graduate school or government job

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I left a job at a private company with the intention of graduate school. Now as I'm about to start my masters, I have an offer from the government. </p>

<p>I won several prestigious national level scholarships and was looking forward to grad school. I think my dream job would be becoming a research scientist or professor for which i know a phd is required. The research group that i'm planning to go into has great placements for the students, everyone gets a job so i'm not too concerned about that. This group has interesting research and the strongest government connections of any group I've seen, i would be collaborating with a government research center. Working for this government research center after graduation would be absolutely amazing but its definitely not a guarantee. PhD students from this research group have gone on to become Professors although to be honest, i've mostly been paying attention to what the masters students have gone on to do.</p>

<p>The way i see it, i have two options and they are as follows.</p>

<p>Option 1: Go to grad school and reject the government position.</p>

<p>Pro: This would allow me to take up my scholarships and possibly get a research oriented government position. </p>

<p>Con: While all students get jobs, most aren't with the government and are out of state. I would prefer to be in my current state due to family reasons. I would HATE to give up the a chance to work in the government and end up back in the private sector. </p>

<p>Option 2: Take the government position and go to grad school</p>

<p>Pro: I'd be in the government making a stable income with awesome benefits</p>

<p>This organization has educational leave so if i work there for a number of years, i could take time off and go to grad school while being supported (recieve 80% of my salary) and have a job guaranteed when i complete my graduate degree. </p>

<p>Con: Educational leave would take a few years so i wouldn't be able to start graduate school for a while. If i say started a family within this time, grad school might not happen at all.</p>

<p>While the government position that I'm not offered is much better than my previous job, its not as good as a position in a research center.</p>

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<p>So in the end, is it worth giving up a government position in a good location for the possibility of a better government position down the road? Should i be concerned about my age? I'm 23, if i have to work for 2 years before being eligible for educational leave, i'd be 25 before starting my masters.</p>

<p>Is there more information that I should gather before making a decision?</p>

<p>thanks so much everyone</p>

2

<p>You do know that the government pays less than the private sector UNLESS you hold a top-secret clearance, right?</p>

3

<p>yes, i know that the private sector pays more at the high levels. I grew up in a family without much money and the government position would more than satisfy my financial needs.</p>

4

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<p>Would the years you’re on educational leave count towards however many years you need to retire? I know a number of people that spend the first half of their career working for the government for slightly less pay, but then can retire at 55-60 with full benefits. They then take up consulting, make more than they did prior to retiring with the government, and can then also draw on their pension.</p>

<p>I also don’t think you should worry a whole lot about starting school when you’re 25. A number of my friends with me in grad school are a little older, married, and/or have a kid (generally only a year or two old). If you’re going to be able to keep your salary from your job, then you’ll also be in a great place during grad school and won’t have to try and make due on a fairly small stipend (especially if the government will do tuition reimbursement).</p>

<p>If you go to grad school are you planning on doing a PhD or just a masters?</p>

5

<p>"If you go to grad school are you planning on doing a PhD or just a masters? "</p>

<p>I’ve looked into the jobs that the masters students coming out of this research group gets and 85% less desirable to me than this government job.</p>

<p>I haven’t really inquired about what PhD students form the group are doing but i know some have become Profs. </p>

<p>For starters I would do a masters and see how that goes.</p>

6

<p>Is your MS getting paid for?</p>

7

<p>yes, my MS is paid for. I have a tuition waiver and on top of that I’d get $40000, i’m very fortunate in the scholarships i got.</p>