NFT: Going for my Masters at 50.. yey or ney?

is always a yay.

unless you are going to go into business for yourself eventually. By the time you have it, you will no longer really be looking for advancement in your career. You will be winding down in those 10.

If you think your company will give you a raise once completed, then sure go for it.

Something you must do for yourself?

If not, then why the indecision?

you're not looking to advance. you made it this far and just got the BS. what are you looking to gain, aside from personal achievement? Of course IT could be completely different with a company wanting to go with younger bodies.

The company pays for it. The thing is is this the right decision?

I have been looking to relocate in my current job to another state. It is so hard to pull this off because they usually already have the candidate in place. ( a promotion) They are just going through the motions. The 2 solid opportunities I had were canceled due to loss of funding for the position.

So I guess I am thinking of this helping me in the outside world.. meaning if I was to go elsewhere.

I want the pelt... but to be honest I think I am late to the party where this will help me.

you much, but if it doesn't cost you anything, and you don't have something else to fill the time you would spend on your masters than why not?

there is something to be said about not wanting to look back with regrets in ones life of having not done something you really wanted to, and had the opportunity to do, but didn't.

Make sure your marriage isn't strained by the time and effort required.

do you want it enough to do it? My instinct is you've got a better shot at 50 than 54 of finding the relo opportunity.

In comment 13988892 Tom from LI said:

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The company pays for it. The thing is is this the right decision? I have been looking to relocate in my current job to another state. It is so hard to pull this off because they usually already have the candidate in place. ( a promotion) They are just going through the motions. The 2 solid opportunities I had were canceled due to loss of funding for the position. So I guess I am thinking of this helping me in the outside world.. meaning if I was to go elsewhere. I want the pelt... but to be honest I think I am late to the party where this will help me.

If you want to relocate, the time to do it is now. You cannot wait 5 years. Sadly employers are not going to be willing to take a risk in relocating you, if you are planning to retire in 7 years. The closer you get to 60 the harder its going to be to do what you actually want.

In comment 13988888 JonC said:

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Something you must do for yourself? If not, then why the indecision?

JonC, I think it is important to me but like my BS it has not helped me get a raise or promotion. It was I felt like I wasn't on the same level as my peers without it even though I was as talented imo. Now that I have the BS, I was thinking that I need the Masters to complete it. That might buy me the extra time to get to 62.

The other thing I thought is if I only make it to 55 here with my current employer, would that help me land another job or would it have no added value?

and was toast after two part-time semesters in the evening.

and I think you need to figure out what’s worth more to you, sense of achievement or financial (can be both but I’m guessing 1 far out weighs the other).

Personally I would t put the effort in if I wasn’t going to gain from it professionally/financially, but that’s just me.

If it were me (I'm 48 and considering relo in the next few years) I'd be trying to beef up the skills more quickly to help accelerate the relo options. Are any professional certifications an option?

Not trying to talk you out of the MS by any means, but think something with a more short term impact would help more, due to age and circumstances you've endured to this point.

In comment 13988903 BigBlueDownTheShore said:

Quote:

In comment 13988892 Tom from LI said: Quote: The company pays for it. The thing is is this the right decision? I have been looking to relocate in my current job to another state. It is so hard to pull this off because they usually already have the candidate in place. ( a promotion) They are just going through the motions. The 2 solid opportunities I had were canceled due to loss of funding for the position. So I guess I am thinking of this helping me in the outside world.. meaning if I was to go elsewhere. I want the pelt... but to be honest I think I am late to the party where this will help me. If you want to relocate, the time to do it is now. You cannot wait 5 years. Sadly employers are not going to be willing to take a risk in relocating you, if you are planning to retire in 7 years. The closer you get to 60 the harder its going to be to do what you actually want.

It has been frustrating to say the least to get an opportunity in my own company. We have 160,000 employees. I get so close, always to the final interview and then I get edged out by a person they already have.

I am just going to start to build the house in Clayton, NC within the next 4 months. I am going to sell my house and if by the time all of this transpires and I cant transfer, I am going to retire and look down there.

I guess I am trying to think, am I wasting my time with this Masters stuff?

are you going to gain exposure to resources or network you wouldn't otherwise have?

then weigh it against what you would've spent that time doing? Are you sacrificing time with family? Time surfing BBI? Snowball fights? Or would you just be wasting that time watching TV/reading?

Second, would you get any enjoyment out of the coursework or would it just seem monotonous and tedious?

