Let’s imagine for a second that you’ve had grad school on your mind. It’s something you’ve considered, a part of your natural maturation and learning plan. 

Well, this is the time to sign up and go for it, but it’s probably not for the reason you think. 

Yes, it’s true, you have time on your hands right now, so activating the deep recesses of your brain makes sense during your social isolation. 

But there is another reason that may be even more convincing: Your long-term earning potential. 

I’m guessing I’ve got your attention now!

“If you’re planning to go to graduate school in the next few years, anyway, and you can afford it, or even if you need to borrow for it, going during a recession is a good time to do it,” says Patrick Mullane, executive director of Harvard Business School Online. 

That’s because if you enter the workforce now, you’ll be entering during a recession, and your earnings could be lower for your lifetime.  

“You’ll likely have to start with a reduced salary, so it might be better to be in school during a down economy and enter the workforce in a better market,” Mullane adds.

Let’s consider this theorem for a moment. 

During a recession, employers have the leverage. With high unemployment rates, they can pick and choose the absolute best candidates for their jobs, and if their candidate tries to play hardball over their salary, they can just move along to their next (available) great candidate. 

Leverage is a nasty beast, and in times of economic recession employers hold all the cards. 

If, instead of fighting that uphill battle against leverage, you work to improve yourself in school and then hit the job market at a potentially different moment in our economic history, your earning potential can and should be much higher. Timing matters!

There is a Middle Ground

There is also a very powerful middle ground. Work AND educate. If you are lucky enough to maintain your employment during this global pandemic, keep it, and pursue your advanced degree concurrently. 

Our Master’s and PhD programs are online and flexible, so you can keep your job and improve yourself. 

Now let’s play this out – you keep working and earning, while also improving your knowledge during this crazy period of our history. When we come out of this, and we will, you’ll be the one with leverage. 

You’ll be the top dog, both highly educated AND experienced. You’ll either enter the workforce in an improved economy, or if we are still in a period of high unemployment, you’ll have the combination of intellect and experience that employers seek out.   

Bottom line, now is a time to be learning and preparing yourself for the future, because our future looks a little murky. With millions of people dealing with a loss of work, there will be high unemployment and competition for roles, but we have no idea how long it will last or how deep it will go. The best way to handle greater competition is to rise above. The more skills you have that align with what the industry needs, the better suited you are to handle any economic condition. 

If Grad School Isn't Your Goal

Even if you don’t want to invest in grad school, any of our 30+ online courses are designed to vault you ahead of the competition.

Envision yourself in a job interview after the worst of this is over, and a team hiring manager says to you, “So, what did you do to stay productive during the COVID-19 isolation?”

Would you rather say things like, “I started earning my Master’s in Sports Leadership” and “I took an online course in Baseball Analytics” or… “I binge-watched Tiger King and organized my sock drawer by color and length.”

The choice is yours.