Ask-A-Career-Coach: The Versatility of Specific Graduate Degrees

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

I’ve been accepted into University of Richmond to study the Masters of HR Management. I find HR very interesting and want to learn about the subject, but what if later on I decide to focus on a career outside of HR? Will this masters degree hinder me? Since my undergrad is in business, I have absolutely no desire to go for my MBA. They seem like a dime a dozen these days. How would the MHRM be viewed to recruiters in terms of managing other areas of a business? Other departments?

If you ask 10 recruiters the same question, you will get a range of answers. Careers are not an exact science and vary based on an individual’s goals, skill set, personality, drive, etc. In this case, the only thing I am sure about is that you will find some recruiters who highly value the MHRM, some who dismiss it and some who will be in-between.

I personally am in-between about the MHRM. I would value it primarily in the cases where I am recruiting an HR-related role. I don’t outright dismiss it but it is a much more specific degree (and therefore less versatile) than a general MBA with an HR concentration or a Masters in Organizational Psychology or Organizational Development.

Before opting for the MHRM (or any graduate degree for that matter) you need to be clear about why you are getting it. Do you think you need it for a specific career path? Do you want to use it to change careers? Is it the network, the degree on your resume, the school for bragging rights?

Then do research to find out if this degree and this school will give you whatever it is that you most want. Ask people who have the degree what they did with it. Ask people who are in careers that you want what they think of the degree and why they did or did not get it. You’re on the right track by reaching out to a recruiter via this column but get other data points, including other recruiters, to get a broader perspective.

Another consideration is your options without the degree. What will you do with the time and money saved? What jobs or other degrees/ training are you also considering?

Finally, you have to be prepared to make a decision with incomplete information. The degree may make perfect sense now but then your career ideals change in five years and you find the degree less useful. You don’t need a medical degree to write, but Michael Crichton has one and it clearly didn’t hinder his success. You need to weigh the value that you place on the degree, what you can learn from the marketplace about how it values the degree, and what your other options are, all in the context of what you think you want now. That would be an informed decision, and you will be able to sell that choice in future interviews regardless of exactly what those jobs are.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart, a career coaching firm comprised exclusively of former Fortune 500 recruiters. Prior to launching SixFigureStart, Caroline recruited for Accenture, Booz Allen, Citigroup, and others. Caroline offers a half-hour Complimentary Coaching Consultation to individuals who are interested in experiencing coaching and finding out more about how it can help them reach their career goals. To schedule a consultation, contact her at caroline@sixfigurestart.com.