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How many times has it been said that today having a bachelor’s degree is no longer enough to aspire to certain jobs? Some jobs that previously required simply a basic education now require an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree in order to move up the ladder. Today’s world of work, where professionals are required to be increasingly competent academically, has meant that the educational level of the population rises, leading to the need to complete postgraduate studies.

Given the above scenario, the educational offer multiplied exponentially, thus increasing the number of institutions that offer postgraduate degrees and, in the same way, with the technological evolution that has arisen the alternative of studying online programs. This resulted in postgraduate studies being perceived as a consumer item, a commodity that can be purchased relatively easily.

Currently it is possible to study at almost any university a master’s degree in business administration, public policy or a postgraduate degree in education in institutions that offer you similar study plans. However, it is necessary to recognize that not all these study houses, whether physical or online universities, will give your profile a differentiator. This is due to the fact that, compared to universities with global prestige, whose degrees are recognized as valuable in any part of the world, the title that can be offered by any university – even if they are officially valid by the secretariat of education in your home country — it doesn’t say much about your profile if you stop measuring yourself against local competition and compare yourself internationally.

And what happens if I study my postgraduate degree without looking for this added value? Choosing wrong where to study can lead you to be left in limbo, which consists of being, on the one hand, overqualified for some jobs that only require an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree, and on the other, without a true differentiator for those jobs that require a postgraduate studies, but for which graduates of universities with greater prestige than yours compete. Choosing where to study well can help you enhance your knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes, and achieve your personal and professional goals.

Why are not all postgraduate degrees equal in weight?

Several Rankings are made annually by official institutions, such as Financial Times, Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, among others, which rate the educational level (with various variables such as study plans, facilities, teachers, etc.) of Universities around the world. This implies that those institutions that appear published in these rankings will have not only global recognition, but also value for those who come to evaluate your profile since, of course, recruiters look for the best professionals graduated from these Universities that stand out for their educational quality. Similarly, postgraduate rankings are made, qualifying them as the best paid or with the highest trend,

What can I do to avoid falling into the trap of graduate school?

As already stressed, it is important to choose a prestigious university that offers a competitive graduate degree, so you must make an informed decision. For this, we suggest you read about the universities that you consider as options on their official internet pages, in brochures or specialized books, attend fairs that bring together universities (such as Access Masters Tour, The MBA Tour, among others) as well as get closer to people who have experience in it. Further investigation of your options will give you a better chance of making the right decision.

Once you have established your professional vision, you will have an idea of ​​the positions you would like to aspire to and how to get to them will be related, among many other things, to the studies you undertake. Reviewing the LinkedIn profiles of the people who are in those positions could help you find patterns in what these people study and where they study. This does not mean that you should study exactly the same and in the same institution, however, it will give you a great reference on the parameters that companies consider to grant those positions. Similarly, reviewing the job boards for these positions will allow you to recognize the requirements and identify the specific postgraduate courses that are most in demand in your area of ​​interest.

With the above, you may have realized that having postgraduate studies no longer counts as a differentiator in your professional profile and that instead, what will add value is having the degree awarded by a renowned university which will be the endorsement of having completed your master’s degree in a prestigious institution. Do not fall in the trap! and inform yourself adequately about the globally recognized Universities, as well as the best MBAs 2020 that will give you the tools to achieve your professional vision.