Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
This will be a lengthy post, however, I feel it is important for me to say this out loud.
As a person who had gone through and completed postgraduate studies; and currently hiring contract resources for eLearning projects, I believe it is important for every new graduate to gain industrial experience prior to continuing their postgraduate degree.
Many of the candidates whom I had the chance to interview had outstanding paper qualifications ranging from Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design to PhD in Instructional Design Technology. Recently, I have been very selective in hiring fresh graduates as I do not have the luxury of time to train them prior to project deployments (I am handling projects with aggressive timelines).
I have had the experience of working with people who came in after the completion of their graduate studies. I noticed the following trends:
1. Those without any work experience in between their first degree & postgrad studies require a lot of guidance, training & coaching. This might not be very ideal in project modes but probably more suitable for management trainee posts.
2. Those with work experience tend to be more mature; able to handle the stakeholders and office environment better; and usually tackle issues or incidents with greater confidence.
It pains me even more when the postgrads are coming from Instructional Design programmes and know everything about effective learning design in theory but unable to apply it in their assigned tasks (I am a passionate Instructional Designer, hence, the struggle is real).
My advice to those planning to further their studies at postgrad level, do consider taking a year or two after your first degree to gain some work experience. By doing so, you’ll be able to define your problem statement better and gain the maturity required to conduct your research in a wholesome manner.
Work environment will whip you in shape for time & people management; better your communication skills; and boost the much needed confidence for your viva or defense later.
Allahu ‘alam. Selamat berbuka puasa everyone.
borak aku 