Standing out from the crowd in a competitive market is tough, but in certain careers having a postgraduate degree can elevate the opportunities available to graduates. Ria Parkinson secured a job working for commercial interiors specialists BWD after graduating with an MA in interior design from UCLan. Ria’s employer, Bev Wood, prefers her staff to have an MA and believes there is a big difference between students who have completed a first degree, and those who went on to higher study.
Wood says: “MA students have an awful lot more knowledge and invariably have had some experience. During the MA, students have the opportunity to work on their own and in much smaller groups, which makes them much more work-ready.”
Parkinson too, credits much of her career success to date in the design industry to her time spent at UCLan mastering her craft, while studying for her MA. “I learned a lot of my technical skill at degree level, but what my master’s did for me was to build my confidence and enable me to find my own personal design identity,” she says.
Parkinson also explains that she found the blended learning aspect of her course of particular appeal: “I liked both the research and taught approaches, as I believe these are essential in the design context, so the MA programme perfectly met my needs at the time.”
Of the benefits of a postgraduate degree, Parkinson says: “My master’s helped me stand out when applying for jobs, as it demonstrated a certain level of dedication, skill and intelligence on my part. It demonstrated that I was serious about a career within this discipline and I was willing to go that extra mile to succeed.”
In her role at BWD, Parkinson works on a variety of professional commercial projects around the country but she still fondly recalls the experience she gained while working on her MA projects: “The highlights of the course were the studio time, the regular talks and lectures from industry professionals and, of course, the MA show. It was just a phenomenal experience from beginning to end,” she says.
Ria’s Top Tip for prospective postgraduate students:
“Explore the aspects that are of particular interest to you and use your master’s as a showcase to demonstrate your ability within these areas.”
