Deciding to take up a Master’s degree is a daunting task in itself, some may enroll fresh out of their Bachelor’s or after exploring career options are motivated to venture into academia. No matter if you identify with any of those or not, a huge congratulations on making the decision to consider a Master’s degree. Many would vouch that this decision forms the crux of our professional career ahead and we wouldn’t want to make a half-boiled decision simply because we didn’t equip ourselves to make the right choice! I write this blog as an honest testament to the efforts I put in to ensure I would choose a course (MA Advertising) with nearly no regret since I started out. Continue reading as I share a few tips and angles that could prove beneficial to you.

Why and what course would I choose?

It is quite easy to get swayed, as a barrage of our friends and peers decide to take up a postgraduate course, as they have by their respective influences. And it is not uncommon that we develop a “herd mentality” which have our choices governed by factors such as peer trends, which makes us overlook what’s really at stake for us. Self-reflection is key at this stage. Only when we clear this roadblock will we be able to move ahead with comfort to decide which course might best suit us.

For those who find it difficult to already plan a career path (like me), a helpful tip would be to look out for a job position/career path that piques your interest, then pick a leading professional in the field and learn about their credentials and the paths they’ve taken. This is an exercise to help us identify what inspires us, but not to replicate the choices of our reference. This would spur us to read further afield and help gauge ourselves to recognise what we possess and what we might need to equip ourselves with, and this is where you decide the functionality and the benefits a particular postgraduate course would provide.

How do I choose the ideal course for me?

The process of finding the perfect course need not be dry and boring. This is an exercise I used to find my most suitable course: Position yourself as an employer when you decide which course offered by a university best meets your interest. Firstly, have a preference list jotted down. It could be resourceful networking, events, curriculum etc. The same course across several universities will have slight or several variations. Consider this scenario, if you’re looking to pursue graphic design and the portfolio of the course doesn’t portray enticing design quality, you can start measuring your choices. This is where you employ the “employer” role. This angle can help us dig deep and enable us to make inquiries we wouldn’t usually make. And always contact the faculty via email or call or through the recommended point of contact, without hesitation. They would respond to your particular queries and provide valuable insights about the course. Once again, the employer in you can consider this as the “interview stage” and gauge how promptly your queries are met. This gives you an understanding of the responsiveness of the faculty as well. Quite naturally, towards the end you would have selected the best candidate based on the number of check-boxes they’ve cleared.

So go ahead, throw away your student hat, put on your blazer and get busy.