Upcoming graduates are facing a slow economy and a tight job market. According to The New York Times and The Des Moines Register, among others, national trends seem to suggest that this has caused more students to express interest in graduate study after receiving their bachelor’s degree.

It is good to know that this does not seem to be the case at Simpson. Though furthering one’s education is an admirable endeavor, it should not be used as a “holding pattern” for students who are afraid of not landing their dream job right out of college.

One obvious reason for this is that in an economic slowdown, it is obviously a risky idea to incur further financial debt unless absolutely necessary. With the rising cost of education, students could very well accumulate a frightening amount of debt by the time they attain their graduate degree. Not to mention the simple fact that piling on to existing debt does not promise to improve one’s financial standing two to four years later.

Often times, graduate study can make a student overqualified for certain jobs. While it is understood that certain areas of study, such as biology and psychology require higher education for many of the jobs in the field, that is not the case for all job-seeking students.

Actually, it would seem that graduate school could make students less attractive to employers in some cases. With money being tight, why would a company want to hire someone with their master’s degree when they could hire someone with a bachelor’s degree to do the same job, and start them off at a slightly lower salary?

There are signs that the job market may pick up again very soon. If the job you’ve been dreaming of doesn’t come along, look for something related to your field to gain some practical experience to make you stand out to employers next year. It’s probably a better decision in the long run.