Citations as an alternative to masters degrees
June 12th, 2010
Most people know about masters degrees and doctorates, but graduate citations are a new and powerful option when it comes tofurther advancing your education. A graduate citation is recognition for the completion of a small group of classes. Most of the time a citation is recognized for taking 3 or 4 classes all in a carefully chosen specific topic. A citation isn’t an actual degree, but it does provide some advantages with a smaller amount of time spent in study. Shrewd career-minded individuals know that, when you look at the amount of time required, a citation will often give you a better payback on the time spent in class than getting a masters degree. That isn’t to say that a masters degree is not valuable, but some employers are likely to view a citation listed on your resume with the same type of value as a masters degree. Particularly when the citation is from a Ivy League university like Harvard.If you want to get hired in the job market, you will need to do something that the average will not do because it is too difficult. You have to prove that you are better than average. This is where your graduate citation can be extremely worthwhile. A citation gives you an above average academic career and can show that you have the stamina and mental fortitude to go beyond most other people. When many employers look at your educational background, they want to see if you can start and complete a large scale project like college. In some cases, what courses you took isn’t as important as the the fact you completed the course of study. Achieving a graduate certificate shows that you have these skills and that they go beyond what is required for an undergrad degreeDon’t overlook the value of having a easily recognized school on your list of academic credentials. If you get your bachelors from a small unknown institution, a citation from a strong academic university will really boost your perceived value. The goal of your resume is to get you in the door. Everything you can do to make sure that your name stands out as being above average is going to help your career. A citation from a well-known institution is one of the things that that will stand out when sorting through a selection of resumes.While a graduate citation can help you create a powerful resume, the value of the education you obtain are even greater. The job market changes rapidly and many jobs that seemed like a sure bet a few decades ago have gone extinct. Your career will not be immune and you should expect your job skills change dramatically over the next 10 years. A continual approach to education can help you weather these changes with ease. Your ability to keep educated on current trends and methods will help keep your value high when companies are looking for people to take on new roles and responsibilities. Graduate citations help you stay current in a recognizable way, without requiring long absences from work or stepping out of the workforce all together for a few years to go back to school. This means you can stay current and keep your value as an employee growing beyond that of new graduates who are trained in modern methods, but lack that long term career experience you possess from working on the job.
Entry Filed under: Self Improvement