdom. Besides being one of the members of the ‘Big-4’ accountancy firms, PwC is also the world’s largest professional services firm by revenue. Further, PwC has its offices in about 757 cities across 154 countries and 175,000 employees. This serves as the basis for me considering this firm since the features depicts it as a productive accountancy firm. I would have to choose a firm which will award me the better salary for my work and which is worth my education.
Location: My location is in Beijing, China. Beijing is Chinese capital; it is very similar with New York, which requires an individual to have a high income while the living cost is also high. The city also harbors a large number of populations and possesses convenient public service. This implies that there is no reason for choosing USA over my home country, China as they almost present same opportunities.
Cost: I own an apartment in Beijing making me to eliminate a renting cost when I go back to Beijing. This would serve in increasing the proportion of my income in relation to New York where I pay rent cost. Transportation and food fees are at least 3000 RMB (500 dollars). Insurance cost is about 300 dollars.
Requirement: at least bachelor degree, master English, major in accounting, finance, auditing, economy, and business administration.
Wage: basic wages for undergraduate student are 5500 RMB (900 dollars) per month when you are a new employee in the company and probably have a little bit experience. Being new and having little experience makes it hard to get a chance to do a project. The project is what could help to earn extra money. However, an individual can get to earn the highest wages of over 1000 RMB (1700 dollars) provided he or she gets a chance to do a project at the beginnings.
Prospect: price water house coopers is very famous in the global. If you can always stay there, wages you can get are 45000 RMB (8000 dollars). The wages increases because you had accumulated so much experience and position at an advanced auditor. Staying for more time also helps in earning the trust of the employers Moreover, during this period, many hunters visit you to jump into other companies and promote you to do a manager directly.
Disadvantages: It requires an individual should possess admirable efforts through working hard. If you want to earn extra money, you have to work overtime until 1 am or 2 am on a daily basis. Therefore, this implies that an individual works for more money at the expense of considering his or hers health. Living cost in Beijing is so expensive for an student who are just out of college.
Opinion of going to a graduate school
University: The name of the university is California university- San Diego State University. San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public university in San Diego, California. It is one of the 23 campuses of the California State University System and has its own branch campus in the Imperial Valley.
Location: City of San Diego, California
Cost: Tuition fee is about $11500 per semester. Living cost and other cost are about $10000 per semester.
Requirement: The applicants are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.85, average GPA of candidate is 3.3. While the GMAT requirement average around 70th percentile and Minimum 25th percentile on verbal & quantitative areas.
Time duration: one year
Benefit: Because total required credits of accounting major of undergraduate degree are 120 credits, credits are not satisfied for CPA exam that requires 150 credits to take this exam. Therefore, if I am going to a graduate school, I am able to take CPA exam. If I get a CPA certification, it will be quite easy for me to find a job in China and make higher ($200) wages compared with no CPA certification. Second, time duration of master studying is not long at it only takes a year. This illustrates on my need not to spend much time on studying a degree. Thirdly, I have been travelling to San Diego, as I love the city very much. I think everyone can live in a city, where he or she would want to stay, and that one which triggers happiness in him or her. Finally, the import reason is I think current studying is not sufficient for me especially considering that I am studying accounting, which needs much concentration. I have to accumulate much knowledge and skills by going to pursue the master’s degree. Disadvantage: tuition and living cost are $22000 half a year, so it is so expensive compared with Kent. I would have to consider an insititution, which offers more economic living cost that will not make me restrain in making a living. My family does not want me to go to another city for a master degree. They would like to see me continuing my studying at Kent. If I live at Kent for the next semester, I could go to a graduate school. If I go to San Diego, I would have to wait for one more semester to go to a graduate school. This will imply a waste of time when pursuing my education.
Conclusion
Finally, I choose to go to a graduate school, even if I have to postpone half a year. This would form the platform form for me getting a good job because of the skills I would have accumulated. My dream is always to get a good job that is worth my education. I have always hoped of working in a well established firm in the world where I would have no speculation about being retrenched. I have witnessed most of the less established firms retrenching their workers because of the varying yield in their production. Further, most of the less established firms which easily allows for the employment of the individual with the bachelor’s degree, always associate to poor working conditions for the workers. They associate to low production cost and they assume that offering incentives to their employees would add on their production cost. This is indifferent to the established institution that always offers incentives such as promotion to their employees. This has made me to consider going to the graduate school since it is the only way I would have to secure employment in PricewaterhouseCoopers. Going to the graduate school will also help me to avoid wasting time for pursuing masters amidst my work. I consider finishing my studies with no expectation of going back again to study. I am so happy if I can do what makes me happy. I think this will be right for everyone who is interested in seeing utilizing my education. For my parents, I believe they would come to agree and support me in the end. This is because they I am responsible for my decisions and there only responsibility is to give me suggestions. They have always wanted me to concentrate in my education and extend to whatever level, provided I am comfortable. For VISA problems, it will force me never to go back to China to avoid the effects of going for the new VISA.
