Careers Advice - should I go for an MA after my PGCE in the hope of a PhD or should I do my NQT year first?

Question

I am applying for lots of teaching jobs and also an MA in Decadent Literature. My real passion lies in literature and I've found that teaching leaves very little scope for this. I am also applying for a scholarship to do the MA but it would mean that I'd be skint again and, if I didn't get offered a PhD, I'd also have to do the NQT year after my masters'.

I have to admit that teaching doesn't inspire me like I thought it would and I find the whole training and prospect of doing the NQT year rather patronising.

I really don't want to be stuck without any money and no career prospects though. What should I do?

That's a bit harsh, Suzie. I didn't say that I took up the PGCE for the money - I just said that now I am doing it I am not sure it's for me. Surely I'm entitled to question the teaching profession rather than going into it blindly and being disgruntled for the rest of my life? Besides which, the teacher training would be eminently useful if I were to go on to study for a PhD. I'm really glad that you aren't in charge of education in this country - whatever happened to education for it's own sake?

Answer 1

Have faith in yourself. It sounds like you really want to go for the MA, rather than teaching, so my advice would be to postpone the NQT year and go the route of the MA and, hopefully, PhD. If you do the NQT year and then just drift along into teaching, you will probably end up regretting it (I'm not saying that teaching can't be fulfilling, but that you may regret not taking the opportunity to further your academic work).

As regards money...yes, that can be a problem. I left my job, after 11 years working in offices, to do an MA and I'm now in the first year of my PhD. Fortunately I have funding for the PhD, but the MA was self-funded, and I have the debts to show it! So money can be very tight, but I don't regret it at all.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Firstly how old are you?
I gave up my job to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher in 2003, I was 33 then I'm now 36 , and I'm in my final year at uni, and hope to go on to do my PGCE next year. I've still got 29 years until I'm 65, that's plenty of time to do my PGCE. What I am saying is this: you are probably in your twenties, do both if you can, you'll be able to attain NQT status and get your MA, and then at least you'll have something to fall back on.

Answer 3

I don't agree with people who take up valuable PGCE places just for the money aspect of it. Then people who really want to teach miss out. If your hearts not in it do the MA instead.