Graduate school will usually help your career, no matter what you study. Even a Master’s degree in something as esoteric as Russian Folk Art can give you an edge over an otherwise equally-qualified candidate who lacks an advanced degree–even when the job for which you’re applying is unrelated to your major.

Damaged Goods?

On the other hand, if you hold an MBA, law, or medical degree, your academic credentials could actually harm your resume, unless you’re applying for a position directly related to what you studied. Think about it. Would you consider hiring an MBA or law school grad for a junior creative position in an advertising agency? Or how about as a copyeditor, inside sales representative, or video game designer? Some advanced degrees pre qualify their bearers for positions beyond entry level, along well-defined career paths. It can be quite difficult for such an applicant to convince a recruiter that she won’t leave a particular job when an opportunity in her field of study arises.

Professional school graduates seeking employment unrelated to their degrees may appear to be indecisive or unreliable. Having squandered years of study pursuing the wrong careers–at considerably high personal and financial expense–they may appear to be unfocused, fickle, or of the “professional student” variety, chasing down one abortive vocational path after another. Before you consider graduate school, make sure that you’re doing so because you really want to, not because everyone else is going, or because your family or significant other wants you to.

It’s All in the Timing.

Just as where you go to school can be important (e.g., an Ivy-League or other reputable institution vs a non accredited or low-rated school), when you go to grad school can be crucial. It’s much easier to accept that a twenty-two-year-old could make an unwise academic decision than someone a decade or two older. Conversely, a person who returns to school in middle age to pursue a psychology degree–and upon graduation interviews for a counseling position–may come across as a wisened, decisive, and disciplined individual who had the courage to make a career change.

Making the Commitment

In any event, going to graduate school is a serious decision. You may lose up to eight years of opportunity in the job market, incur tens of thousands of dollars in debt, sacrifice your family and social life–and even compromise your health–particularly if you intend to continue working while you attend classes. Will it be worth it?

To find out, you’ll need to engage in some deep introspection. As you consider your future, motivations, and career preferences, try to come up with honest and thoughtful answers to the following questions:

• Do I know what I want to do with my life? How does this degree fit in with those plans?
• Is graduate school necessary? Are there alternate paths to where I want to go, such as seminars, books, certificate programs, technical or vocational school, internships, or paid training opportunities?
• Will my degree pay off, both personally and professionally? Will the added financial burden be worth mounting?
• Is there a chance that I won’t pursue a career directly related to this degree? If so, will having the degree still positively affect my resume, or could there be professional consequences?
• Do I really want to go to grad school, or am I driven by external factors, such as the expectations of friends, family, colleagues, or significant others? Am I simply feeling inferior because I don’t hold an advanced degree? Or am I just trying to avoid the feeling of “standing still”?

In the final analysis, the decision to attend graduate school is best made by you, for reasons specifically related to your personal and professional development. And just as you shouldn’t embark upon an advanced degree program for the wrong reasons, you shouldn’t cut your career possibilities short merely because you don’t feel up to working hard or missing out on a quick paycheck. Not only can grad school open you to more fruitful career opportunities, but it can also expand your mind while fostering solid disciplinary skills, skills that potential employers may recognize–skills that can last you a lifetime.

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*Source for earnings data: US Census Bureau

Whom should you choose to write your recommendations? If you’re still in school, seek out professors who can vouch for your ability to work hard. Approach these teachers while they still know you–and be especially keen to find at least one who teaches a subject related to your future studies.

Out of School, Out of Mind.

But what if you’ve been out of school for some time? It only takes a few semesters before a professor becomes distracted by an onslaught of new names and faces. Let a few years pass, and you’re unlikely to find a teacher who remembers you well enough to write about you authoritatively. While you can enroll in a certificate program or non matriculated course just to cozy up to a particular instructor, it may prove more beneficial to approach someone else, someone from your professional or community experience.

The Professional Recommendation

If you do decide to ask a colleague to write a letter of recommendation, find someone who has supervised, mentored, or managed you in some capacity. You want a person who can attest to your diligence, initiative, and accomplishments.

