Articles

Why I quit my job for a postgraduate degree

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"Walking away from a promising career that I worked so hard for, to come back to study, was not easy but I wanted to build a foundation for the next phase of my career path" - Luckanong Souliyavong

I had my career path vaguely mapped out before starting my undergraduate degree: get a degree in marketing, intern overseas, work for a large multinational firm to gain experience, get a master's degree, gain more experience in diverse industries and finally start my own consulting firm.

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However, walking away from a promising career that I worked so hard for, to come back to study, was not easy. After working with one of the world's largest FMCG companies for 2 years as a marketing executive and another 2 years as a brand manager, things were starting to get comfortable. My colleagues have become my new best friends, work was fun, and a stressful day had become the norm. I had an amazing boss who was supportive, understanding and cared about my personal and professional progression and there was nothing more I could ask for- except a chance to fully follow my newfound passion for travel.

I visioned my ideal job to be something related to marketing and tourism which meant I needed to acquire new specific knowledge and skills in order to excel. After much research, I made a hard decision to come back to university for a master's degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management at The University of Greenwich. I wanted to build a foundation for the next phase of my career path. Since I started in September 2019, it has been a whirlwind of excitement. I find my classes more interesting now and I am more eager to learn as I become clearer about what I want in the future and from my career path. Assignments have become less daunting because I get to go for intriguing topics that I am curious about, and my previous work experience adds to this. I can honestly say that I am more appreciative about what I learn in my postgraduate study compared to my time during undergraduate study.

My favourite part is the classroom discussion as I get to hear different perspectives from students from diverse cultures, academic and career backgrounds. I also enjoy talking to my lecturers and hearing about their views and experience in the field. So far, all my tutors are very supportive, and I am touched to see how much they care about our learning experience. Above all else, they took our feedbacks very seriously and made positive changes almost immediately to ensure the best quality of education.

In order to support my study, I needed a part-time job. Fortunately, with the help from the University's Jobshop, I was able to attain a job at the University of Greenwich Business Faculty as a Communication and CRM assistant where I work 20 hours a week. Balancing work and study seemed scary at first but thanks to my 'just do it' mantra, I could manage both. The keys are to never procrastinate and to plan well. Working while studying is definitely a great way to challenge myself and to make my resume shines.

It is safe to say that a postgraduate program trains me for a higher level of thinking and prepares me well for the fast-changing world. Slowly, but surely, I am becoming an expert in a field that I am passionate about. I will soon have backgrounds in two areas which would ultimately give me a competitive advantage to achieve the career that suits my preferences. If you are considering doing a postgraduate study, my suggestion is to go for it. It would give you an edge that will help you advance towards your goal.