Over the course of seven years Jenn moved from a facilitator role to a mid-level management position. With no interest in moving up in the organization, she found herself enrolled in a part-time master’s cohort program for human resource development at The George Washington University’s Alexandria Campus. This blog is part one of a series about that long road, and Jenn hopes that what she learned will help those of you who are currently considering graduate studies.
Oh, the excitement of the first day of school! For me, it really didn’t change much from high school to college. We’re excited, we’re nervous. And if we are honest with ourselves, we aren’t thinking too much about the actual class we were in. How many undergrads do you know sat on the edge of their seats in their 8 a.m. requisite American history course?
But my first day of classes for grad school was distinctly different. I’m currently in a part-time master’s cohort program for human resource development at The George Washington University’s Alexandria Campus. On this first day of class, my excitement derived from the long road it took to decide on what degree to pursue and satisfaction that comes from finally knowing that studying this field is how I want to shape the rest of my career. This blog is about that long road, and I hope that what I learned will help those of you who are currently considering graduate studies.
In college I envied those who just knew what they wanted to do in their career—people who were confident of their interests and needed little time to consider what job or field was the right fit. After many trips to my academic advisor’s office, I earned my bachelor’s degree from James Madison University with a major in Communication Studies. I loved my classes, but had no clue what to do with that knowledge or the “professional experience” I had accumulated as a waitress and payroll assistant. I took the GRE the month after I graduated; I was certain that I’d end up in grad school after a couple of years in the workforce illuminated the right path for me. (That I was terrified about forgetting algebra and geometry was another key motivator!)
After two years of facilitating student-enrichment programs, I thought a degree in school counseling was the answer. “Perfect!” I thought; I waited long enough to have some work experience, but not so long that I would forget what it meant to read hundreds of pages each week and then write a 10-page paper. The gravity of the grad school commitment began to weigh on me, however, and I wondered if that degree was such a great fit. I felt like I was faking my way through application essays, trying to convey my enthusiasm, and decided to withdraw my applications.
Of all the gut checks in life, I’m most glad that I allowed this one to guide me because I made peace with not knowing what I really wanted to do. I chose to take more time to learn about my strengths and what excited me in the workplace before I dove into the grad school pool. Over the course of seven years I moved from a facilitator role to a mid-level management position responsible for hiring, training and managing a team, coordinating development projects, and managing budgets. For several years I was energized by the people I worked with and the variety of responsibilities my job entailed. I gave little thought to “what’s next?” Then seven years after graduating (and two years after my GRE scores expired), I found myself in a job that I loved, but had outgrown. I had no interest in moving up in my organization, so once again, I considered graduate school.
I began researching programs and was overwhelmed by the number of options. At first, I thought programs like higher ed admininstration, student affairs, or counseling on the university-level would be a good fit. I had always worked in organizations with an educational mission; I also liked project management and coaching the entry-level staff I worked with. Then I looked at human resources programs because I had enjoyed projects related to the hiring and selection processes and had been involved in payroll-related work. I also loved developing and implementing training, so I could pursue degrees in instructional design or adult learning. Industrial/organizational psychology sounded interesting, too. And then there was organizational science, human resource development, and more. When I realized how many programs overlapped with my basic interests, I realized I needed to develop a deeper understanding of what I wanted. Ultimately, four pieces of advice helped me focus my exploration of graduate programs.
1). Know your strengths and what job responsibilities you most enjoy. I sifted through performance reviews and notes from meetings with my supervisors. I looked at my calendar and to- do lists, asking myself, “Which of these things would I want to do more of?” and “When have I been most successful and engaged in my work?”
2). Research the qualifications for the jobs you want to have in the future. In the midst of searching for a position with work hours that would be more compatible with taking classes, I looked not just for jobs that I was qualified for, but the jobs I’d hope to hold after earning my degree. It was helpful to learn more about the variety of jobs that existed in the fields I was interested in, and I noted the types of degrees listed in the qualifications.
3). Consider what topics you will enjoy reading about. As I looked at a variety of degree options, I researched what courses were included and which books were assigned. I looked up the books, reviewed the table of contents, and read a few excerpts. I knew that the less dependent I was on coffee to read hundreds of pages each week, the more engaged I would be in the subject matter. (Not that coffee isn’t a critical part of the grad school experience!)
4). Talk to colleagues, current or former students, and other professionals in your fields of interest before you decide on a degree. I learned a lot by hearing the positive and negative experiences of others. I asked about why they chose their program, whether it met their expectations, how they were using their degree in their jobs.
So, for those of you considering grad school, my advice is to take the time you need to make sure it’s the right decision, dig deep in your research, and give careful thought to what types of work and subject matter are intrinsically motivating to you. For me, I found that human resource development is a great match for my interests in training and my desire to understand how to lead individuals, teams, and organizations to peak performance. Before I started classes this January, I spent just as much time researching individual programs as I did choosing an area of study. More important, I look forward to sharing that experience in my next blog!
