Should I do a masters?

[Lemonnhoney]

I'm 25, have a 3 year old and baby, fell pregnant in final year of degree (in a social science subject), still managed to graduate with a first and highest mark in year.

Since graduating I have been stay at home parenting and have had a tempory job (hospitality due to the flexibility) and also been volunteering in community projects.

I am dreaming of having a 'proper job' in something meaningful, charity sector and or environmental sector as its what I'm passionate about. I focused on sustainability in my final year of degree and have a small amount of experience in environmental projects.

When I look at jobs there is a number in that sector but all say they require some level of environmental/conservation qualification.

I've been looking at courses on environmental science and would love to go for it but the cost is a lot (and I already have a lot of student debt).

I guess I'm just looking for some advice from some wise mumsnetters. Should I go for it in the next couple of years to put myself in a more advantageous position. Or am I being naive and just need to get any job I can with what I'm qualified in at the moment? (which I don't feel like is a lot as my degree was quite niche and not a lot of jobs round here in it)

If you want to. There are postgrad student loans now.

Does your original uni have a careers centre? You might be able to get advice from them.

Generally your social sciences degree should qualify you for any graduate job that doesn't require a specialised degree. It might be worth getting an ordinary office job and some work experience before thinking about doing an expensive Masters, potentially with some volunteering in the sector you want to work for to make sure it's the right fit.

I did a masters in social sciences over 2 years part time. In the olden days when it was £525 a year! But it was the best thing I ever did. I highly recommend it. Your old uni might give you a bursary. Look into it, chat to universities, look online. But you may not 'need' one for a career

No advice on what your asking. But I just wanted to say you sound like your doing a great job OP!

If you've done the research into the jobs you want and that's the entry requirement then yes, go for it. The newish postgraduate loan makes it relatively painless financially if you find somewhere where the fees are all or mostly covered (I turned down my first choice of masters uni as it was about 6k more expensive then the one I am at). Online is a good option, much more flexible.

I would probably start looking for work that is even tangentially related to your sectors of interest too, such as maybe in the planning or transport department of your council (environment) or a service for those who need extra support (charity). It might be entry level if your hours are limited but is CV building stuff and good practical exposure to those areas and the real world challenges i.e. it will give you plenty to talk about when applying for jobs. Plus I am using data from my job for my dissertation so it might even help with your masters. Good luck!!