Should I Go to Grad School? And Other Career Questions

While we’ve written plenty of articles covering a wide range of career and job search topics, some questions get asked more than others.

Our career expert Alexis Perrotta is on the job.

If you've felt the itch to go to grad school, change your career path, or figure out just what exactly "managing up" means, you've come to the right place. Here are six of the top questions people send to Ask Alexis, along with our best answers and resources.

"Should I Go to Grad School?"

Are you feeling the pressure to advance your education (and career)? If so, going to grad school may be the perfect step for you. Keep in mind that gaining a secondary degree is not for everyone, so you'll first want to make sure that going to grad school is either:

1. Necessary for your field
2. Can help you move up in your profession
3. Going to help you make more money
4. Something you're truly excited about and actively planning for.

Still unsure? Here are some of our best grad-related resources to help you figure this out:

• Should I Go to Grad School? Here are 5 Good Reasons
• How to Attend Grad School With a Full-Time Job
• Meet Oana Groza, Idealist Grad School Fair Success Story

"Should I say I was fired?"

When looking for a new job, you may be wondering how to communicate what happened at your last one—especially if you were fired. If that's you, check out our resources on how to move forward confidently and honestly:

• How to tell a potential employer you were fired
• You left a job on bad terms…now what? Here’s what to say to a potential employer

"What are common employee benefits that I can ask for during a salary negotiation?"

Here’s a short list of benefits organizations may offer. When you’re negotiating a job offer, here are 12 perks you should consider.

For all other things salary negotiation-related, check out our The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Salary Negotiation.

"Where can I find MPA fellowship opportunities?"

We don’t have a list of MPA-specific fellowships on idealist.org. However, you can explore a few popular fellowships here and learn about the basics of public-service fellowships here.

"What is managing up?"

Ah, elusive career terms and lingo...who doesn't love them? But in this case, we actually do love the term because it's allowed us to effectively communicate with our managers. To get to the bottom of it, and how to do it effectively, check out these resources:

• The do’s and don’ts of managing up
• The three relationships all managers must master

"How do I find a job out of state?"

• How I found a job in a new city before actually moving there
• Take Our Quiz | In Which Small City Should You Start Your Social-Impact Career
• How to build a network in a new city before you move
• Job hunting out of state? Here’s how to get a hiring manager’s attention

"How do I find my passion?"

• 9 new ways to think about finding your passion
• Not sure what kind of job you want (or how to get there)? Try this exercise by NYU