Consider your extracurricular activities. Have you volunteered in any way? Do you attend Chamber of Commerce, networking, or Toastmasters meetings? You may find excellent potential recommenders amongst the people you’ve met and served alongside in those situations.

The Appeal of Celebrity

You may be tempted to scour your family or social network for ties to community or political leaders. If you do, avoid any “celebrity” recommender with whom you’re only marginally acquainted. Having a letter from a famous actor or senator won’t do you any good if it’s obvious that the person doesn’t really know you. In fact, it can hurt your application.

Make Sure They Really Want To.

You should also avoid asking for a recommendation via email or voicemail. Busy people are often bombarded with messages, and are usually less able to check and respond to correspondence in a timely manner. Furthermore, given the absence of visual and auditory feedback, you’ll have a much harder time detecting whether the person really wants to write a letter for you.

And that’s crucial, as a recommendation from someone who’s not enthusiastic about helping you is a potentially bad thing. Whenever possible, ask your prospective recommenders in person, taking careful note of their reactions–particularly their facial expressions–when you make your request. When physical proximity is not a possibility, the telephone is your next best option (in which case, you should listen for as many auditory cues as you can). In any case, the moment you detect hesitation from your potential letter writer, back down and find someone else. A lukewarm recommendation, like one written by someone who hardly knows you, can hurt your application.

Pulling It All Together

How many recommendations should you pursue? Most schools require two or three. In any case, before contacting possible recommenders, make sure you’ve got more names than you’ll need. The odds of someone agreeing to write a recommendation–and then not coming through with it–are high enough to warrant having at least one more letter writer than you’re required to have.

Even when you’ve got a short list of good, potential recommenders, don’t expect them all to dash off letters without offering them some guidance. To that end, remind or apprise your letter writers of any specific points you want to make. In addition to a summary of your professional goals, include a list of bullet points delineating projects, situations, or accomplishments you’d like them to highlight. Of course, those can differ depending on the recommender, so make certain to be specific about things that each writer can uniquely attest to.

You should also include a current draft of your personal statement. Not only can that give your recommenders more insight into you and your intentions, but it can also garner some constructive critiques. Having multiple perspectives on your personal statement, especially from people in academia or other high positions, is crucial to making that essay more persuasive.

In addition, don’t forget to include your resume and some information about the program to which you’re applying, particularly the application deadline. If it’s practical and possible, a copy of your transcript might also prove helpful–though it’s not necessary.

What Are They Saying About You?

It bears noting that you may not get to see what your recommenders write about you, as some schools get those letters directly from the letter writers, not you. Even if you do get to see the letter beforehand, however, do not take the liberty of rewriting or revising it. If you find spelling, grammatical, formatting, and/or factual errors, bring them to the attention of your recommender in a humble, non accusatory manner. Always remember that the person is doing you a favor, and make sure that each recommender gets some appreciative feedback; don’t forget to send each recommender a thank-you note once you’ve sent in your application(s).

In some cases, a prospective recommender may ask you to write the letter on their behalf. While there are ethical considerations specific to that situation, don’t ever offer to write such a self-recommendation when you approach your letter writers. It reflects both a lack of faith in them and questionable ethical standards on your part.

In sum, securing persuasive, honest, and thoughtful letters of recommendation requires time, tact, keen perceptual skills, and detailed planning. If you’re seriously considering graduate school, get your “recommendation campaign” started now, no matter how far along you are in the application process. Unlike your personal statement, recommendations are not completely within your control; the sooner you get those arranged, the sooner you can address potential problems.

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No matter where you are in your educational ambitions, there is no better time than now to start drafting your personal statement. For one thing, a thoughtful, unique, polished, and persuasive essay demands considerable time and effort. For another, thinking and writing about the reasons you want to pursue more schooling can help you clarify what your goals really are. As you go through such a process, you’ll become more focused, something that will shine through in your essay–and make you more appealing to admissions officers.

