CareerBuilder

College seniors have some big decisions to make upon graduation. Where will they live? What career will they pursue? Should they attend graduate school? And if additional education is the next step, should they go right back to school or take time off and work instead?

Working between undergraduate and graduate school has its advantages. “A graduate student can benefit so much more from graduate school after working in the ‘real world’ for two years or so,” said Bettina Seidman, career coach with Seidbet Associates, a career-management company. “Friends and colleagues of mine who teach management courses agree. They tell me that the level of understanding and class participation is much higher among students who are working or who have worked.”

Working before beginning a graduate program may not be right for every person or major. Here are six factors college graduates should consider when deciding whether to work between undergraduate and graduate school.

1. Does your school require experience? Find out whether the specialty you’re pursuing or the program you’d like to attend requires you to have work experience before starting — or being accepted.

According to online graduate-school directory GradSchools.com, some professions — doctor, lawyer or educator, for instance — usually require some work experience prior to graduate