What’s the value of an advanced technical degree?
In the Fall of 2019, I started a Master’s at Georgia Tech. The program is online and focused on data science. I have 2 more years to earn it as I’m working full time. I’ve worked in data science and analytics for well over a decade now.
Now that the initial excitement has worn off for people around me, I don’t get claps on the back or cheers of encouragement. At best, it’s acknowledged when they ask me, dropping their voices half an octave…
“Mark, once you’re done with the Master’s, will you have access to different types of roles now?” And I answer, “Not exactly”.
Cue the horrifically screeching violins as they scurry away, never to ask such things of me again.
I get this reaction. As humans, we want our investments to guarantee a pay off, and damn it, it had better come quickly. When people are shopping for advanced degrees these days, there’s often a focus on the financial benefits. Nobody wants to be a sucker or Bamboozlee of the Month in a WSJ exposé.
While they’re not the only game in town, FAANGs jobs commonly come up as means to fulfill financial targets. The problem is that with regards to technical roles, FAANGs don’t place a premium on a Master’s degree. Sure, it could help to get an interview, but if your goal is to work at these companies, I’d stick with leetcode for technical prep. “Don’t play a well rounded game. Just hit 3’s. We’ll show you the rest.”
My situation further complicates the problem: a Master’s for someone with 15 years of work experience in the same field. When you’re this far into your career, an advanced degree is a blip compared to your experience, buried at the bottom of your CV / Linkedin profile. I don’t expect any significant financial benefits.
Let’s unpack the cost portion of value (aka benefits - cost). And I don’t just mean money or time invested, I mean the emotional energy. Even mundane aspects of my program appear to be designed to annoy and sap energy.
For example, getting set up for online, proctored exams are a royal pain in the ass. To show that I’m not cheating, I have to swivel my laptop’s camera to show the entire room. Suddenly, I’m the next Steven Soderbergh, taking special care to show the entire hellhole of my office. This includes boxes masterfully positioned out of frame of my video-calls. Oddly, rules dictate that I don’t film my cats in this video to ensure that Academic Integrity Can Flourish. I don’t get that as Maverick and Larry don’t yet understand Jacobian determinants.
Passing that hurdle, I’m then greeted with a timed coding exam from the 5th level of Hell. My multitasking hits new levels, as my Saturday is spent in a fit of panic attacks while I simultaneously disappoint my wife and friends by no-showing on plans. At least I don’t have to wait for results; I immediately get my score back and eureka! I’ve been once again kicked in the pants by a 22 year old, who scores 103% (how???). This breaks the curve for the entire class and my spirit.
The realizations come knocking the next day.
Working in industry without formally balancing my training has left me blind to gaps in my knowledge. And somewhere between the odd, proctored quizzes and my Price is Right Losing Horn final exam results, the humility hits. I’ve been nestled in the warm blankie of my employability and appreciated-but-not-quite Fuck You money. I’m not the technical hot shit that once was.
We build from baselines. I’ve learned some things. All the bullshit and fanfare of studying and taking tests forced one slow chug of a cognitive crank. These small, painful steps are addictive. It takes me back to being 10 years old, trying to finally beat my older brother in NHL ‘93.
Is this the game when Jeremy Roenick’s head won’t bleed? Where I finally win the Stanley Cup and All-Stars West lords over my brother in victory?
…well, shit, I guess not because Jeremy's head is bleeding again. But I know I’m moving forward. And I’m not going to make that same mistake again.
From this place, I’m approaching my day with the feeling of having completed a hard workout. Like I’ve already won the day. I’m closer to the vast universe of what I don’t know. And the bits that I already knew? I appreciate them, and myself, a bit more.
That’s more valuable to me than a slightly higher paying job.