Work experience

[Beth1989]

I went on work experience today, and I had been so sure that I wanted to be a lawyer. My experience certainly has been an experience at a lawyers and i hate it. I feel like i have nowhere to go now, i still have 4 days to go yet i dont want to return. Lawyers seem too dull for me, as i am quite outgoing (no offence to any lawyers out there) and it takes at least 6 years! I can't think of anything else that I want to do and i need some ideas??

[morg_monster]

Hi beth

Looking at your username and guessing that people usually do work experience in year 10 or 11, I'm guessing you're doing your GCSEs? If so - I really would not be too put off by this first day 

Firstly, on work experience I'm not sure you'd be getting a really good, in depth look at what you would be doing as a qualified lawyer.  So it might not be as boring as you are thinking.

Secondly, you say it takes 6 years - does this include doing a law degree?  Because you do not need a degree in law to be a lawyer.  Whatever degree you do (as long as it is reasonably academic I think and you get a 2.1) you can do a law conversion course afterwards which takes one year - and gets you up to the standard of the people who spent 3 yrs studying law at uni.  On the other hand, if you do a law degree, that doesn't mean you HAVE to do law, you can still get into plenty of other professions.

If you are thinking of being a lawyer I'm guessing you're pretty good at school.  I'd give the following advice, which is to concentrate on what you are good at and enjoy.  Pick some good academic A-levels, depending on whether you are a more science or arts/humanities person. Then after this pick a degree you find interesting and think you will be able to stick to for 3 years.  Except if you want to be a vet or in the medical profession, on the whole many careers are available to you whatever degree subject you do if you choose a good course at a good uni and get a 2.1.  Try not too think too far into the future at the moment.  Concentrate on your GCSEs, then pick some A-levels that don't cut off your options, then choose a degree when the time comes. (cont...)

[morg_monster]

(...cont)

As for the rest of this week - well, I think you'll just have to hack it!  You're pretty lucky to get work experience that is actually of interest (or was before!).  At my school so many people just ended up at primary schools or shops even though they had no interest! And - if you hadn't done work exp - you'd never know you didn't fancy it after all!

Seriously, don't stress about it too much.  You have a lot of time to make choices, and you'll find out about a lot more different jobs as time goes on.  I'm doing a job now I never knew about when I was your age (I'm 23 now).

[SGKelloe32]

I did my work experience at a solicitors office when I was 15, because I was adamant that is what I wanted to do, but after working there I then decided it looked like one of the most boring jobs to do!

But seriously, at the age of 16, its impossible to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life! As long as you work hard to get C+ passes in English, maths and science, as these are the main 3 any employer will ask for. Don’t worry if you cant make up your mind and decide what you want to do right now, no body will judge you for it!

Im 21 and have only just decided to get a job in the health profession and hopefully get to university and do a nursing diploma, but it has taken me 5 years to decide that this is really what I want to do after working in a dead end office job with no prospects I have finally took control and got my life in order. My advice is not to panic, your young and you’ve got the world at your feet!x

[undercovers]

oi i've just been accepted onto a CPE (law conversion) course and i'm not VERY boring - there are lots of areas of law some of which i find very dull and some I enjoy - have a look into it a bit more but if its not for you so what just do what you enjoy and a job will fit in around it somehow

[Miss Zippy]

I shouldn�t worry too much at your age about finding out which career is suitable for you. Unless you want to enter a profession such as medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, where you need a relevant degree, provided you get good exam results and a good degree from a good university, you can pretty much enter any profession you choose. For the record, I was a trainee solicitor years ago and also found it dull though not for the reasons you state.  Perhaps you were working in the wrong legal field.  Many lawyers are actually very outgoing and �theatrical� people � they love appearing in Court and thrive on �performing� before an �audience�!

[El D]

I have to agree law is rather boring and there are a higher than average % of grey men in the profession. Unfortunately as you will discover all work is essentially repetition which becomes dull, albeit over differing time scales. As Aristotle commented - 'All paid work absorbs and degrades the mind'. . .