In comment 13988913 JonC said:

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If it were me (I'm 48 and considering relo in the next few years) I'd be trying to beef up the skills more quickly to help accelerate the relo options. Are any professional certifications an option? Not trying to talk you out of the MS by any means, but think something with a more short term impact would help more, due to age and circumstances you've endured to this point.

I was thinking of grabbing my PMP cert... I was all gung ho to do this and the more I think about it them more I think it is a waste of time for the MS at this point in my life.

and possibly retire/quit in the process, I'd put off this decision since starting the MS might put you on the hook for some of the costs.

In comment 13988922 Tom from LI said:

Quote:

In comment 13988913 JonC said: Quote: If it were me (I'm 48 and considering relo in the next few years) I'd be trying to beef up the skills more quickly to help accelerate the relo options. Are any professional certifications an option? Not trying to talk you out of the MS by any means, but think something with a more short term impact would help more, due to age and circumstances you've endured to this point. I was thinking of grabbing my PMP cert... I was all gung ho to do this and the more I think about it them more I think it is a waste of time for the MS at this point in my life.

PMP makes more sense, and you can take a crash course for taking the test, and get it fairly quickly.

In comment 13988921 giants#1 said:

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then weigh it against what you would've spent that time doing? Are you sacrificing time with family? Time surfing BBI? Snowball fights? Or would you just be wasting that time watching TV/reading? Second, would you get any enjoyment out of the coursework or would it just seem monotonous and tedious?

It wasn't my first choice, The school said my background fit this program like a glove. I am not sure if I even like what I do for a living?

The funny thing is I told my wife when we relocate I am going to build a wood workshop in the garage and start a wood working business. LOL. I have been watching wood working videos on youtube every night and it just looks so satisfying to me.

Could I be going through a late mid life crisis? Lucky for my wife I just buy guitars when I need a pick me up.. lol.

knowing I have possibly 15 years left of work is scary.

In comment 13988933 Tom from LI said:

Quote:

In comment 13988921 giants#1 said: Quote: then weigh it against what you would've spent that time doing? Are you sacrificing time with family? Time surfing BBI? Snowball fights? Or would you just be wasting that time watching TV/reading? Second, would you get any enjoyment out of the coursework or would it just seem monotonous and tedious? It wasn't my first choice, The school said my background fit this program like a glove. I am not sure if I even like what I do for a living? The funny thing is I told my wife when we relocate I am going to build a wood workshop in the garage and start a wood working business. LOL. I have been watching wood working videos on youtube every night and it just looks so satisfying to me. Could I be going through a late mid life crisis? Lucky for my wife I just buy guitars when I need a pick me up.. lol. knowing I have possibly 15 years left of work is scary.

At least your going to be able to retire. I don't think that will be in the cards for me.

if you're cool with changing gears that way, it's a line of work you could experience a longer shelf life too, especially in IT.

It boils down to the time commitment you're ready to invest at 50-54 to reinvent yourself.

In comment 13988938 BigBlueDownTheShore said:

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In comment 13988933 Tom from LI said: At least your going to be able to retire. I don't think that will be in the cards for me.

I can only retire if I leave NY. There is no way I can afford to stay here.

In comment 13988940 JonC said:

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if you're cool with changing gears that way, it's a line of work you could experience a longer shelf life too, especially in IT. It boils down to the time commitment you're ready to invest at 50-54 to reinvent yourself.

I agree. I need to find a good boot camp or refresher course so I can take the test.

In comment 13988933 Tom from LI said:

Quote:

In comment 13988921 giants#1 said: Quote: then weigh it against what you would've spent that time doing? Are you sacrificing time with family? Time surfing BBI? Snowball fights? Or would you just be wasting that time watching TV/reading? Second, would you get any enjoyment out of the coursework or would it just seem monotonous and tedious? It wasn't my first choice, The school said my background fit this program like a glove. I am not sure if I even like what I do for a living? The funny thing is I told my wife when we relocate I am going to build a wood workshop in the garage and start a wood working business. LOL. I have been watching wood working videos on youtube every night and it just looks so satisfying to me. Could I be going through a late mid life crisis? Lucky for my wife I just buy guitars when I need a pick me up.. lol. knowing I have possibly 15 years left of work is scary.

i only have 5 and it’s exhilarating. I can’t wait. What bothers me is there’s probably 15 years of life remaining ;)

in certain organizations. I'll give you my story.

