Help me pick Forum

[BoxerReb6]

So I'm struggling with picking a job. I have 2 options and I need to make the decision asap. I'm hoping to go to law school either Fall 2014 or Fall 2015. I have stats that are borderline for H/S and am looking for something that will pay the bills and maybe help my application. I'm 1 year out of college, about a years worth of current full time experience.


Here's the specs:

Legal Assistant - Full time (~30k/yr)/benefits, ~6 attorneys, not necessarily relevant to my narrative but would give me more legal experience.
Powerscore LSAT Instructor/Tutor - Part time, 40/hr w/ option to tutor at 50/hr. Would help if I decide to retake the LSAT which I very well might if things don't go great this cycle.

Obviously working less and making more per hour is appealing to me as is getting a better shot at the LSAT if I retake next October. However, it pays a lot less overall, no benefits, and won't give me full time experience which may be helpful for my resume.

Thoughts?

[rinkrat19]

Take the real job.

[BoxerReb6]

Likely the 'right' decision. But I see my life 10 months from now in law school, working a ton, and then as a lawyer, working a ton. I've never had free time, I've never traveled, I'd appreciate just a little bit of a break before I resign myself to hard work for the next 40 to 50 years and a job that pays 40/hr seems like the perfect opportunity for me to accomplish that.

But I guess that's just lazy talk and my future would be better served doing 40 hrs a week writing drafts and filing papers. Benefits would be nice though, God knows I could use health insurance.

[twenty]

Powerscore. You've got less than a year to enjoy part time non-legal work. Also, it pays better (hourly). Go do that thing.

[Humbert Humbert]

Powerscore. You've got less than a year to enjoy part time non-legal work. Also, it pays better (hourly). Go do that thing.

His part time work would be teaching the LSAT. I fail to see what part of that is enjoyable. Plus it pays less, has no benefits, and is a zero on his resume. I would take the real job.

[BoxerReb6]

Powerscore. You've got less than a year to enjoy part time non-legal work. Also, it pays better (hourly). Go do that thing.

His part time work would be teaching the LSAT. I fail to see what part of that is enjoyable. Plus it pays less, has no benefits, and is a zero on his resume. I would take the real job.

The enjoyable part comes from the 'part-time' bit. Also, I didn't mind (and kind of liked) the LSAT. Studying/teaching it wouldn't be unpleasant for me.

But yea, his response and your rebuttal epitomize the crossroads I'm at.

[twenty]

I liked the LSAT.

The benefits don't matter at all since he's only going to be there a year. And hourly, he's making three times as much at PS than he would be in the real job.

[rinkrat19]

How many hours per week do you think you could get of tutoring? I can't imagine you'd be getting more than 5 or so right off the bat, unless there's some weird dearth of tutors in the area.

[TheSpanishMain]

Take the real job. 40 hours a week isn't really enough to crush your soul and inhibit your enjoyment of life in general. There's still plenty of evenings and weekends to relax, hang out with your friends, go out, whatever it is you like to do. If you want to travel, just resign the job a month before law school and use that time to backpack around Europe or whatever.

[hephaestus]

Take the real job. 40 hours a week isn't really enough to crush your soul and inhibit your enjoyment of life in general. There's still plenty of evenings and weekends to relax, hang out with your friends, go out, whatever it is you like to do. If you want to travel, just resign the job a month before law school and use that time to backpack around Europe or whatever.

Definitely this. I had a legal assistant position for a year before law school and it wasn't difficult at all. But it has proven helpful during recruiting, plus you get to network in your target market.

[bizzybone1313]

Why can't you work both of them? Legal one during the day and tutor during afternoons.

[Nova]

Why can't you work both of them? Legal one during the day and tutor during afternoons.

Seems like OP values free time more than a little bit of cash

[Tiago Splitter]

Likely the 'right' decision. But I see my life 10 months from now in law school, working a ton, and then as a lawyer, working a ton. I've never had free time, I've never traveled, I'd appreciate just a little bit of a break before I resign myself to hard work for the next 40 to 50 years and a job that pays 40/hr seems like the perfect opportunity for me to accomplish that.

I don't know which one I'd take but I do know that law school is basically a three year vacation, especially if you end up at the kind of school you think you'll get in to. Don't worry about not having time for fun stuff until after law school is over.

[stickershocked]

Where do you live? 30k/year is not very much money. Legal assistant gigs can be very cushy if you're lucky, but can also be fairly soul crushing, especially if you have a tender ego.