Planning Your Next Steps

Pursuing a graduate degree is a major commitment. Various personal, financial, and other factors must be considered and the process of selecting a graduate program can be overwhelming. Although graduate school can be costly and time-consuming, there are a number of resulting benefits. Many careers require a graduate degree to advance or even attain employment. Graduate degrees also can lead to financial and personal gains. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my career goals? Is a graduate degree required to reach them?
• Will a graduate degree improve my marketability and career advancement?
• Do I have the time and financial resources to devote to further education?

Master’s programs provide education in a specialized field and take two to three years to complete. Doctoral programs provide extensive, in-depth expertise in a specialized field and take three to eight years to complete.

Programs can be professionally or research-focused. Professional programs provide knowledge and skills required for a specific profession, such as medicine or social work, and usually require internships or other experiences where knowledge must be applied. Research-based programs focus on expanding knowledge through original research in a traditional academic field, such as plant science or economics. Deciding which type of program is right for you will depend on your career goals and the preparation required to achieve them.

When selecting a graduate program, professors or other experts in the field can help identify prospects. Communicating directly with professors can help determine if a program is a good match, and the connections you make will be beneficial as you go through the admissions process. Most programs provide extensive information on the internet. Once potential graduate programs are identified, you can request more in-depth information from specific institutions. As you review the information you have collected, you may want to consider the following:

• Accreditation
• Admission standards
• Career assistance
• Tuition, fees and funding
• Faculty
• Reputation/ranking
• Research opportunities
• Resources (libraries, grants, labs)
• Size (of program and university)
• Relevancy of coursework to your interests

Many institutions offer flexibility in earning your degree by offering full-time and part-time options, online programs, online courses, or courses at off-campus sites. Depending on your individual needs, these may be important factors to consider as you select a program.

As you prepare your post-graduation plans, you should be answering some important questions. Do you care more about creative freedom than dollars? Are you hoping to move close to home or are you willing to spin the globe? Is it important to you to work in a field directly related to your major? We may be able to help you find some answers.

Contact the Office of Career Development to learn more about the Focus 2 Career inventory, which you can access online 24/7.

If money motivates you, ask yourself some of these important questions and then seek out the answers.

1. What is the median household income in the corner of the country or region where you hope to live and work?
2. What is the expected starting salary in your chosen field? And, after five years?
3. What is the cost-of-living in your top five cities or states (rent, insurance, transportation, entertainment, dining out)?

Be an educated job seeker. When you’re trying to decide if your career path converges with your ideal destination, get the stats. Visit the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation and find information about the labor market in South Dakota.

Visit the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and learn important labor and cost of living information from all over the country.

The best jobs may attract dozens, if not hundreds, of qualified candidates. A comprehensive, accurate resume will help to move your application from the stack of possible hires to the probable pile.

The Office of Career Development offers resume reviews at no cost to students. Pull together a draft of your resume.  Then, use your MyState credentials to log into Handshake to schedule an appointment with a career educator, or email Careers@sdstate.edu for assistance.

Make the most of your network. Now is the time to reach out to people of influence who know you. Think of people associated with organizations where you’ve volunteered. Update former supervisors on your job hunt and inquire about any connections they may have in certain fields. Even your parents’ circle of friends and colleagues could be your link to a great opportunity. Create a LinkedIn profile and leverage it to network and apply for jobs. Contact the Office of Career Development for help with your LinkedIn profile.

Put yourself in a position to be successful. Take advantage of career fairs, on-campus interview opportunities, resume review sessions, and more professional development opportunities offered by the Office of Career Development. Follow Career Development on social media to learn about scheduled programs. Log into Handshake to schedule an appointment with a career educator to discuss any career-related questions you have. Also, check out the Resources library in Handshake for helpful job-search tips and more.