Ten reasons to choose a master's degree. The guide of the former student who became a top manager in just five years

Networking is not, however, an address book with names and phone numbers, which is handed out at the entrance, but rather an activity that the students themselves have to engage in, which starts with their fellow students and continues with the lecturers and company witnesses involved in classroom training during the master's course.
Clearly, the student is required to overcome shyness and interact, asking interesting questions: a good impression in the classroom and a contact on platforms such as LinkedIn is enough to reactivate, even years later, that connection, to ask for professional advice, for example.

3. Entering the world of work before being hired

The quality of networking clearly derives from the master's positioning in terms of relations with companies: before enrolling, it is therefore essential to assess the aura - as today's young people would say - of the lecturers and partner companies involved. But this is not the only element that prepares one for the world of work. The teaching methodology is also central: if the university gives you a learning method, the master's course makes you apply it. If at university theory and individual study often prevail, in a 'right' master's course the paradigm is reversed, allowing you to deal with practical cases, perhaps in a group, maturing those skills that are then crucial in the world of work.

4. A master's degree worth (more) than a bachelor's degree

With the exception of some STEM disciplines, where a master's degree is a must, in all other cases a master's degree can easily follow a bachelor's degree immediately and, indeed, can be more effective in terms of 'fast moving' into the world of work. As in the case of Casnati, who went from a law degree to a career path in marketing and sales.

5. The numbers of a master's degree do not lie

In order to distinguish a quality course from the many offers on the market, two other essential quantitative indicators must be checked at the same time: the number of enrolled students - preferably no more than 30, so as not to be 'one of the many in the classroom' - and the placement percentage - the only real guarantee for a professional future - which must necessarily be close to 100%.

6. Master's degree at first sight, the importance of the admission interview

Beyond cold data, there is also a decisive human factor: the relationship with the teaching staff and the master's team. These figures, in fact, could become a 'beacon' capable of guiding professional choices and advising the student during (and after) the training course.

7. Insider tips for earning more

Beware, though: attending a master's degree does not automatically result in a magically higher entry salary. But it does provide the tools to achieve it. Thanks to market benchmarks and the organisation's advice, the graduate - if he or she comes out of a quality course - certainly learns how to pose correctly during interviews, understanding how far to go in negotiations and what remuneration package is right for his or her profile.

8. Mentorship and Alumni, two green flags

A fundamental asset, often absent in standard university courses, is the presence of an active community. The masters courses to be chosen, therefore, are those that are differentiated by an ecosystem in which 'ex-masters' (alumni) support current students by acting as mentors: this virtuous circle offers, in fact, guidance based on lived experience and concretely facilitates entry into the company.

9. Physical presence beats online

In an increasingly digital world, even the proliferation of online masters courses should be evaluated carefully: distance learning courses cannot replace face-to-face courses, especially if the goal is professional transformation. Real relationships are built in person: digital teaching remains a valid tool only for acquiring vertical technical skills or for short, specialised modules, not for building the network that will serve throughout one's career.

10. Master's degree at university or outside?

If university education is exclusive to academic realities, master's degrees can, on the other hand, originate in completely different fields, often related to business realities. Which of the two worlds do you prefer?
Experience suggests that master's degrees promoted by non-academic training institutions or business schools tend to be more effective in terms of immediate entry into the world of work. This is mainly due to a more agile structure and a closer link with the entrepreneurial fabric of reference.