Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / Grad School or Industry? How to Actually Decide
Transcript
- Malcolm: Cause like even with the engineering degree, like I know it's it's it's a lot of people I know that like are still struggling to find, you know, a role or like try to like figure out what's next for them. but is is going to grad school you know, like the best bet for the most ambitious black engineers right now, or is it oversold comparing to getting into the industry and and and working early? I think we obviously wanna have different perspectives on this considering Jayson: Ha ha. Malcolm: like we in the industry early and and you you headed off to grad school, but like like what's kinda y'all take on on grad school, with the engineering, you know, degree and or just kinda like going straight to straight to work. Like I I guess to kick things off. I personally think that's more of like a I really think that that's a personal preference thing. Like I think that's a but I don't really think it's like I mean it's hard for it's hard to kinda say. I think like considering like the context of like how tough it is in the in the job market right now, I wouldn't be you know, I don't I don't blame anybody for going to grad school but I think it's more about 'cause I know there are are a ton of people who get through an engineering degree and never want to touch engineering again in their life. And that's a big big a big enough reason for them not to want to go back to grad school. But like I said, like what's y'all take on like, you know, like like is it is it the the best bet? Do you feel like you're kinda like missing out by not going straight to work and getting that that hands on experience? Thomas: Jason, you got it, man. Your world. Jayson: for sure. like you said, it's definitely very personal because it I feel like depends what your Malcolm: Yeah. Jayson: goals are. Like if you're trying to be a teacher, you gotta do academia, you know, if you so it's Malcolm: Yeah, of course. Jayson: just things like that. But for me, I'm just not in any rut. Like I feel like any opportunity you can get off the bat, you gotta take it. Like right now, like you said, Malcolm: Yeah. Jayson: in the political climate, everything, it's hard to even get either. Malcolm: yeah, it's isn't this is it's nasty out here, bruh. Yeah. Jayson: It's terrible, it's terrible, it's terrible. For me, I I've actually really thought about this for a very long time 'cause yo I did my industry internship and I like, This is great. I love being in the Bay Area, all that. but I was just like, I wanna I can I can hold off on working. I wanna hold off on working as long as I can because I know there will be a point where I'll probably be doing that for a good period of my life and so I just I love school. So I'm gonna just keep doing that and that's Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Jayson: something that I feel like was the simplest way to explain it. Like I'm telling you, I was talking to literally everybody at my company, I like, Yo, one on one, why you choose work, why did you not chose to go to school or did Malcolm: Mm. Jayson: you go to school, you get a PhD, whatever, why you do that? And for me what I got from those conversations are it it really just depended on if you like school or not, and if you wanted Malcolm: Yeah. Jayson: to make money. So it's really just those two things. I feel like at the end of the day that a lot of the people who are already loving like learning and STEM and engineering just had to battle through. And so for me I was just feel really lucky that I got this opportunity to continue doing school and not have to have to rely on that financial part as much. through the opportunity I got. So I was just very thankful about that. Malcolm: Yeah. Thomas: Think that's a that's a great point, man. I I I agree with y'all. I think it's it's preference, right? But for me, it it's gotta make sense, bro. Like if you wanna get a if you wanna be get an MBA, you might not want to go to school immediately after undergrad. You Jayson: Mm-hmm. Thomas: wanna get some experience, you have something to add Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: to the table. also, like Jason said, opportunity. If you have to choose if you have the opportunity between a job that's gonna give you 120K or a master's where you're gonna be spending money where you don't have any Jayson: Yeah yeah. Thomas: coverage, you're taking loans. Like let let's let's be serious, right? Like let's think. Like, Malcolm: Yeah, I guess. Jayson: Yeah. Thomas: even if you love school, you don't want to put yourself in a financial hole because school will eventually end. I mean, there are people out there who stay in school consistently in, you know, in their 40s, 50s, 60s, like they're always in school. And I think I've heard of that being a method to avoid having to pay back your loans. Like people just stay in school. Jayson: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: No facts. Thomas: But