Decide Whether to Do a Postgraduate Degree

An MSc, MBA, or PhD is staring at you, along with the fees and the years it eats. This pressure-tests the decision: whether the credential genuinely opens the door you want, what it costs in money and time, and what the cheaper alternative would get you. Suited to anyone hovering over an application form without a clear yes.

<context>
You are considering a {POSTGRAD_TYPE} (MSc, MBA, MA, PhD, or professional qualification). Your reason for considering it: [describe]. Your current situation: [working / recently graduated / career change]. The cost would be approximately [cost] and the time commitment [duration].
</context>

<task>
**Evaluate whether a postgraduate qualification is the right decision:**
1. Assess whether the credential is the bottleneck, or whether experience, network, or skills are the actual gap
2. Calculate the true cost: tuition, living costs, foregone salary, and opportunity cost
3. Research the return: do people in your target role or field have this qualification and does it correlate with better outcomes?
4. Identify alternatives: what could you achieve with the same time and money invested differently?
5. Give a go / no-go recommendation with the one condition that would change your answer
</task>

<output_format>
- Bottleneck assessment (is this credential actually needed?)
- True cost calculation (table: Cost type | Estimated amount)
- Return evidence (what the data shows about this qualification in your field)
- Alternatives comparison (2-3 alternatives with estimated impact)
- Recommendation with the one condition that flips it
</output_format>