Taking up a master’s degree prepares you further for expertise in your field – a given. However, a master’s degree also acquaints you with the skills you need to continue learning about your work, long after you’ve graduated. Additional time spent learning about the subtle nuances of your field of work gives you the power to decide what in particular you want to learn more about, and allows you the extra skills to pick out the essentials to help you on your exciting journey.

The need to have an impressive history on your resume is no stranger to anyone applying for work the first time. Not only does a master’s degree ease the anxiety of waiting on a company to respond, but also helps boost your position during your inevitable post-hire. Climbing to senior positions is made simpler, as your master’s degree speaks for itself.

Going back to class, and being in a familiar classroom environment with people in the same field as you, working toward the same goals, gives you the same advantage that was often overlooked in college while you were a freshman – an opportunity to expand your connections in your preferred field. People form bonds together when they have meaningful experiences together, and significant growth in one’s preferred expertise is more likely than not a meaningful experience to those who dared to strive for a master’s degree. While networking in itself is a hard skill, the expansion of your professional network is an inevitability during those two extra years.

While putting off work for another two years may sound like a luxury not everyone can afford, it is a calculated risk considering all the previously listed benefits of a master’s degree. One important thing to note is that employers tend to pay people with master’s degrees a significantly higher salary than those with a bachelor’s degree, should they have the same positions in the first place.