Nova165-ga:
Hi! What an interesting question and a coincidence... I myself found
myself at a similar place not too long ago, and my interests and
lifestyle habits are much like your own.
Let me tell you a little about myself first before I give my advice so
you know where I am coming from. First of all, I got my bachelor's in
international affairs, with minors in Japanese and Spanish. I wanted
to travel the world, meet people, and clink glasses with the best. I
spent some time living in Madrid, which was an amazing experience and
made me realize that living abroad or travelling abroad was a must for
my lifestyle. Of course, reality happens and I ended up working as a
litigation clerk for a law firm after graduation.
It seems like me, you are conflicted between having a prestigious job
(in the sense of intellectually challenging as well as well reputed)
and having a glamorous job. The problem is that most intellectually
invigorating jobs (i.e. a job in academia) are somewhat stale and
boring, the lifestyle lends itself to being bookish and reclusive.
Many glamorous jobs are not within easy reach or may not satisfy your
intellectual side.
I made the decision that I could have both if I buckled down for a
couple years... I ultimately decided to go the law school for a J.D.
in International Law (which tends to be more interesting because the
issues are not just about international trade and such, but subjects
like "the ethics of war"). Following completion of this, I would seek
to procure a position at a major thinktank like the Council on Foreign
Relations (offices in NYC and DC)... a position that would require
travel, embassy events (sipping drinks and social events),
consultation with diplomats and people in high positions from various
countries, and the opportunity to write articles for prestigious
publications. These positions are extremely "public" positions as well
as influential. These positions pay well, come with many perks (for
example, I know that the employees of the Council on Foreign Relations
get discounts for Broadway shows, etc.). The options for career
advancement are quite good too, as ex-thinktankers tend to either go
work for the government as a diplomat, advisor to the president, etc.
or go work in the private sector as a professor (so when you get older
and your body finally catches up to your youthful enthusiasm, you have
a good fallback!).
Of course, just because I made this decision, does not mean that you
have to do this as well. It just happens that a position such as this
would fulfill your various requirements, of course, a 3 year hiatus
from the high life to go to law school would be required. Also, in the
last year or so, law school applications have skyrocketed and
admissions will be more competitive than in years past.
Alternatives I considered:
- Find a position at an Embassy or U.S. Consulate abroad
- Get an MBA or skip it if you can find a position without it in the
international department of a major company.
I hope this helps. I know how hard it can be to find the perfect
balance, but I've found that going with your gut on this one is
probably the best way to go.
Good Luck, and please feel free to ask for clarification if something
is not clea!
leeann-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
leeann-ga
on
11 Nov 2002 14:38 PST
Hi Nova165!
"My challenge on the other hand would be the fact that
English is my second language. I always feel that there will be so
many other candidates for law schools and (later) jobs that will have
that advantage over me. "
While this is a valid concern, judging from your English in asking
your question and the dialogue you have provided, your English is
excellent (I would not have guessed that English is your second
language). Frankly, I have found that people who are at least
bi-lingual have an advantage over the average American, especially in
this field. In the short run, I can see that it might be a small
problem with regards to the LSAT, however, you can surely overcome
that by studying for the LSAT through classes... I have found that it
is harder to overcome the analytical and structural issues the LSAT
presents, not vocabulary. You could also use the fact that English is
your second language to your advantage by writing your personal
statement for the application around the difficulties that this has
presented you, but how you are willing to do whatever it takes to
overcome that hurdle.
"I speak Farsi, of course I will be able to
leverage that and get involved with an international entity
eventually, however will all these entities be in the east? Do I have
to move to DC and NY? OR is it possible to get a job with an
organization and work in San Francisco?"
These entities are not necessarily located in the East, but are
concentrated there. Once you gain a certain amount of prestige, you
could even work as a contractor for a publication or organization and
work from home (e-commuting per se). Also, you must realize that most
of these entities have offices in many of the major U.S. cities,
including cities such as Seattle, San Francisco and L.A. It also
depends on your expertise. If, for example, you have a certain special
area of knowledge (in this case, Farsi could help you), organizations
are willing to hire you despite the fact you live far away.
E-commuting like this is becoming a much more common phenomena as the
internet shortens the distance between people.
"an embassy job has always
intrigued me. Do I need to know other languages to work for an
embassy?"
You do not need to know another language to work for an embassy,
although it would be helpful to have an elementary knowledge of the
other language. Since this position would be helping U.S. citizens
abroad, English would be paramount. Many people use embassy jobs as a
way to learn about another culture and/or language. Too increase your
chances of going somewhere like Spain, or somewhere that is completely
foreign to you, you would do well to take a short course on that
language.
Some more useful links regarding working for an embassy... check out:
http://www.foreignservicecareers.gov/
http://www.usembassy.state.gov/ (lists all the countries where we have
embassies or consulates).
Best Luck,
leeann-ga
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