ClickNSmart Team

How important is getting a professional degree (e.g. MBA, M.D or J.D) for your career? I would say it is very important nowadays. This is one way to differentiate yourself in the crowded job marketplace. Today in order to live a decent lifestyle, at least a college degree is a must; sometimes it’s not even enough if you’re living in a high living cost areas, such as: New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and London. Therefore, getting a professional education may make more sense now than ever before. Earning a professional degree requires a lot of commitments, such as: time and money; however, it is worth the investment if you’re considering the long term impact this degree will have in your career.

Cosider the following tables that shows the median annual salary of common occupations by people with professional degrees, such as: MBA, M.D and J.D

Of course the occupations above are not entry-level jobs, but rather a long-term career that requires not only a certain professional degree, but also work experiences as well. When consider getting a professional degree, you need to evaluate your interest. If you’re interested in going into the corporate world, then an MBA might be the best choice for you. If you’re interested in the medical field and you have a strong background in science, then an M.D might be a better option. However, if you’re interested in the field of intellectual property and business law, then you may want to consider a hybrid joint MBA/J.D degree, in which some universities may offer.

Although money is the main motivator for many people; however,interest is what determines a success in your long-term career. Therefore, taking some time off from school and get some work experience after getting your undergraduate degree might be a good choice for some of you; this way, you can evaluate which professional degree is more suitable for you.

A good friend of mine recently pursues two simultaneous Master degrees: Master in Business Administration (M.B.A) and M.S in Applied Physics. When I asked why he decides to pursue this. He simply reply, “I would like to have a career as a manager in a high-technology company later on after I graduate. Therefore I need both a broad knowledge in business and also an in-depth knowledge in high technology area (e.g. superconductor & electronic material processing).”  My friend clearly works hard in pursuing his career goal. No matter how difficult the challenges may be, differentiating yourself is the key for success.

Written by ClickNSmart Team