Employment Prospects

Postgraduate Study in the US
Employment Prospects
The US has the largest economy in the world. A good postgraduate qualification from a respected US university should be very useful for graduates looking to enter the US job market. Most US universities have careers services, which are similar to those at Irish universities. There are also many graduate programmes, where larger companies recruit students straight from their programmes.

According to the US National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the job outlook for graduate recruitment remains good, especially for students with degrees in business, engineering, and computer-related fields. Starting salaries for candidates recruited with graduate and postgraduate qualifications are rising steadily.

Students with an F visa are not permitted to work off campus, although they can accept on-campus employment such as teaching assistantships. A US postgraduate qualification does not automatically entitle the holder to work in the US. After graduation, F visa holders must apply to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to upgrade their visa to allow them to work. You must have an offer of employment from a US employer and it helps if the position is in the area of expertise that you studied in.

Students may be interested to note that Americans generally work longer hours, and get less paid holidays than EU workers, and that worker protection legislation is weaker. The streets aren’t paved with gold, but there are definite opportunities for those armed with a postgraduate qualification from an American higher education institution.