[F1] 大龄平读二硕的study plan，请版主和大神们指教 [复制链接]

本人是超大龄（35+），在digital media/interactive media design领域，之前已有一个美硕，不过出于职业发展等考虑计划再读一个professional master，这个项目对大龄友好，同学都是有多年工作经验的，授课方式是project-based，也就是大部分时间都是大家一起做项目，充实portfolio，并且它是一个培养manager的项目，也会涉及管理知识。

由于年龄和同专业平读缘故，深知这个学签会很难，特地请大神指点一下，十分感谢！

Background:

Master in Interactive Media Designer. Currently working as a designer but plan to be a Product Manager (mainly for Educational or meaningful Apps).

• Why this program:
  

This program is unique in that it is a professional master's program (project-based) designed for mature students like me. Unlike other academic programs, students are required to work collaboratively to finish a set of digital media projects and an internship (which can be Apps, PC software design, games, or interactive movies). This is beneficial for a designer to build a more competitive portfolio with a broad mix of work.

This program also aims to deal with real-world problems and "make digital products people want". This is also my career goal.

The project-based nature also enables me to meet lots of excellent peers, and they can be my potential partners since I plan to launch my own product into a commercial one.

This program is designed for future managers, so it also offers management courses.

This joint program is held by several prestigious universities, so we can freely choose elective courses from different professors and schools. (e.g., one of the professor's interests aligned with mine...) Unlike my previous master, this program provides not academic courses but the freedom to choose the practical tools I need (UX design for mobile APPs)

总结：名校联合培养，可以从几所高校任意选课；独特的项目制，可以在就读期间与同样优秀的学生快速完成多个可上线级别的项目，充实portfolio，（这其实对设计师非常重要，不知道能否说服VO了）比在工作期间只能做一个项目好；为未来经理开设的课程，可以学习管理知识，且在项目中直接实践。

• What's your career goal?
  

I have been working as a Game and Entertaining APP designer and am now in a senior position.

But I feel it hard to get promoted to a managerial position (e.g., PM).

After graduating with my first master's in 2020, I've gained knowledge about Meaningful digital products (e.g., educational game, meamingful APP...) and switched my interest from Entertaining ones to meaningful ones. "Make something meaningful and helpful" has become my goal. That master degree offered me a new perspective and theoretical knowledge, which helped me gain a better position in the workplace. Now as I've grasped the basic tools of internet products, I wish to move to a higher level.

就读第一个硕士期间，在北美我了解到了游戏等互动媒体除了娱乐的功能，还可以是有实际功用的，比如教育游戏，医疗或公益性质的APP等，拓宽了眼界，因此这成了我的新职业目标。

As a senior designer, I feel my career is plateaued: I work skillfully for a specific product link but can't get the whole picture, and there's still a gap if I want to be a Product Manager and launch my own project. Nowadays the digital company producers welcome managers with mature idea and prototypes, for that's beneficial for project incubation.

I also got some interviews for PM, but the leaders thought I was a good designer instead of a PM. If I want to get the position, I still need to gain more real-life experience, data from the real market, and leadership skills.

Besides, the meaningful/educational game industry in China is developing rapidly but still not as advanced as in North America. There are new tools and ideas for me to learn, such as VR/AR tech.

说明希望升职加薪，面试更高的产品经理职位遇到瓶颈，面试官表示转职还有一些差距。

（这一段其实比较虚不太好讲）目前国内的教育游戏产品发展迅速，商机很大，但是boss一般还是更看重北美的行业标准和新手段，还是以国外标准为主。因此觉得有必要去国外学习。

I want a second boost for my career and move to another stage—to become a PM and make my own educational designs into real-life products. I feel it's more meaningful to help others with new techs.

• Why there's no other alternatives/why this is so urgent?
  

I've also taught myself about UX design, but the work cannot be tested via real market.

I cannot learn leadership skills in workplace./hard to find partners and network.

Domestic universities don't offer such a program in a master's level;

In my workplace, I usually focus on a specific part of work (designing), but no chance for Data analysis, Commercialize or Marketing.

I'm not in a 3A internet company, while the internship can connect me to top companies.

尝试了其他的alternative，仍然觉得当前的项目是不可替代的。

• Cost and payback
  

Now as a senior my payment is among the maximum of my peers. To get a promotion, I have to apply for an advanced position, and the payment is expected to be doubled.

请斑竹指点，在此谢过了！:handshake