Every year, we speak with hundreds of applicants who believe that a graduate degree is the crucial next step in boosting their career prospects, but, after doing some research, they feel unsure about which degree best fits their goals. With more and more specialized master’s and MBA programs that offer certificates, majors, or specializations available, alongside the emergence of industry-altering data capabilities, it’s understandable that program selection can be confusing. In the broadest terms, the solution to identifying the best kind of program for you is research. That being said, this research can be far-reaching and may not come from the same blend of resources for each industry or career direction. Before we share some of the many ways and places to do useful research that can inform program selection, let’s look at a quick example.
Sarah is a strategist at a shipping and logistics startup at the forefront of digital transformation in the supply chain industry. She sees that planning and efficiency across inventory, lead times, finance, payments, shipping, and other areas of the supply chain can be drastically improved through the use of new platforms and technologies. Sarah has basic data skills using R and SQL, she has some people management experience, and in the future, she aspires to move to a technical management role leading digital transformation projects in a supply chain function. With more than three years of professional experience, Sarah isn’t sure if the best path to reaching her goals is with an MS in Supply Chain Management (SCM), an MBA with a supply chain specialization like the ASU Carey MBA with SCM Concentration, or a degree that blends tech skills with people management, such as the MS in Technology Management program at UIUC. Any one of these degrees would benefit Sarah and help her grow, professionally. But how can she evaluate which one is truly the best fit for her?
Here are several options that Sarah, and other applicants who find themselves at a similar crossroads, can pursue in order to identify the programs that are the best fit to put them on track to accomplish their goals.
Clarify Your Career Goals
The clearer one’s career goals are, the easier it will be to chart a course to reach them. Therefore, one of the most helpful things an applicant can do is to develop a deep understanding and clear vision of their short-term career plan. Ideally, the applicant will be able to identify specific job titles at real companies. By identifying real jobs, one can then reverse-engineer the path to that position. Many people understand what industry interests them but are unsure which positions/job titles they should be targeting. Reviewing job descriptions is one way to get a solid understanding of the job titles one might be seeking. Another way could be to seek out blogs and vlogs that describe what it’s like to have a certain job, like this post by a Frontend Engineer who works at Slack.
Understand the Program Deeply
As a baseline, applicants should have scoured program websites for relevant information, including prerequisites, curriculum, class profiles, and career reports. Going further, it’s advisable to reach out to student ambassadors and alumni, and some schools encourage applicants to get in touch with admissions officers directly. Information sessions, which might be led by admissions staff, professors, students, and/or alumni, are a powerful resource that can be highly informative. To gain firsthand perspectives on campus life, events, and student clubs, applicants can review student blogs. All of the above touchpoints can be considered entry points into deeper and more detailed discussions that can allow each applicant to better understand their individual fit for a given program.
Talk to People in Your Target Role
There are already people who hold the kinds of roles you are targeting. Their career paths are the strongest reference points for understanding how you can get from where you are to where they are. If you are fortunate to know some of these people or are in professional circles where you might ask for an introduction, don’t miss the chance to learn from someone who can describe a career path similar to what you are aspiring to and can give advice about skills, studying, mentorship, work experience, and more. Leverage your network to find friends-of-friends that work in relevant positions. If you don’t have firsthand access to such people, take to LinkedIn and make connections.
Get the Most Out of LinkedIn
People who are uncertain about which program to apply to can benefit from using LinkedIn in a variety of ways. First, LinkedIn is full of job postings. Company recruiters and headhunters use LinkedIn to recruit and often post not only job listings but also articles about hiring trends and emerging job roles. Second, LinkedIn offers amazing opportunities to find and connect with people who hold your target job title and people who are alumni of the programs you are considering (and, if you’re lucky, sometimes those are the same people). Prepare a solid strategy when working to make new connections on LinkedIn, including a clear message to send along with your connection request. Be sure the reader knows what kind of information or guidance you’re looking for, and be respectful of their busy schedule.
Below is an example of a connection message, as recommended by LinkedIn. While this template focuses on the writer’s job search, you can see how a slight edit could make it about better understanding the program and how that connects to the recipient’s career:
Subject: [Your University] Connection: Job Search Help – [Your Name]
Hi [Fellow Alumni’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I came across your LinkedIn profile and noticed we share a connection as [University Name] alumni who both [shared connection #1, e.g., majored in Communications] and [shared connection #2, e.g., lived in the same city]. I am seeking new opportunities in [your field or industry] and was hoping you might have some advice or suggestions.
Your success in [their position/industry] is inspiring, and I would be grateful for any insights or guidance you may have to offer. If you have any resources or contacts that could be helpful in my job search, please feel free to share.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
When you find someone who agrees to speak with you, be sure you also have a strategy for those conversations. Prepare a question list about the topics that matter most to you, such as the program’s curriculum, career center, annual events, and alumni network, and connect that to the core skills the alumnus recommends that you develop by asking follow up questions.
Meet with a Headhunter
This may sound a little bit out of scope for someone preparing to apply for graduate school, but headhunters are fantastic knowledge resources when it comes to career growth. Many headhunters are industry-focused, so you may need to do a little research to find one that matches your situation, but when you do, send them a note explaining that you’re at a crossroads in your career and invite them for a cup of coffee. If you earn this meeting, once again be prepared with your question list, including how to reach your career goals, what kinds of programs could best help you get there, and which job titles are realistic for you following your studies. If you go this route, remember that headhunters also need to meet their quotas for candidates, so if the headhunter asks you to participate in an interview on their behalf, consider reciprocating that in exchange for the information they can offer you.
Conclusion
It isn’t easy trying to select the best course of graduate study to support your career. But by doing thorough research and learning from others before you, your path will reveal itself through a combination of others’ insights, program details, and your own gut feeling about the programs you research. If you happen to be feeling uncertain about which programs are best fit for you, schedule a free 20-minute consultation to learn how we support applicants with finalizing their school lists and crafting application strategies that put them on their target career path.