Restarting @ age 30...do I have hope?

[Sho'Nuff]

And for what it's worth, the job market for lawyers is garbage. I know others have already said it, but it needs to be emphasized.

QFT. Only 2 of the 20 students I taught last year graduated with a job offer. The other 18 are still looking.

 

[Drako]

Still trying to figure out why anyone would want to be a lawyer.

BTW, my wife has a law degree, which she used for about a year .

 

[Sinsear]

I left the military at 32 after nearly 10 years of service and managed to secure an amazing job within a year. It's never too late.

 

[chusteczka]

Opportunities are open but you will have to achieve them. Pay off all your bills now, such as a car payment or anything similar. You will want as much money saved up for school with as little debt payments as possible.

While in school, stay focused on learning the material in your classes. Older students are often very focused and motivated. Allow the negative aspects of your military experience to motivate you to get your homework done when things get tough.

It does not matter what age you are. It matters what skills you possess. Learn everything you can in school and you will set yourself up nicely.

Follow your interests in selection of your major. This tends to be heavily influenced by teacher/professor quality.

University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, my alma mater, is a very tough school with a more theoretical direction and I question if the increased theoretical difficulty is worth it in comparison with other universities for military veterans studying to get into the workforce rather than for theoretical pleasure.

University of Illinois at Chicago is easier than UIUC while teaching in a strong and practical direction. I studied here for three semesters and enjoyed it. UIC seemed to be better suited for me than UIUC.

Southern Illinois University has a reputation for being a party school but they seem to have a solid curriculum since I have been impressed by a few of their graduates.

Northern Illinois University is a solid option, especially for business, but their computer science curriculum left a lot to be desired when I looked at them 10 years ago.

NorthEastern Illinois University appears smaller but their course direction seems solid. I know a few good people from there.


I question your direction towards law, give that some more thought. However, law is a graduate program anyway. You first need to get through a bachelor's degree.

To add onto the government possibilities, the FBI likes agent prospects with a military background. Your experience would provide you with many opportunities with the FBI. Add an accounting or engineering degree to your military experience and they get very interested. I considered the FBI but came to the conclusion that I had spent enough time in service to this country after 6 years in the navy.
http://www.fbijobs.gov/

 

[Icepick]

You'll be fine. With your background as a Marine there are plenty of former service men in management positions who'll give preference to others who have served in the military.

 

[alkemyst]

I went back to college at 30 for a computer science degree. It has paid off, however; looking back I'd have probably just focused on Cisco certifications from the start and moved faster forward.

I did already have 5+ years of college prior to that.

 

[Nebor]

QFT. Only 2 of the 20 students I taught last year graduated with a job offer. The other 18 are still looking.

Yeah, I've got friends that have graduated near the top from Tier 1 schools that are having a hard time finding worthwhile employment. The recession has hit the legal industry pretty hard. The US Military JAG Corps has gotten extremely selective since they have so many applicants now. Mainly there's a lot of low paying .gov, charity and NGO jobs available.

 

[shortylickens]

IF you decide to start all over, please make goals and plans and have something to look forward too. When you are in the middle of school its so easy to get disillusioned and negative.
Also, resist your urge to strangle the children.

 

[JS80]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMvARy0lBLE

 

[DainBramaged]

I appreciate the encouragement and information. To be honest, at this point, I'm not really interested in continuing to work for the government, though I'm considering a short stint (four-ish months) as an interpreter in Afghanistan immediately after I get out. The pay is right.

I'm really not into engineering or finance. I have always been interested in law. I plan on going to UIC for their Poly Sci degree course, with a minor in Int'l Relations. I'd like to work in that line for a little bit, then possibly start working (hopefully) in policy-making. Just sort of a vague direction.

 

[AlienCraft]

When meeting strangers,do not reveal that you have hope too soon.
For the cynical and damaged will try to use it to harm you. :ninja:

 

[AreaCode707]

Shoot Zenmervolt a PM. He's 29 and in law school right now, may have some good insight for you.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/educating-sergeant-pantzke/
just avoid for profit schools, they prey on vets.. and tax money

 

[DainBramaged]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/educating-sergeant-pantzke/
just avoid for profit schools, they prey on vets.. and tax money

Planning on attending University of Illinois - Chicago.

 

[Mo0o]

Planning on attending University of Illinois - Chicago.

realistically speaking do you expect to get into an elite law school?

 

[JS80]

Planning on attending University of Illinois - Chicago.

Why do you want to become a lawyer?

 

[alkemyst]

Law is a hard one to go into at any time esp anything not tied to lawsuits. I have had JD's working for me and around me making clerk wages.

Law is also one of those old boys clubs where a better school and esp being part of fraternites pays off (a bit hard to pull off when you are older).

