Why postgraduate study maximises your career potential

When it comes to establishing your career, there are some highly regarded pathways including the successful completion of undergraduate tertiary qualification. In the later stages of your career, the same can be said about the link between pursuing a postgraduate qualification and maximising your career potential.

Today we uncover why postgraduate study is still considered one of the most reputable and powerful tools to enhance your career.
 

It creates tomorrow’s leaders

Postgraduate study isn’t just about securing a management or C-suite job title. Our definition of a leader is a person that’s driven to make a positive difference in their industry, someone who’s passionate about challenging the status quo because they see the potential impact that new ways of thinking could have on their communities.

Postgraduate study provides students with the opportunity to not simply study subjects in depth, but also creates a rigorous environment requiring students to question, dissect and apply their learning to help solve real world problems. It’s about creating a cohort of future leaders that will change the way things are done in a particular industry, and that’s why most employers highly regard people with a postgraduate qualification.
 

Improves your earning potential

Not only are you more likely to be considered for more advanced jobs, but a 2017 national survey funded by the Australian Government has found a difference in salary of anywhere between $20,000 to almost $30,000 in favour of full-time employed professionals with postgraduate degrees, in comparison to their undergraduate qualified counterparts.
 

It’s desirable for employers

According to an article in The Conversation, employers are increasingly demanding advanced degrees for certain roles, including those related to research, innovation, specialisation, and administration. If you're looking to take the next step in your career, a postgraduate qualification can give you that extra edge you need to stand out amongst other candidates when applying for a new role or the specific skills required to secure a promotion. In fact, research by Graduate Careers Australia shows that over 60 per cent of postgraduates indicated that their qualification was either required or important for their jobs.
 

If you decide to embark on postgraduate study yourself, these are just a few of the great advantages that you can expect as a result. To read more about how postgraduate study can boost your career visit our career paths hub.