Mad rush for Masters: Does it guarantee a job?

[MTAZAMO]

Source The New Times,

Prof. Brown says masters programmesshould be taken to advance skills. The New Times/ C. Mwai.
The turn of the 21st Century hasseen many job requirements take the Masters and PhD scope. This has led manyyoung persons into the fallacy that enriching one's CV with such papers is asure guarantee to the dream job. Some knock it, others fail and spend theirlife ruing their career pursuits. Collins Mwai looks into the issue ofMasters versus degree vis a vis the job demands;-

Nicholas Kizza
What is the key to the dream career path we all seek toachieve? For some, it is in talent and ability. For others, it is in passion.Still, for the likes of Solange Umwali, a third year university student,academic papers is the key. So they dream and talk master's degree anddoctorate of philosophy (PhD).

Umwali has one resolve now; to enrol for a masters course as soon as shecompletes her undergraduate degree next year. "I want to be marketable and getahead of my class and agemates in the job market," Umwali says.

In recent years, master's programmes have had an increase in the number ofenrolments, with students pursuing them for different reasons. Some want to improvetheir skills, and others to obtain academic certificates to impress employers.

Geoffrey Tumushiime
Whatever their reasons, masters degree has come off as astrong competitor against experience in job qualification. It is such aphenomenal that some individuals will want to pursue it even before exploitingtheir degree transcripts on the job market. The intellectual investment mighthave paid off for some, but, for most, it remains just a silhouetted pursuit

"A degree is now regarded as a basic qualification; I will stand a higherchance in the job market if I have a masters at my age. It will only be twomore years and it will put me ahead," Umwali says.

Jean Bosco Rwelinyange, the head of human resource department at Cogebanque,says employers look out for experience and performance and not so much theacademic credentials.

Emmanuel Mbonabucya
"Employers look for experience and performance to justifyit; those are the most important things in a resume. At times I have seenpeople with an undergraduate degree and even less out-perform masters degreeholders," says the human resource manager, who boasts of more than 20 yearsexperience under his belt.

He adds that over time when working in a field, employees gain experience thatcannot be simply substituted by a masters degree.

"Experience enables one to fit in an organisation, prepares one for furtherlearning and provides lessons that are not learnt at the university. That iswhat the interview panel looks for as opposed to lots of academic credentials."

Agatha Mbabazi
"When you have been in an organisation andgained some experience you become certain if you would like to remain in theline of work and advance with a Masters degree," Rwelinyange says.

He advises that fresh graduates should take at least three years before theycan enroll for a masters programme.

"The first year is for formalising yourself with the organisation and work, thesecond year for strengthening yourself in the industry and the third to gain abit of experience and be sure you want to last in the field," he says.

 

[MTAZAMO]

Options are there

Lydia Mahoro
Other than a Masters degree, Rwelinyange saysone can consider other options like a second degree.

"After careful consideration one can opt to take a second degree rather than aMasters to fit in a line of work or to perform better," he says.

Mount Kenya University Deputy Principal of academics, Francis Mwangi, feelsthat masters and experience shouldn't be compared on a scale.

"Both are important for career progress. Nowadays a degree is like arequirement in most industries and after that progress is necessary. Employerslook for experience when hiring; so it necessary to have both, " Mwangi says.

He also says it also greatly depends with the career aspirations of anindividual. "For those who would like to end up in academia some day, a Mastersdegree is mandatory."

"Prior experience before enrolling for a programme is an advantage since youexperience both worlds and will easily balance between theory and practice.Most programmes don't require a student to have experience, which makes it easyfor anyone to enrol. However, some such as Executive MBA require experience ata managerial position. "

Patrick Nsenga, an employer at an ICT solution providing firm, says Mastersdegrees are nowadays overrated and most people acquire them only to get promotions.

"As an employer, I see lots of job seekers with the impression that a Mastersdegree guarantees them a job when placed against an undergraduate degree holderwhich is not the case," he says.

" A 25-year-old holder of a Masters degree has no much difference with one whoholds a degree only. You can tell from their performance and the way theyhandle different situations."

