Job vs Higher Studies after BA

Abhik Das

Updated On: March 18, 2024 04:30 pm IST

How long have you been thinking this question: Higher Education vs. Job - Which is the Best Option After BA? Check out this article to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of working or continuing your education after earning a BA degree.

Job vs Higher Studies after BA

When students earn a graduate degree, they begin to consider their options for post-BA employment. What can I do with a BA? Should they pursue higher education, stay in school, or enter the workforce? Students can be seen balancing their thoughts and feelings. Numerous times, students let what others want them to do or peer pressure influenced their decisions and ideas.

This question - whether should I opt for higher studies or look for a job after completing getting my Bachelor of Arts degree has been confronted by all those who have obtained their BA degree up till now and will be confronted by those who are going to receive their BA degree in future. Also, we have received a lot of queries regarding if higher studies or preparing for a job is the best option after graduation. So, we decided to do some research and came up with this article where we will try to look into both of these options to find out which is the best option after BA - jobs or higher studies in the next 5 to 10 minutes.

After considering all of these situations, juggles, dilemmas, self-doubts, experiences, and research, I came to the conclusion that you should first analyse your potential. Even if you can't do it right now, consider what skills you can learn and move forward. Do not limit yourself by opening your Pandora box. Consider all of the opportunities to learn.

Why Should You Opt for Higher Studies After BA

It is not that you will not be able to land up in a fine job opportunity which might seem reasonable to you or seem to promise you a good future but tread carefully! Here are some reasons as to why you should not look for jobs after obtaining your BA degree and instead opt for higher studies -

  • Higher Studies Lead to a Clearer Career Goal - When you opt for a job after completing your undergraduate degree study, you will not have the chance to grow at a rate which you would have expected or grow at all. Plus, in today’s highly competitive world, it is quite hard to move up the career ladder with a BA degree

  • More Time for Decision Making - Obtaining a BA degree is no way of deciding what is it that you want from your life. You still do not have an exact idea of where to go career-wise and you need a bit more time. Well, there you go. Opt for higher studies and utilize this extra thinking time to see where is it you want to see yourself in the near or distant future

  • B.A Degree is Not Enough for an Upward Trajectory in Career - In today’s highly competitive world, a single BA degree will never help you stand apart from the rest of the crowd. To make your mark, you need to have more than a BA degree - probably a Master’s degree, or an MPhil or even a PhD

  • There is no Substitute for Knowledge - The most important thing about pursuing a higher degree study option is that it enhances your knowledge about a subject which cannot be substituted with anything

Why Students Opt for Jobs after BA

Having said enough about why students should opt for higher studies after obtaining their BA degree, we cannot ignore the fact that students still will be opting for jobs after BA. In this section we will try to find out the reasons why -

  • Some BA specializations do not require the students to possess a higher education degree and the students can easily get a job of their desire like a BA degree in Film Making & Television production where more than a higher education degree, fresh ideas are welcomed

  • With a higher education degree after BA, there is no guarantee that the former will receive a higher CTC and might end up working on the same pay scale as a B.A degree holder. On the other hand, the BA degree holder who let’s assume started working two years ago (while the former was completing his/her higher studies) has a better grasp of the task and industry and has the potential to draw higher salary in the basis of experience

  • Sometimes, personal issues or certain responsibilities come in the path of the students with a BA degree who want to go for higher education forcing them to give up on their dream of pursuing higher education (for that particular moment) and take up a job

  • Some universities or institutions extract a huge amount of money from the students for offering postgraduate or higher degree studies which do not seem worth it considering the low return on investment

List of Government Jobs after BA

The table below contains a list of all possible government job options for students with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree:

Government Job Options

Exams to Clear

UPSC Civil Service Examination

UPSC CDSE

  • Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)

UPSC CAPF

  • Intelligence Bureau Jobs (ACIO, ASO, JIO, SRO)

N/A

  • Railway Jobs

Various Exams Conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board

  • Indian Postal Service

N/A

  • Upper Division Clerks

  • Tax Assistant

  • Senior Secretariat Assistant

  • Accountant/Junior Accountant

  • Auditor

  • Junior Statistical Officer

  • Statistical Investigator - II

  • Inspector

  • Sub-Inspector

  • Assistant Enforcement Officer

  • Central Excise Officer

  • Income Tax Inspector

  • Assistant Section Officer

  • Assistant Accounts Officer

  • Assistant Audit Officer and many more

SSC CGL

List of Private Jobs after BA

Some of the most popular private jobs that a BA degree holder can easily target are as follows -

  • After considering all of these situations, juggles, dilemmas, self-doubts, experiences, and research, I came to the conclusion that you should first analyse your potential. Even if you can't do it right now, consider what skills you can learn and move forward. Do not limit yourself by opening your Pandora box. Consider all of the opportunities to learn.

