Should You Work Before Grad School? A 28-Year-Olds Take

My Timeline (So You Can Judge For Yourself)

OK so heres what I did: graduated at 22, worked at a mid-tier consulting firm for 3 years, got promoted once, got bored, quit, and now Im in my second year of a Masters in Data Science at Northwestern. Im 28. Most of my classmates are 23-24.

Was it the "right" order? I genuinely dont know. But I can tell you what I learned from doing it this way.

Why I Worked First

Honestly? I worked first because I had no idea what I wanted to study. When I graduated college, the idea of picking a specialization felt like choosing a prison sentence. What if I picked wrong? What if I hated it after one semester?

So I went into consulting because it was the path of least resistance. Everyone was recruiting, the pay was decent, and I figured "Ill figure out what I actually like while getting paid."

Turns out, that was actually a solid plan. In consulting I worked on projects across healthcare, fintech, and logistics. I discovered I actually really liked the data side of things—building models, finding patterns, the whole deal. But I also realized my technical skills were nowhere near where they needed to be for the kind of roles I wanted.

What Working Gave Me That Straight-to-Grad-School Folks Dont Have

1. Money. I paid for about 60% of my Masters out of savings. No loans for that chunk. My classmates who came straight from undergrad are all on loans and stressing about it constantly.

2. Perspective. When a professor says "this technique is used in industry," I actually know whether thats true or not. I have seen how decisions get made in real companies. I know that 90% of the fancy algorithms we learn in class never get used because the data is too messy.

3. Network. I already have people I can call when I need a job. My classmates are just starting to build that.

What I Lost By Waiting

1. Momentum. Studying is a skill. After 3 years of PowerPoint and client meetings, getting back into the habit of problem sets and exams was BRUTAL. First semester I felt like my brain had been replaced with mashed potatoes.

2. Age. Not gonna lie, sometimes I feel old. When my classmates talk about going to frat parties I have zero interest. And when we talk about career timelines, Im aware that Im starting my "post-grad" career at 29 while they are starting at 24.

3. Opportunity cost. Those 3 years of consulting salary could have been 3 years of higher post-masters salary if I had just gone straight through.

My Honest Advice

If you know what you want to study AND you can afford it, go straight to grad school. Dont overthink it.

If you DONT know what you want to study, working first is not a waste of time. Its research. You are literally researching yourself.

Just dont fall into the trap of "Ill just work for a year and then apply." One year becomes two, two becomes five, and suddenly youre 30 and still talking about "maybe next year." Set a deadline before you start working.