Nsenga says as an employer he is more impressed with job seekers who have atleast some experience, even if they got it through volunteering or running afamily business.

"Presented with two job seekers; one with a degree and a failed businessstart-up experience and another with a masters and no experience, mostemployers would go for the degree holder. It is by executing what you studiedthat you become indispensable in a field."

Professor Timothy X Brown, a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University,Rwanda, advises that before enrolling for a Masters programme, there arefactors that one should consider.

"‘Are you ready for it' and ‘will it add value' are two questions that studentsshould answer when enrolling for the programme, Prof. Brown says.

"At times you are ready for it but it does not add value since you will stillget a low entry position at an organisation. For technical courses you may notbe ready for it and going into a field for practice is the only way to get youprepared for the masters."

The professor with more than 25 years experience, says the reasons learnersshould enrol for masters programmes should be to advance their skills to enablethem handle more complex tasks.

"A masters degree is where you advance the basic skills you learnt in yourundergraduate studies and take them to a more advanced level to perform morecomplex tasks," he says.

When selecting an institution to take their masters in, most students look forthe most convenient institution. But Prof. Brown discourages this mentality.

"You need to reach for the most challenging campus you can get accepted to.That will make you learn and grow more. You get out what you put in, if you doa masters degree which is in essence just a few more courses beyond yourundergraduate degree, you will just have a glorified undergraduate degree. Youshould feel that a masters degree is not quantitatively different (a few moreyears in school) but qualitatively different," the professor says.

 

[MTAZAMO]

Nicholas Kizza, a photo and video editor. ‘Experience is the way to gosimply because someone with experience have vast knowledge about the job andwill always have an alternative incase of a technical problem. He also doesn'tneed training, hence saving the company costs.'

Geoffrey Tumushiime, a technician. ‘Someone with masters has a conceptualand academic mind to analyse issues. One with experience will have theexpertise to actualise jobs using their experience and learning from mistakes.So in an academic setting, a masters can do and in technical issues, I needexperienced people with at least a degree.'

Emmanuel Mbonabucya, a corporate. ‘Experience matters more than masters.I have seen people with no or little academic qualifications perform betterthan those with PhDs. I, for one, would not recruit someone with masters whocan't deliver but one who can do wonders.'

Agatha Mbabazi, a graduate. ‘It's unfortunate that there is no school forexperience. I wish to be given opportunity to work so that I can gain thatexperience everyone is looking for.'

Lydia Mahoro, an accountant. ‘Experience is crucial when consideringsomeone to employ. What is the importance of recruiting someone with mastersbut has no practical knowledge of their job? If experience was not importantthen it wouldn't be among the job requirements.'

 

[MTAZAMO]

:doh: sijui kama kuna watakaosoma hii article yote maana Mtanzania mfiche kitu kupitia maandishi marefu tu alafu kidhungu yelewiiiiiii!

 

[Obama wa Bongo]

obama wa bongo, i std seven graduate and jf addicted member. "to have a master without experince is another disaster in your personal career,to be a master of somethings mean you have advance analytical skills than graduate,and we expect to be in middle to senior level in institution ,but in tanzania i wonder how evening class mzumbe masters graduate to be a bank teller?.from my narrow deep thinkig before i ink this article this is another episode of ushamba!

 

[Mwandwanga]

:doh: sijui kama kuna watakaosoma hii article yote maana Mtanzania mfiche kitu kupitia maandishi marefu tu alafu kidhungu yelewiiiiiii!

Haya Matusi yenye ukweli ndani yake si mazuri hata kidogo,nasema hata kidogo.

 

[Obama wa Bongo]

:doh: sijui kama kuna watakaosoma hii article yote maana Mtanzania mfiche kitu kupitia maandishi marefu tu alafu kidhungu yelewiiiiiii!

si wote tuliobahatika kujifunza hii lugha!

 

[Mwandwanga]

Kabachela kananitosha kabisa hiyo master ya kung fu,baadae sana baada ya maujuzi ya karate,taekwondo,na judo yakikaa vyema kwa kichwa.
Alamsiki.....

