So you just graduated and you can't find a job? No worries, you think you can hide by going back to school. Let's see...what should I study? Oh, I know, I'll get a law degree, that'll take me three years. That'll be three years I don't have to worry about finding a job.
School Debt Without a Job
Not so fast. If you do the research, you'll find that if you go to law school you'll surely graduate with debt on your hands. As a matter of fact, the average law school graduate has a dizzying $100,000 of debt from law school. That's the average; keep in mind those that bring the average way down because mommy and daddy are paying for everything.
Get a Job As a Lawyer
Combine that with the sobering job market. Just like everyone else, it isn't so good for attorneys. Used to be you graduated from law school and you were almost guaranteed a job. Not so anymore. There are law firms that recently hired from the current graduating classes only to find they didn't need all those newly minted attorneys, so they told them not to come to work. Some candidates got lucky and were told they would indeed be on the payroll, but not for another year. Imagine...thinking you have a job only to find you don't, or you have to wait a year to start.
Income As an Attorney
Many people find the pay for attorneys to be enticing. It is; they can bill a stunning $1,000 an hour or more! I have first-hand experience of those fees from getting a patent. The corporate firms pay partners upwards of $2 million annually. But...to get there you have to be extremely smart and add some luck into the mix. You have to come out on top in law school, then land the job with your wit and personality, then work 27-hour days.
Still sound enticing? Let me know what you'd rather do: go back to school, get into debt and not be certain of a job on the other end, or start pounding the pavement now and find a job? Please post your comments below.