Frequent poster...desparately need adivce about something Forum

[lookingforadvice]

Hey guys,

I wasn’t sure which forum to post this in so sorry if it’s off-topic. I’m a frequent poster here but I decided to open a new account post this in order to preserve some anonymity. Anyway, I had a question that I thought you all might be able to help me out with.

Basically, I graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in the Spring of 09 with a degree in poli sci and was planning on attending HLS this Fall. I decided to take a year off before starting law school because I graduated a year early and wasn’t quite ready to start school again. However, because my schedule was super-compressed into 3 yrs, I didn’t have enough time during my senior year (my 3rd yr) to look for a job. So I ended getting a low-paying job as a legal assistant in a law firm back home (SF Bay Area).

So I was getting by just fine until recently when my mom lost her job. We don’t have much savings, so things are getting really tight (we’re cutting back a lot and we’re moving to smaller place because we can’t afford the rent) and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have to defer my admission to HLS for a year in order to work to help support my family.

The problem is that my current job is very low-paying (~$15/hr.) and it’s making it difficult to make ends meet (I’m the only one working in our house…my younger brother is in HS and like I said, my mom has been out of a job for a few months).

So my question for you guys is this…I have pretty good credentials (3.95+ GPA from UCLA, heavily involved in ECs during college, very high standardized SAT/LSAT scores [I’ve heard some high-paying jobs look at that kind of stuff]) but I have absolutely no idea where to look for jobs that pay better than what I’m making right now with a liberal arts degree. I was thinking I-banking or consulting but I don’t know where to start or who to send my resume to, etc.

I’m willing to do ANY kind of work that pays better than my current job. Any tips/suggestions/advice would so very deeply appreciated.

Thank you all in advance for any help.

[chutzpah]

Can you upgrade to a paralegal position at your firm or another? Or take a second job as a server or bartender? Its true that banking and consulting pay a good salary, but the hourly wage doesn't come out that high if you're working 80 hours a week. They also may not want to take someone on who has a clear exit strategy, even if it is HLS. And in this economy...

Despite the economy, the military industrial complex still reigns supreme. There are lots of defense contractors in CA. Maybe check out their websites? Northrup Grumman, Boeing, BAE, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, SAIC, etc...

[evilgenius]

+1 on chutzpah's comment.

I'd also say try the non-profit sector. The pay definitely isn't high, but it's much better than $15 per hour. And there is a flourishing non-profit sector in the Bay Area. I'd try idealist.org. Also, I don't know how you feel about labor unions, but they pay fairly decent. Check out unionjobs.com

[JAP1985]

Try your local temp agency. I was out of work for awhile and mine found me a pretty sweet deal paying $21 an hour and after about four months it turned into full-time; they ended up paying about $23 an hr plus benefits.

Is there a chance that you can get in touch with your UG career-services and see if they have any leads or alumni in your area?

[Z3RO]

APimpNamedSlickback??

[Me-a Culpa]

Damn....

The story reads like you bust ass, and this may come off as backwards but look into sales -- not the retail, starbucks BS.

[T14_Scholly]

Flame.

[seattlite]

If I were you, I would try to teach for a test prep company. They pay a lot of money for people with solid SAT / LSAT scores whereas most companies (every company - including consulting companies - that I have ever worked for could not care in the slightest). One company you might want to check out is Knewton (a startup in the test prep industry) - http://www.knewton.com/teach. They have teaching positions (both FT and PT) as well as other positions that you might be able to qualify for (e.g. Content Developers) - http://www.knewton.com/jobs. I am not sure if they have operations only in NYC or in the SF Bay area as well.

Anyway, even if Knewton isn't hiring in the SF Bay area, I am sure Powerscore, Kaplan, Princeton, Testmasters, or one of the other companies would be. Doing this would enable you to utilize your assets (your strong standardized test scores, your GPA, and your acceptance to HLS) yet not compete with the plethora of unemployed persons with numerous years of experience competing for the consulting and I-Banking kind of work (especially in CA).

This seems the most solid way to make a lot of money in a short period of time while utilizing your competitive advantage. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Let us know how it turns out!

Congrats again on graduating from UCLA in 3 years with close to a 4.0 GPA and your acceptance to HLS!

[Mr. Pablo]

That sounds rough. Chutzpah has a good point, the defense industry is always going (that's government spending for you), I live in a state with 13% unemployment and my defense job is secure. Look into it. Also, sales isn't a terrible idea either (as mentioned above).
The other thing would be to just dive into HLS, but be sure that if you go that you aren't going to be distracted by your family back west (the worrying and stress, etc..). I think that could be damaging to your LS career. Good luck out there.

[BigFatPanda]

teaching English in China will net you a very handsome return: some as high as $10k a month. Plus, lots of chicks wanna dig a white dude.

[Great Satchmo]

If your family can afford it, you should go to HLS - you need to make sure you are going to have the career you want.

But, if you have to stay, I'd do as others said and look at test prep companies and serving/bartending jobs.

[APimpNamedSlickback]

APimpNamedSlickback??

sup

[MJMD]

teaching English in China will net you a very handsome return: some as high as $10k a month. Plus, lots of chicks wanna dig a white dude.

Wow; paying remittances to your family in America from China. If that's what it's come to...I'm sorry, but I find that darkly humorous.

But hey, if you could actually find a job like that that paid that much (which I've never heard of), then why not? You could bail your family out financially while avoiding all the drama at home. Just be make sure it's legit before you pack your bags.