<p>Yeah, so I graduate from an ABET-accredited Electrical and Computer Engineering program this year, and the plan is to work at a company after I graduate. I worked at IBM as a Computer Engineering Intern for almost a year, and enjoyed it quite a bit, so that is one option. There are also some other companies I may be interested in working for.</p>
<p>I'm wondering right now if I should get my Masters. I think if I don't get a job at a company I will for sure, cause there is no use sitting on my ass doing nothing. If I do get a job, however, say at IBM, my manager told me after working there for awhile they would most likely be able to pay for me getting my Master's while working there.</p>
<p>Anyone know much about a Masters in this field? Worth it? Could is possibly be a negative thing, because companies don't want to pay more for qualification that possibly isn't needed?</p>
<p>Also, certain people have been pressuring me to not work at a company at all, and that Masters -> Ph.D. -> Teaching and resarch at University is the way to go.</p>
<p>I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but now I'm getting somewhat confused. These people who have been pressuring me act like there's some secret ****tiness to working at a company as a Computer/Electrical engineer.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I always say no. If it will take you 2 years to get a MS, then you just lost ~ 100K in salary and had to pay to go to school. Calculate how much more you would make per year and calculate how long it will take you to make back that 100K.</p>
<p>If you are not sure, you should take some time off and evaluate your options and find out what you want to do. A masters may (while a PhD will) close some doors for you in industry. Also, if you work for a while, you can potentially find what area of EE you want to specialize in. If you go into a graduate program straight after school, you could potentially pick the “wrong” specialization.</p>
<p>Don’t always listen to other people. They dont always know what is best for you or what you want to do with your life. </p>
<p>One thing that I can tell you though is that if you enter a graduate program, especially a PhD program, you will be miserable if it is not really what you wanted to do.</p>
<p>well if they are paying for your Masters while you are working there, why not?</p>
<p>so what’s it like interning for IBM?</p>
<p>If they pay for just Masters, go for a masters degree with thesis component. If you hate the thesis part, forget the PhD and enjoy your salary bump. If they pay for PhD, go for the PhD and downgrade to masters if you don’t like it. Definitely get at least your masters if they are paying for it.</p>