Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Thesis Statement
- Discussion
- First Choice Career: Corporate Lawyer
- Second Choice Career: Law Professor
- Conclusion
- Works Cited
Introduction
Career planning has undoubtedly emerged as a vital concern for the current generation to secure better reputation, healthy living, successful establishment and satisfaction in the later life. It is fundamentally owing to the fact that today young people have greater access to a variety of career options which makes them decide upon multiple attributes in accordance with their expectations. It is worth mentioning in this regard that expectations from a particular career choice has altered significantly over the past, being strongly influenced by the rapidly changing lifestyle preferences of the human society. These alterations have further attracted the focus of the career planners towards issues concerning the regular job hours, stress level on-the-job, remunerations, growth opportunities as well as versatility in the job responsibilities. Following the determination of these aspects on the basis of the academic skills, cognitive competencies and economic abilities of the candidate, the career path is selected (Fogg, Harrington and Harrington 21-30).
Thesis Statement
Considering these issues, I wish to select my career option as a corporate lawyer. However, owing to the fact that the industrial contexts are rapidly changing which might alter the attributes which I had considered when selecting upon the career option of a corporate lawyer, I have decided the job role of a law professor as my second career option. This paper will therefore attempt to discuss upon my career choices and their attributes which should be taken into concern when developing myself as a prospective candidate for the intended job positions.
Discussion
First Choice Career: Corporate Lawyer
The strong inspirations to influence me for considering about corporate lawyer as a career option have been my family and friends who knew people from a similar career. Even the friends who were associated with businesses advised me to take up the option as a worthy career choice after identifying my skills and hard-working nature. Contextually, after reviewing various articles and consulting with my professors along with the people whom my friends knew as corporate lawyers, I was able to understand that the job responsibilities in relation to this particular career is quite challenging. Undoubtedly, the sustenance as well as the legal viability of a corporate entity relies upon the shoulders and competitiveness of the lawyer which further determines the livelihood of many people. I also observed that corporate lawyers in today’s highly competitive scenario need to handle multiple deals at once, which further creates a mental as well as a physical stress upon the professionals making them work for 24×7. However, depending on the excellence of the professional, it can be affirmed that job security is greater in this career path in comparison to various other choices. It is in this context that corporate lawyers can also operate as a self-employed, once he/she gains the reputation of a reliable lawyer amid the industrial context (Graham, “My Law Career Lasted Two Years”; Guch, “Corporate Law: Area Of Practice”).
The fundamental skills required to be possessed by a competitive corporate lawyer is the crucial understanding of the business operations in order to identify the clients’ needs and the actual legal problem along with the understanding of the judicial policies, which in turn assists them to address the issue with greater criticality as per the demand of the client. However, corporate lawyers also need to concentrate upon various other factors including the ethical concerns to support their clients, which in turn increase their mental pressure. Additionally, as the preparation of legal formalities and the entire process is considered as a lengthy and tiring process, the professionals may have to work for long hours witnessing physical stress as well (Schneider and Belsky 100-107).
Nevertheless, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report have predicted that a substantial rise in the demand for corporate lawyers is quite likely to take place within 2018 which increases the chances of gaining a competitive job position after my graduation. On an average, the current salary structure for a corporate lawyer is identified as USD 110,590 per annum which again increases with the experiences of the professional. The remuneration can also vary on the basis of the corporate firm and the criticality of the issues dealt with; hence, rendering greater opportunity of earning a handsome salary (Education-Portal.com, “Corporate Law Career Options and Salary Information”). Therefore, to become a corporate lawyer I plan to opt for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to pursue a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. Current estimations depict that the degree will cost around USD 10,000 to USD 60,000 depending on the type of course selected, i.e. either part-time or full-time. As I wish to select a full-time course, the degree is likely to cost more than USD 40,000 in a reputed college. Hence, I will also require obtaining financial aid through educational loans apart from personal finance (Montauk, “LLM Fees and Costs”).
Second Choice Career: Law Professor
My second choice of career would be to get established as a Law professor in a reputed law school. In many instances, it has been observed that students select the option of investment banking and corporate consultants as their second career choices when opting for the profession of corporate lawyers. However, I wish to opt for the position of a law professor. Unlike the job responsibilities and the stress level witnessed by the corporate lawyers, law professors need to experience comparatively lesser challenges. In accordance with the lower degree of criticality, law professors are also entitled for comparatively lesser remuneration which is currently observed to be USD 66,469 per annum on an average (Davidoff, “The Economics of Law School”). Nevertheless, the significance of such a position can be termed as quite competitive in the current socio-economic context. Similarly, the lower remuneration can be justified on the basis that law professors also need to undergo comparatively lesser mental and physical stress. The job hours can also be observed to be fixed for the profession of law professors.
It is worth mentioning in this regard that to achieve the position of law professors in a reputed college; the candidate needs to pursue a degree course in law, i.e. LL.M along with any other degree course that can facilitate a better understanding of the business scenario. With this concern, I wish to obtain a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree as well, after completing my LL.M course. A relative experience as a corporate lawyer will also be required in order to gain excellence in the selected job role of a law professor (Wish, “The Academic Path: Becoming a Law Professor”). This particular career option is also quite likely to render admirable growth opportunities with greater scope of versatility. Contextually, along with the profession of a law professor, I shall also gain the opportunity to practice part-time corporate lawyership. Furthermore, I can also involve in research works, writing thesis and books which can facilitate the education sector. Therefore, from an overall perspective, the profession of a law professor will provide me with greater opportunity to get engaged with multiple job roles and thereby minimize the degree of job insecurity in my later life.
Conclusion
Stating precisely, I wish to opt for a challenging profession in my early career which will facilitate better career growth opportunities and job security in my later life. The few elements which I perceive to be quite significant when determining upon the available career options is the degree of labor required to deal with the stress offered by the profession along with the cost required to pursue the intended course and the prospects of earning. Analyzing these factors in relation to the profession of corporate lawyers, I was quite satisfied to identify that the job can offer me with a satisfactory social and economic position in my later career. However, even though my current observations depict that the job role of a corporate lawyer will be suitable for me, from a critical viewpoint I perceive that in case the future scenario related to my first career choice become progressively more challenging and unstable, I shall opt for the position of a law professor in a reputed law college. Notably, both the career options present a distinct job stress level, along with different remuneration packages and challenges. Evaluating both the options, I would confirm the profession of a corporate lawyer as my first choice and being a law professor as my second career choice.
Works Cited:
- Davidoff, Steven M. The Economics of Law School. The New York Times, 2012. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
- Education-Portal.com. Corporate Law Career Options and Salary Information. Financial, Banking, and Securities Law, 2013. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
- Fogg, Neeta P., Harrington, Paul E. and Harrington, Thomas F. College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs: The Actual Jobs, Earnings, and Trends for Graduates of 60 College Majors. Indianapolis: JIST Works, Inc., 2004. Print.
- Graham, Chris. My Law Career Lasted Two Years. The Globe and Mail, 2010. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
- Guch, Karen. Corporate Law: Area of Practice. GTI Media Ltd, 2013. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
- Montauk, Richard. LLM Fees and Costs. LLM Study, n.d. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
- Schneider, Deborah. and Belsky, Gary. Should You Really Be a Lawyer?: The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School. United States of America: Niche Press, LLC, 2004. Print.
- Wish, V. The Academic Path: Becoming a Law Professor. LLM Guide, 2012. Web. 04 Jan. 2013.