If you love it, then salary and status isn't always everything, but I'd be very careful taking down big loans on the bet that you'll be north of $50k or more starting.

My brother put up a Craigslist ad about 2 years ago looking for 2 people to help decommision his small business. Just packing stuff into boxes. He was offering $15/hr or so.

There were a lot of out of work lawyers and Ph.D's contacting him. It's sad.

If you really want to put yourself in a nice position, fast track CCIE from Cisco and you will always have a six figure job and no unemployment. Being you are in NC you may be limited, but if you are willing to relocate (esp to Atlanta right now), the world is your oyster.

I am working on finishing my CCNP up. It's a challenge, but the rewards are high. I love my job, I get to see tons of different areas of business from ships to manufacturing plants like steel mills with molten metal everywhere to advanced defense contractor type things with high tech widgets all over the place, etc.

If you are up to travel (I travel a bit but close to only 15-20% long term) extensively, you can really make a killing as a CCIE providing you know your stuff.

Someone dedicated and with the aptitude should be able to knock CCIE out in 2 years if they are willing to dedicate the 40+ hour study weeks that most high level degrees require. Out of pocket will be $10-20k roughly, but the pay out is pretty guaranteed.

 

[Locut0s]

Can't possibly be worse than where I am. 29 living at home with parents, never had a GF, working retail jobs, etc.. I'm going back to school but I'm going to be behind you. I know of people who go back even later than this though and turn out well.

 

[alkemyst]

Esp working retail at 29 you should have had opportunity to get a GF. I have known decent wage-earning dudes that took PT retail jobs just to screw co-workers.

At 29 I would live with 3+ roomies rather than parents long-term. There is nothing wrong with moving back home for a few months to a year to get back on your feet at times, but in today's world the guy that lives at home still is not looked on very well at all.

RE: The Dunning-Kruger link in your sig is that you being bittersweet on your own situation or proclaiming you are above it?

 

[Mo0o]

Law is a hard one to go into at any time esp anything not tied to lawsuits. I have had JD's working for me and around me making clerk wages.

Law is also one of those old boys clubs where a better school and esp being part of fraternites pays off (a bit hard to pull off when you are older).

If you love it, then salary and status isn't always everything, but I'd be very careful taking down big loans on the bet that you'll be north of $50k or more starting.

My brother put up a Craigslist ad about 2 years ago looking for 2 people to help decommision his small business. Just packing stuff into boxes. He was offering $15/hr or so.

There were a lot of out of work lawyers and Ph.D's contacting him. It's sad.

If you really want to put yourself in a nice position, fast track CCIE from Cisco and you will always have a six figure job and no unemployment. Being you are in NC you may be limited, but if you are willing to relocate (esp to Atlanta right now), the world is your oyster.

I am working on finishing my CCNP up. It's a challenge, but the rewards are high. I love my job, I get to see tons of different areas of business from ships to manufacturing plants like steel mills with molten metal everywhere to advanced defense contractor type things with high tech widgets all over the place, etc.

If you are up to travel (I travel a bit but close to only 15-20% long term) extensively, you can really make a killing as a CCIE providing you know your stuff.

Someone dedicated and with the aptitude should be able to knock CCIE out in 2 years if they are willing to dedicate the 40+ hour study weeks that most high level degrees require. Out of pocket will be $10-20k roughly, but the pay out is pretty guaranteed.

This sounds like a much better risk/reward scenario than law school

 

[ballmode]

thanks for your service, you could always transfer into the air force lik eme

 

[alkemyst]

This sounds like a much better risk/reward scenario than law school

IMHO and many of my peers (some of which have professional degrees) it is.

The major disadvantage is it's not structured curriculum. Many cannot self-teach.

There are bootcamps, but really those are for those that have taught/learned it already and just need to focus on passing the tests.

 

[Locut0s]

Esp working retail at 29 you should have had opportunity to get a GF. I have known decent wage-earning dudes that took PT retail jobs just to screw co-workers.

At 29 I would live with 3+ roomies rather than parents long-term. There is nothing wrong with moving back home for a few months to a year to get back on your feet at times, but in today's world the guy that lives at home still is not looked on very well at all.

RE: The Dunning-Kruger link in your sig is that you being bittersweet on your own situation or proclaiming you are above it?

bittersweet, I'm the type to always underestimate myself. I constantly meet people though who hype themselves up as if they were geniuses. 5 mins of talking to them and I realize they don't know shit about almost anything.

And you are probably right about the rest. Or maybe I should switch antidepressants.

 

[alkemyst]

I constantly meet people though who hype themselves up as if they were geniuses. 5 mins of talking to them and I realize they don't know shit about almost anything.

Not the right thread for this, but that is a problem.

 

[Locut0s]

Not the right thread for this, but that is a problem.

What is a problem. That I think low of myself or that I think these people don't know shit?