Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®)

Recession-proof your résumé

From Wall Street to Main Street, headlines about the job market are sobering. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers cut 240,000 jobs in October bringing this years total to almost 1.2 million. The unemployment rate rose from 6.1 to 6.5% in September the highest since 2001.

Rather than let these grim economic indicators get you down, nows the time to take control of your career. Adding a graduate degree to your résumé could be your wisest career move in this uncertain economy.

Have you lost your job? If youre a victim of the shrinking job market, a graduate degree can give you a competitive edge and make you stand out from the crowd. Employers are filling fewer positions and are being more selective about the people they hire.

Do you want to advance your career? If youre currently working, a graduate degree can make you more valuable to your employer and increase your chances for advancement. Many employers even offer a tuition reimbursement program to help cover your expenses.

Are you ready to make a career change? If youve decided to pursue a more rewarding career, a graduate degree can give you the qualifications you need to enter a new field. Furthering your education can make it possible to follow your dream.

A graduate degree can mean higher lifetime earnings.

A short-term investment in your education now can lead to long-term gains in your investment portfolio:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people with a graduate degree can expect to earn, on average, more than $2.5 million over their lifetime, or almost 20% more than individuals with just a bachelors degree.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the weekly income in 2007 for a person with a bachelors degree was $967 compared to $1,165 for a person with a masters degree.

Start your homework now.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Look for tomorrows jobs today. Follow industry forecasts so you can choose a field thats experiencing job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start.
Be choosy about schools. Dont apply to every school with a graduate program in your field. Instead, focus your time and energy on a select few.
Ask about admission tests. Many graduate programs require you to take a graduate admission test, such as the Graduate Record Examinations^® (GRE^®) test. ETS, creator of the GRE test, offers free and reasonably priced test preparation resources, which are especially useful if you havent taken a standardized test recently. Click here for the GRE Career Changers website.

Nows the time to take control of your career. Whether youre looking for a job, building job security or pursuing your passion, a graduate degree can help you reach your goal.

The GRE test can help you get into the graduate program of your choice. Why not register today?