The Career Doctor™
by Dr. Jacqueline Hornor Plumez
Looking for a first job? Thinking of changing careers?
Facing a lay-off? The Career Doctor™ is a Larchmont psychologist
specializing in career counseling. If you'd like to ask a question of
your own, use our anonymous form, and she
might answer you here. Read more about the Career Doctor here.
Contact information is here.
I AM ABOUT TO TURN 30 AND
FEEL I WASTED MY TWENTIES
Dear Career Doctor:
I graduated in 2000 with a double major B.S. in Computer Science and Physics.
Since that was a “boom” time, I decided to get a job in the IT field. Now I
do part Sales Support and part IT work. I am VERY dissatisfied with my job.
I feel like I wasted my precious 20's pursuing something that I didn’t want to
do – and I feel like a complete failure.
I am thinking of either going for an MBA or a JD degree. It’s hard to decide what I
really want. Also, I feel like I am about to turn 30, an age at which people are
settled in their career and I haven’t even gotten my field down yet.
What are the chances for success for a person with such a background in law school?
R
Dear R:
Anyone who majors in physics is smart enough to go to law school and be a
successful lawyer! So, I wouldn’t worry about being able to do the work.
The question is: would you enjoy the work of a lawyer more than the work of an
executive? And which area of the law ( litigation, tax work, corporate law,
for example) or business ( finance, marketing, accounting, etc) would be
most interesting to you. So, talk to as many lawyers and business people as
you can. Ask about what they do, what they like and don’t like, and see how
it feels to you.
As for your feelings of failure – you sound like you are far from a failure! You have
graduated from college and supported yourself. Now you are simply ready for a change.
Most people change fields several times in their careers. But at 30, it is time to
decide about graduate training. Don’t waste your time being hard on yourself.
Devote your energies to figuring out whether you want business or law.
The Career Doctor
The Career Doctor™ is Larchmont
psychologist and career counselor, Dr. Jacqueline Hornor Plumez.
Her office is at 90 Beechtree Drive in Larchmont, 914-834-1982.
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