I was offered a new position within my company where I had worked for over ten years. The position was supposed to come with a nice raise - the floor of the salary scale was about 40% more than I was currently making. When they offered me the job they only offered me a raise of like 10% more. I was very upset, knowing that I would be taking on all the new responsibilities and required to relocate and everything. No matter how hard I tried I could not get them to negotiate to a higher salary.

In the end I had to decline the position. I was very disappointed, but I explained that it wasn't worth it given the personal costs, etc. The HR rep who was negotiating the new salary on behalf of the org was very kind and understanding, just kept saying there was nothing they could do. They wished me well.

Almost as an afterthought I mentioned how frustrating it was to not be able to get the higher salary, especially considering all the effort I'd gone through to earn my master's degree.

When the HR rep heard that they flipped. "I didn't realize you've got your masters, that changes everything."

Within an hour I had an offer at the bottom end of the salary scale for the new position, or approximately 40% more base salary.

Literally the only thing that got me the salary I wanted was the masters degree. Sometimes corporate policy allows for higher salaries for people with advanced degrees. Keep that in mind if you get in a position to negotiate salary.

In comment 13988950 Dan in the Springs said:

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in certain organizations. I'll give you my story. I was offered a new position within my company where I had worked for over ten years. The position was supposed to come with a nice raise - the floor of the salary scale was about 40% more than I was currently making. When they offered me the job they only offered me a raise of like 10% more. I was very upset, knowing that I would be taking on all the new responsibilities and required to relocate and everything. No matter how hard I tried I could not get them to negotiate to a higher salary. In the end I had to decline the position. I was very disappointed, but I explained that it wasn't worth it given the personal costs, etc. The HR rep who was negotiating the new salary on behalf of the org was very kind and understanding, just kept saying there was nothing they could do. They wished me well. Almost as an afterthought I mentioned how frustrating it was to not be able to get the higher salary, especially considering all the effort I'd gone through to earn my master's degree. When the HR rep heard that they flipped. "I didn't realize you've got your masters, that changes everything." Within an hour I had an offer at the bottom end of the salary scale for the new position, or approximately 40% more base salary. Literally the only thing that got me the salary I wanted was the masters degree. Sometimes corporate policy allows for higher salaries for people with advanced degrees. Keep that in mind if you get in a position to negotiate salary.

Dan, that is a great story. Congrats on that achievement!

Let me ask you do you think the school matters? I could find a less expensive school and possibly finish this in 2 years.

When I went after my BS I did it in 4 years full time at night. It was taxing because I started from scratch.. 0 credits.

I know this will be harder..

If your goal is money then really only you can answer that because you know your company and line of work better.

However, if your goal is to accomplish something then it is a loud yes. Yes, you should see if it makes sense financially which it sounds like it is since your company will be paying. So, why not? I have my masters plus about 60 credits. I am in education. I eventually want to get my doctorate. When talking to one of the professors he said that their is a good portion of people that do that not for financiao reasons but for a sense of accomplishment. He also said a byproduct of that is that your family (sons, daughters, and even grandchildren) see that and admire it giving them a great example of what hard work can accomplish at any age. So, from this perspective I totally agree with others that say it is worth it.

.

get a paper route on the weekends. derp

Yay

none of us can answer that for you. With the amount you are questioning it, though, it seems like a bad idea. I wouldn’t take this on unless I was 110% certain it was worth it (however you are measuring worth).

Finished at age 36. Best thing I ever did. All the doors flew open with those 3 letters. I'm 58 now and the top scientist in my 100,000 person company. I work harder than I ever did because I want to finish up with a bang, and leave a great crop of young scientists to carry it forward. So my answer is, if your job is rewarding to you, go for the Masters!

need lots of exercise too. Go for it I say. I'm 47 and still have hopes of getting my Masters now that my kids are moving out.

Mentioned but are extremely important. Generally if you utilize the educational stipend of a company they require you to work there for XXX amount of time or pay the cost back. So if you are looking to relocate sooner than later this could put you on the hook for 6ish years.

If you are looking to switch companies having a masters will obviously be an asset. As some mentioned you may be fighting age discrimination at that point but I would think higher degree plus experience would outweigh that especially if you are going to a southern state where talent pool isn’t that high.

As for source of degree that really depends on your industry, but my gut reaction is that it is not that important at your stage in IT. If you were 30 and coming out of MIT obviously but tech is tech to a certain degree after those schools.

