This year’s job market has been bleak, to say the least. Layoffs hit the highest level in 14 years; job openings are barely budging; and quits figures are plummeting. It’s no wonder people feel stuck and discouraged—especially as many candidates have been on the job hunt for a year.
But some mid-career professionals are working with the cards they’ve been dealt by going back to school. Many are turning to data analytics, cybersecurity, AI-focused courses, health care, MBA programs, or trade certifications for an “immediate impact on their careers,” Metaintro CEO Lacey Kaelani told Fortune.
But while grad school can certainly offer the opportunity to level-up your career once you’ve completed a program, it comes with financial and personal sacrifices, like time. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one year of grad school, on average, costs about $43,000 in tuition. That’s nearly 70% of the average salary in the U.S.
the problem is employers dont train employees anymore, so they look at “2+years experience required as a first start”
I gotta say, part of that is work visa programs. A very common path I’ve seen is someone getting their college degree in their country, do a couple years work to get sponsored by one of the outsourcing companies, then take a masters degree in the us, so they can enter the country on a student visa and have a head start looking for a job. Now they are looking for a starting job but have a couple years experience and a masters degree.
I can’t fault anyone who takes that path: it seems very successful. But it causes imbalances that don’t work for the rest of us