Show Them What You Have to Offer.

One thing that you’ll need to communicate in your application essay is what you’ll bring to the program to which you’re applying. Admissions officers seek goal-directed candidates who will offer something of value to their programs and, ultimately, their schools’ reputations. The higher the quality of their students, the more likely their graduates will go on to achieve great things. Eventually, the schools’ rankings go up, and everyone wants to attend.

Let’s Get Started.

To begin drafting your personal statement, you will need to delve into three important areas:

• Your accomplishments
• The skills and traits that enabled you to achieve those accomplishments
• Your specific goals for your education and career (i.e., what you intend to do with your future academic credentials)

So, what qualifies as a worthy accomplishment? At this point in the process, you’re in brainstorming mode, which means that you want to avoid censoring or judging your thoughts. Just grab a sheet a paper and begin listing noteworthy things you’ve done. Were you ever a group, team, or organizational leader? Jot it down. What kind of extracurricular or community activities did you participate in? Were there any proud moments for you with regard to those things? Add them to your list.

Think over your family, school, community, personal, and professional experience. Liberally list anything that had you taking initiative, conquering a fear, offering comfort, solving a problem, or developing an idea. Go ahead and fill the page. You won’t be writing about everything that you’re listing, so don’t worry about having too much material. Your goal at this point is to make sure that you’re not overlooking or downplaying anything noteworthy that you’ve accomplished in your life.

Handling Challenges

With regard to your skills and traits, grab another sheet of paper, look back upon your list of accomplishments, and consider any obstacles you overcame. What specific disciplinary skills and character traits did those experiences require or help you develop? Even if something you did fell short of your expectations, play up the positive. Rather than cast an experience in a negative light, focus on the character traits that the situation brought out or fostered. Think about how you grew, how you became stronger.

Know Your Strengths.

Consider behaviors that are universal in concept but unique to you. Do you have focus, drive, and/or the ability to prioritize? Are you a fast learner? Do you thrive in uncertainty? Are you a critical thinker? Do you regularly set and work toward goals? Are you organized? Do you inspire or motivate others? Are you a good negotiator or mediator? Do you delegate tasks well? Are you a creative problem-solver? Do you write or speak particularly well? Do you have strong artistic or mechanical abilities? There are many positive traits to consider; you may want to jot those things down with the help of a friend or family member.

Keep in mind that most schools are looking for self-motivated candidates who can effectively handle resources, projects, and people. So, think about the specific skills and traits you demonstrated in achieving your past goals, because you’re going to use those things as evidence of your future ability to succeed. As you consider all that, try to find a common thread or theme for your essay. Do you notice any patterns with regard to your accomplishments and the traits you demonstrated in achieving them?

What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?

That leads you to your current goals, both for school and your career. On a third sheet of paper, consider what you’ll bring to the specific program to which you’re applying. How will the business world, scientific community, medical profession, or educational system benefit from what you will do when you graduate? What traits and skills that you demonstrated via your past accomplishments will you put toward reaching your academic and career goals?

Ultimately, you want to narrow your focus to one or two specific goals. Your focus should be something you can tie into your past experience, something that works with the overall theme of your essay. Did your earliest work experience give you a sense of empathy that you intend to use to help others who may occasionally feel overwhelmed? Do you thrive on uncertainty?

Beyond Yourself

As you draft your essay, don’t merely articulate your desire to advance your career or achieve a high position. Emphasize ambitions that reach beyond personal rewards. Discuss your plans in terms of how others will benefit, particularly the specific graduate program you’re applying to, your future employers and clients, and the scientific or business community.

Be warned, however, that writing a personal statement can be a labor-intensive, time-consuming task. It’s never too soon to begin. And it’s always a good idea to get help, even if that simply amounts to a second pair of eyes to check for errors, inconsistencies, or ambiguities. You may even decide to seek professional assistance for your application essay. In any case, don’t be tempted to submit a lackluster statement. Saving a few hours or dollars now could cost you tens of thousands later if you don’t get into the right graduate program.

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