List of Higher Education after BA

Post-graduate specialisation: You can specialise in your graduation subject, which will broaden your depth of knowledge in that subject. Another option is to select a subject in which you want to specialise that does not require a bachelor's degree. You can take certification courses and course specialisations to learn the fundamentals of the subject.

Master of Business Administration

Master of Statistics

B.A. B.Ed.

Master of Education

Digital Marketing Course

MBA in Sales and Marketing

Online Master of Business Administration

Master of Journalism

MBA in Marketing Management

Master of Education

BA LLB

MBA in Business Management

Master of Legislative Law

MA Economics

MBA in HR

Pros and Cons of Pursuing Higher Studies after BA

In the table below, we have listed some of the pros and cons of opting for a higher education study after BA -

Pros

Cons

  • Chances of employability receive a huge boost

  • Acquiring unique skill sets due to a more complex course content

  • Enhancement in knowledge

  • Wide range of career pathways open up

  • Average fee in some specializations is quite above the roof

  • Increase in workload most likely

  • No time for self or socialising as much of the time is spent in libraries and classes

  • Can be depressing when the classmates of the ones pursuing higher degree studies are earning money

Pros and Cons of Taking Up a Job After BA

The table below lists the pros and cons of taking up a job immediately after obtaining a BA degree -

Pros

Cons

  • Early job means more experience, earning money early, benefits of seniority and steady life
  • Instead of investing in education, you can invest in your dream home or a car or even choose to explore various places and fulfil your dreams
  • When you start working at an early age, say suppose after B.A, you are accumulating a wealth of experience which will augur well for you in the future
  • Steady always does not mean good but also sometimes refer to monotony and boring

  • The safest investment you can make is on your higher education. Higher education often provides more security than expected

  • Having experience in a particular field or job will only help you climb the ladder up to a certain level. A higher education degree can open up several ways of climbing to the top of the ladder

Higher Education v/s Job - Which is the Best Choice

Throughout the entire article, we have tried to find a definite answer to the question - which is the best choice after BA - higher education or jobs but as we head towards the conclusion of this argument, we see that choosing between jobs or higher studies after completing BA is completely subjective. It is what you want to do. It is what you feel is the right thing to do. It is what you feel is the need of the hour. It is only you and you who can decide if you want to take up a job or wait until you obtain a higher education degree to get a job after BA.

Related Articles:

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Find out the differences between BA (Hons) and BA PassHaving difficulty in choosing the right BA specialization after 12th? Click here!
What is the difference between BA Psychology and BA Applied Psychology? Click here to find outFind out various career scopes for a Sociology graduate
Find out the potential career options for a Philosophy graduate in IndiaList of Foreign Languages suitable for a BA degree holder to enhance employability
Click here to find out the difference between BA Archaeology and HistoryShould a B.A degree holder go for an MA degree or B.Ed study? Find out here
Are you an English graduate? Looking for a Government job? Click here to find out-----

The students opting for BA for the academic session of 2022-2023 can refer to this article and keep a check on this page for further updates and date releases. If you have any questions, visit our QnA section and feel free to write your queries to us.

For further news/articles and updates related to What after BA?, stay tuned to CollegeDekho!

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FAQs

What are the different options to pursue after BA?

The various options to pursue after BA include higher studies, a government job, or a private job.

What are the different job options after completing a BA course?

The different job options after BA include Content Writer, Graphic Designer, Marketing Manager, Executive Assistant, etc.

Which government sectors offer jobs after BA?

The various government sectors that offer job after BA include Indian Army, Indian Navy, CAPF, Railways, Postal Services, etc.

What higher studies options do I have after completing BA?

After completing BA, you can go for higher education in MA, LLB, Diploma in Data Science, MBA, etc.

Can I get a good job if I only pursue BA?

You can get some decent jobs after pursuing BA but if you want to get a job with a good package, it is always the best option to pursue higher studies.

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