 

[MTAZAMO]

Haya Matusi yenye ukweli ndani yake si mazuri hata kidogo,nasema hata kidogo.

Mkuu nadhani unaona mada ndefu za watu kama mchambuzi au Mwanakijiji jinsi zinavyochangiwa na watu wachache na zikiwa katika kidhungu ndio kabisaaa tunalala mbele hadi inabidi mods waipeleke jukwaa la GT ili isife haraka!!!

Btw maana yangu ni njema ili vijana wengi wasome hii makala ina vitu vya kujifunza.

 

[MTAZAMO]

obama wa bongo, i std seven graduate and jf addicted member. "to have a master without experince is another disaster in your personal career,to be a master of somethings mean you have advance analytical skills than graduate,and we expect to be in middle to senior level in institution ,but in tanzania i wonder how evening class mzumbe masters graduate to be a bank teller?.from my narrow deep thinkig before i ink this article this is another episode of ushamba!

Mkuu umenena vyema kabisa, tuache kukimbizana na vyeti tuuuu huku experience ikiwa mbovu.

 

[F.c.mwanzi]

chambuzi zote ni nzuri; ni kwl masterz is to advnce skills bt why experience ktk kazi jct bcz ya ushindani in job mkt! M2 kuendelea na masterz kwng mm 4some tym ni vzr,lyf lenyewe limekuwa fupi?? Human needs nazo nyng+ ushindani ktk kupata kz kw sasa,so ni bora uendele upate salary nzur hata kama kazi utaanza na ubenk teller polepole utapanda; hata kama mtu hawezi kuogelea ww muweke ktk maji hadi atajua kuogelea!.ni mtazamo wang jaman!

 

[Mwandwanga]

Mkuu nadhani unaona mada ndefu za watu kama mchambuzi au Mwanakijiji jinsi zinavyochangiwa na watu wachache na zikiwa katika kidhungu ndio kabisaaa tunalala mbele hadi inabidi mods waipeleke jukwaa la GT ili isife haraka!!!

Btw maana yangu ni njema ili vijana wengi wasome hii makala ina vitu vya kujifunza.

Nimekupata Mkuu.
Watanzania ni wavivu sana kusoma kwa makini,tena ujumbe usio ambatanishwa na picha ndiyo kabisaaaa.

Nakumbuka kuna jamaa alipewa kitabu cha Walter Rodney (How Europe underdeveloped Africa),atoe angalau points tatu tu !

Yaliyotekea sitakaa nisahau!

 

[VUVUZELA]

Mkuu umenena vyema kabisa, tuache kukimbizana na vyeti tuuuu huku experience ikiwa mbovu.

I reserve my comments

 

[msani]

Experience inafaa sana!
kuna kazi nafanya binafsi zinaweza kuniweka mjini na kufanya zingine lakini nilipoamua kuongeza utaalam na kurudi class kwa mwaka mmoja nimeamua kujitolea kufanya kazi za monitoring & evaluation ili kupata uzoefu wa kutosha baada ya kuhitimisha ya darasani kwenye ngazi ya PGD.
hapa nafanya hizi kwa kutumia gharama zangu ili kutafuta uzoefu na hata hawa niliojitolea kwao hv sasa wananiona lulu ambayo haipaswi kuondoka lkn mwisho wa siku lazima nirudi kwenye malengo yangu ambayo yalinifanya nitumie pesa zangu na muda wangu kutafuta uzoefu kwenye hii kitu.
Ni bora kwanza ukawa na uzoefu mzuri wa hiyo degree yako kisha uende kutafuta ujuzi zaidi.
Hata kama unatala kuajiriwa waajiri wanatafuta watu wenye ujuzi,yaani pamoja na kuwa nina PGD in M&E lkn wananipa uzoefu ni watu ambao hawakusomea hii kitu ila wanauzoefu wa zaidi ya miaka 10 kazini na walifundishiwa kazini na noi wataalamu kwelikweli na najifunza kwao.
ukitaka ajira haraka fuata hatua hizi:
1. Experience
2.Experience
3.Experience

 

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