Please - career advice

**justsomeguy** · 3rd April 2009, 18:16

Hey Guys,

It’s been a while, still off bikes for mostly financial reasons. Rode a friend’s VTR250 for 10 seconds as a birthday treat a few days ago - miss bikes like mad, miss the group rides, miss the Coro GP, miss Cheenic Dwive, miss talking shit on a Thu night ride...... ok ........

... I'll get to the point.

I studied business at Auckland 6 years ago, got my degree, majored in IT got a job, floated around, came to Sydney in 07 got into IT recruitment, lasted till now working for a pretty decent firm, hate the "sleazy salesman" kind of environment and got out.

I wanted to study law but didn't have the grades then. Now I can walk in to any course with my experience and degree (I checked).

I’m currently unemployed.

I turned 27 a few days back - I figure I have another 30 or so years of working time left.

So I can either do some IT course and get into IT sales (I don't have any tech skills) and the market in Sydney is so dead it isn't funny. I am not really an “IT Guy”.

Or.

I can come back home and study Law at Auckland Uni - it will take 3.5-4 years to finish.

By the then the recession will be over and I can properly plan my career and have a much more secure skill set that I use.

Why Law?

I like the money (not ashamed to say it), I've seen enough of the corporate world to realise there are no saints here - might as well get into the system. It is a stable career path.

Are there any lawyers here? Can you tell me bout the industry?

Plan would be come home study, try and get into a top tier firm locally or else Aussie/Europe/Whatever….

For those of you with the benefit of hindsight – if you could go back and start again – would you?

I realise I will be 30 or 31 by the time I finish - I was 21 when I first graduated Uni with my degree and 2 diplomas... so I'll be an old fart...

Thanks for reading this.

**Patch** · 3rd April 2009, 18:19

do the law degree in Aussie - it takes less time, bout 2.5yrs if I remember correctly.

or learn how to make money, then you won't need a job.

**justsomeguy** · 3rd April 2009, 18:26

Law degree in Aussie - means coming up with AU$400 / week to live. But I save a year -- haven't researched it.

Law degree in Auckland - I'll most likely get the student allowance which means having to work less, more time for life - study, ride, date, etc..

Hmm.... Is the question asking "How do I learn to make money?" - one of those where, if you have to ask, you probably don't get it? Cos I don't mate.

**Tank** · 3rd April 2009, 18:59

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

So I can either do some IT course and get into IT sales (I don't have any tech skills) and the market in Sydney is so dead it isn't funny. I am not really an “IT Guy”.

To make money in IT sales you need to be selling high end software systems. As such you need to more of a business guy than a IT guy.

Guys selling hardware dont make the big $$$$. Some of our sales guys earn huge amounts of $$$$$.

law is also good (we work in legal) - again you can make big money but you need to be doing the right type of law in the bigger firms. Its good as its a recession resistant type business. Long hours for years - but when you make partner - ca-ching!!! Partners at a firm we deal with (Clifford Chance) - each partner took home (on adv.) 810,000 pounds per year!!!

HOWEVER you need to make sure you dont end up doing realestate forms in a 2 man band - else you make nothing. Corporate law is where the money is.

**Mom** · 3rd April 2009, 19:09

At 27 you have your whole life ahead of you, 31 is young. You need to decide what you actually want to do and DO IT! Follow through and DO IT! Reading your post it seems to me you have decided on a path anyway. Follow it! Dont look back, or sideways, focus on where you want to be and get there. This applies to your career as much as to your personal life.

My experience for what it is worth...

Set some goals, find out what you have to do to achieve them, find out how you can achieve them, start working towards them, achieve them!

**FJRider** · 3rd April 2009, 19:18

Originally Posted by Mom

At 27 you have your whole life ahead of you, 31 is young. You need to decide what you actually want to do and DO IT! Follow through and DO IT! Reading your post it seems to me you have decided on a path anyway. Follow it! Dont look back, or sideways, focus on where you want to be and get there. This applies to your career as much as to your personal life.

My experience for what it is worth...

Set some goals, find out what you have to do to achieve them, find out how you can achieve them, start working towards them, achieve them!

What she said...... There are some (of us) older...

31 isn't old... just go for it....

**boostin** · 3rd April 2009, 19:37

I am currently studying law at Auckland and am turning 26 this year. I know a few people around the law faculty who are between 25 and 30.

You will still need to get in the top 300 in first year to get into 'law proper'. If you want any tips for this let me know, I managed to make it through with a few 'good' papers.

Also if you get a law degree you don't have to end up in a legal job, many opportunities with a law degree. Even if you do there are many different areas of law, including my new favorite outer space law.

**blossomsowner** · 3rd April 2009, 19:40

Just you do whatever you want to do.........I think job satisfaction is more important than money....sure money is good but only if you enjoy the work as well. No point in being miserable at work.....

Retraining and/or changing careers is fine. I am in my fourth type of career move and doing great........and contemplating changing again at a ripe old age.

so go for it........just whatever you do make sure you do it great.

**James Deuce** · 3rd April 2009, 19:46

See, this is where the message between "Qualification" and "Fulfilling Career" gets so messed up.

Do the law degree back here, buy a DRZ-400SM for commuting and weekend fun (you know: something that won't highside you into oblivion) and then muck about looking at different jobs. The only reason I stick with IT is because I can make someone's day a little bit easier if I manage to sort their problem/build their server/create their mailgroup/finish the project after the project team have gone on holiday in Jakarta.

Don't let the law degree define what you do with the rest of your life. The lessons of the last 40 years have taught us that if you want money you need to be able to bullshit brilliantly and divorce yourself from personal liability for losing other people's money while generating income with it. The law degree will teach you how to read, how to write, how to redefine someone's interpretation of a particular set of facts, and how to dig up obscure examples of a law working a particular way.

You've had an experience of selling people. The law degree will give you methods for enslaving Bengalese people to UAE construction projects with no trail back to you. That sort of thing.

Slowly buy up all the Dairys in NZ. Become a small business overlord. Leverage off that to squeeze Progressive out of the market.

Long term evil plans. You're Indian. This stuff is in your genes man!

**Timber020** · 3rd April 2009, 20:33

most of my adult cousins are lawyers, they are a blight on society to. Opening a P lab would really earn as well.

**Burtha** · 4th April 2009, 09:34

I spent approx 20 years in IT, hardly any quals, last job was building computer labs that meant wearing lots of different hats. After that, only jobs I was going to be hired for were webmaster for TVNZ (pleased I didn't get it), IT manager (boring) or to go into programming ie; EB games (Oz - but came back to NZ). I had a career change and became a housewife which love.

IT sales - yick. IT management average $ but boring. Only real money would be in programming.
Combining IT and law would set you up with a great skill set ie; fraud investigations and other stuff.
Get the law degree.
And 31 would probably work in your favour ie; mature outlook - not old at all!

**Patch** · 4th April 2009, 09:46

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

Hmm.... Is the question asking "How do I learn to make money?" - one of those where, if you have to ask, you probably don't get it? Cos I don't mate.

Property, Business or Equity Markets - only 3 areas to make serious coin.
Research, learn, apply and you can retire within 7 years. Only 7% of peeps do tho. It requires hard work and discipline.

or Just Obey Boss

Plenty of info out there, just need to apply ya self in whatever option you choose.

**DJSin** · 4th April 2009, 09:49

Where people make money is when they are passionate about something. It gives them the extra drive to work longer hours, produce a quality product or service and love doing it the whole time.

From a more practical perspective I've been looking at moving from Wellington to Tauranga and now I wish I'd done an accounting or law degree it seems that those jobs are required where ever you go.