Pre Law School Work Experience Advice Forum

[Cheiro]

For the past two years I've been working for a start up in Silicon Valley as a Product Manager. Unfortunately, the start up failed and I quit after I stopped getting paid. I had already decided beforehand that I wanted to go to law schools to continue studying trade law, which I focused my undergraduate degree on. I had planned to just stay at this job until I left for school, but now I'm at a crossroads when it comes about what to do next.

My question is this, do I continue trying to find another job as a product manager, or should I try to something more focused in trade policy? Which would be more helpful in getting into law school? Are the effects negligible, even if I want to focus my personal statement on my love of trade policy? It would be a lot easier to find a product manager job since I have more immediate experience, and I wouldn't need to relocate, but a trade policy might get me connections, especially if I find a job at either Cal or Stanford.

[McAvoy]

If you can get something in trade policy that is impressive and prestigious enough to meaningfully boost your application, you probably shouldn't go to law school for a career in trade policy, as you'd already have one.

As long as you're not "doing nothing," it probably doesn't matter which job you have. Spend your excess energy retaking, instead.