I say pursue it at your own pace without being result-oriented. Is there a downside to that? Is it something that you have to finish once you get started?

there is no doubt the school matters in terms of what you will get out of it. As a credential though, I think it matters far less than the more expensive schools would like you to think. The school will matter more for those hoping to leverage connections formed at school and for those who anticipate working among the most highly educated. In the nearly 15 years since I received my degree I've only been asked about the school maybe twice.

There should be more than credential you seek however, and that's where the school can make a bigger difference. If you think about what you want to learn you will be better able to pick the right school for you. Spend the time and money to do your research carefully into the degree and methods of instruction to find not just what is most convenient but what will most help you achieve your personal goals.

Good luck!

I never would have pursued a degree while working at any age. I only ever did it fulltime. Doing it at night or on weekends would have meant major sacrifices like temporarily quitting guitar. That's not something I'd be willing to do.

I'm 69 and just retired from Teaching School. I have a Master's but I'm thinking for a PhD try myself

I think the main question is - are you doing this for personal growth, or to 'punch a ticket' as it relates to your career?

I've always told (younger) people to not do it because you think it will 'get' you something, do it because you really want to based on intellectual curiosity and personal growth. Based on this reasoning, your age may be irrelevant.

There have been some excellent points to consider on this thread.

Rather than jumping in with both feet (both in time and money)- perhaps trying a course on-line through Penn State may be good trial option? You could take a course that is genuinely interesting and also is a required course for the degree. Afterwards, you can do a real true assessment of whether you can commit (financially, time wise, interest, opportunity cost, etc)

Good luck!

Very few things enrich the human experience more than education, and you get to do it on someone's dime.

Congratulations on your BS. How do you feel about that accomplishment? When you started down that road, did you think you would be here now, discussing the opportunity to get a Masters Degree? Continue this and there will undoubtedly be additional pleasant rewarding surprises and opportunities that you created for yourself.

The rewards go far beyond financial, and again, you get to pursue for free. What a great thing.

I'll give you the old advice, you say you will be close to 55 when you finish, well how old will you be if you don't...

This is what makes BBI an asset you cannot put a price on.

I will admit I went back and forth on this.

The real reasons I am doing this is because honestly I miss school. The 20 year old version of myself would never have said it, but the 50 yo version does. I am better at my job and in all decisions in life with it than without it.

I am not looking to climb the ladder anymore. I am just looking at continually increasing my skill set to keep the job I have.

The one thing I got from reading the Penn State website was that with this program "Earning your MPS in EABT online while you continue to work full-time offers you the unique advantage of applying knowledge as you learn. As a student in the MPS in EABT program, you can apply course concepts in your job immediately. This practical application improves the learning experience and allows you to provide value to your organization each day."

That is a huge selling point for me. My Bachelors was kind of a review of everything I already knew. Yes I did learn new skills but I found it tedious to extract them and apply them to what I do now. I hope this will be different.

So I will start my Master's on August 20th. I will do one class a semester to start and see how it goes!

Again thank you for all of your great advice. I am very grateful!

DO IT.

Would you still do it? Go for it because you love the topic you are going to be studying. I tried to get so more certifications later on in life just so it would look good on the resume (money). It was really hard to get motivated every night after a full days work ...

If I was absolutely in love with what I was studying - I am sure it would have been much easier.

and I wish I had the stones and the energy to do what you are considering. I like to think if I were 10 years younger I would. It sounds like you are passionate about the industry since you just got your B.S recently. If you have the time , energy and financial resources to do so and from what you've said here you should go for it ! It sounds like you will have up to 10 years of working ahead of you when you graduate. Thats a long time.


My story: I just left my tech job of over 11 years. Towards the end of my time there my skills and desire were getting stale. Since I left I've been taking online courses to sharpen my skills. At my age I can't see going for an advanced degree since I'll have only a couple of years left to work. In my experience though, an advanced degree from a good school with give you an advantage whether you stay with your company or look elsewhere.

Tuition reimbursement is considered a benefit and taxed as income. So, if they pay you up to $8000, you're really collecting about $5-6K. Unless it will significantly further your career for the remaining 10 years, I don't think it is necessary. It comes down to a personal choice of whether or not you want to dedicate a lot of time, at this stage in your life and career, to another degree. Earning your BS was probably more impactful and meaningful to your career.