Whether you’re getting ready to receive your undergraduate degree, or you’ve already spent time in your career field moving through the ranks, this may be a time that you are thinking about attending graduate school. Obviously, this is a huge undertaking, not only in $$$, but also time and energy. So, careful consideration is the smartest route. The payoffs of an advanced degree can be many, ranging from top paying positions, executive ranks, as well as overall personal satisfaction. It all depends upon how you decide to utilize your education and expertise.

There are a slew of programs available, so due diligence in your decision making will pay off in the end. One of the primary areas to spend time on is: YOU. It is important for you to gain a solid understanding of what you’re after, where your strengths lie and how your professional interests are developing. Self assessments are ideal for delving into these areas. If you haven’t utilized a self assessment before, or perhaps it’s been a long while, then it is well worth your time. You might try checking into the Mapp, which helps individuals to identify true motivations and matches you up to careers that meet your assessment profiles. I’ve taken this one myself and it is very thorough.

The other assessment that I found very detailed was the DISC profile (based on Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness). This is an extremely robust assessment of your overall personality profile, helping you understand the environments in which you thrive and those where you may feel less successful, along with how you interact with the other types, which is a very resourceful organizational tool. I highly recommend this one. Although I found their website a bit tough to navigate – loads of information there, so take your time.

If you’re wondering where to look or how to evaluate various graduate programs you might want to take a look at Emark.com and also GradSchools.com, where there is a plethora of information on various grad schools and programs for you do evaluate. And if you’re wondering about how to fund this fabulous education and want to check into scholarships take a look at Freschinfo where you can find a database of information on scholarship programs.

So, if you’re heading off to grad school good luck to you! And remember, when you get that education under your belt and you’re ready to tackle the job market, visit us and check out our FiredUP Interviewing audio CD – it is extensive and will help guide you through the course of your interviews.

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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