Not that there isn’t good reason for those coming out of law school to gripe these days, as it certainly isn’t their fault that the job market disappeared and everything they spent the last seen years working towards is now a dead issue, but it won’t get you anywhere. Seth Godin offered some suggestions :
How about a post-graduate year doing some combination of the following (not just one, how about all):
- Spend twenty hours a week running a project for a non-profit.
- Teach yourself Java, HTML, Flash, PHP and SQL. Not a little, but mastery. [Clarification: I know you can’t become a master programmer of all these in a year. I used the word mastery to distinguish it from ‘familiarity’ which is what you get from one of those Dummies type books. I would hope you could write code that solves problems, works and is reasonably clear, not that you can program well enough to work for Joel Spolsky. Sorry if I ruffled feathers.]
- Volunteer to coach or assistant coach a kids sports team.
- Start, run and grow an online community.
- Give a speech a week to local organizations.
- Write a regular newsletter or blog about an industry you care about.
- Learn a foreign language fluently.
- Write three detailed business plans for projects in the industry you care about.
- Self-publish a book.
- Run a marathon.
He concludes the list with this gem: “Beats law school.” This apparent throwaway line is quite meaningful. How many of you really want to be lawyers? How many of you even knew what lawyers did before going to law school? How many of you really know what lawyers do as you walk up to accept your diploma?
No doubt some fully understood what they were getting into, and had goals and aspirations to be a lawyer. But we all know that law school is the place of last resort for students who can’t stand the sight of blood or suck at science. So now what?
After Godin gave great advice, get off the couch, stop whining and do something useful with yourself, he became the butt of the disaffected. Ah, how quickly they turn on you when there’s no easy answer in sight. Calling his response “Tough!”, Seth wrote:
No doubt some fully understood what they were getting into, and had goals and aspirations to be a lawyer. But we all know that law school is the place of last resort for students who can’t stand the sight of blood or suck at science. So now what?
After Godin gave great advice, get off the couch, stop whining and do something useful with yourself, he became the butt of the disaffected. Ah, how quickly they turn on you when there’s no easy answer in sight. Calling his response “Tough!”, Seth wrote:
I got some fascinating responses to yesterday’s post.
A few were from entitled college grads. They basically asked, “With all this debt, how can I possibly do what you asked? Sure, some people might be able to do this, but I have no choice but to take a menial job, look for work and then party at night so I can have some friends.”
The first thing that should register is Seth’s use of the word “entitled”. That’s right, kids. I didn’t invent this stuff. I’ve just done my small part to smack you in the face with it. For your own good. The point is that your unhappiness with the way life is playing out doesn’t change the fact that this is the only life we’ve got, and you either make the best of it or complain that it’s just not working for you. The former offers you an opportunity to do something to improve your lot, even though it won’t be quick and easy, and offers no guarantee. The latter offers a guarantee of unhappiness and failure, because stamping your feet just isn’t going to do the trick.
Seth goes on to say that he heard from more people who got the message.
Many have argued, and some quite vociferously, that this isn’t a generational problem. In some ways it’s not, as every generation has had those who thought success was a magic trick, responsibility a burden that only fools carried and over-developed sense of their own worth. The difference this time around is that it’s the norm, the accepted frame of reference for a wide-swathe. I’m not saying this to ridicule youth, but like Seth Godin, to encourage the Slackoisie to pull it together, grow up and get to work.
Consider Seth’s query, “who else would you hire?” Picture in your heads sitting across from the hiring partner and telling him that your goal in five years is to be in the corner office, driving a BMW and out of there by no later than 5 every day. Would you hire you?
We’re sorry that this advice isn’t pleasing to you. We’re sorry that the world (the one you blame us for thrusting upon you at a time when you were supposed to due a good time) isn’t the one you expected. But as Seth says, tough. Blame us all you want, but it doesn’t change anything. You won’t find a satisfying life by complaining, no matter how strongly you believe your complaints to be valid.
When Adrian Dayton recently called me the Grumpiest Boomer on the Internet, I was honored. But it’s quite possible that I will have to share the title with Seth Godin. I don’t think he’s surpassed me yet, but it’s close.
Seth goes on to say that he heard from more people who got the message.
More, though, were from people who said, “Yes! I can do this. I’ll sleep on a friend’s floor and eat beans and rice every night if I have to, but this is as much a part of my education as taking English 101 was.” I heard from three recruiters who violently agreed with this plan–who else would you hire?While there is an abundance of Slackoisie roaming the internet, many with law school diplomas, claiming to be marketing consultants in the hope that they can get paid for mouthing irrationally exuberant optimism, couple with vague or simplistic assertions of how you can make a million and still be at the bar for happy hour, have you asked yourselves why they are huckstering for your last $5 rather than running the most successful young law firm in town? How does someone who has never had a successful business in their lives tell you the magic secret to success? And for those who claim that they did indeed have million dollar practices, why have they left them to spend their days trying desperately to get your last $5?
Many have argued, and some quite vociferously, that this isn’t a generational problem. In some ways it’s not, as every generation has had those who thought success was a magic trick, responsibility a burden that only fools carried and over-developed sense of their own worth. The difference this time around is that it’s the norm, the accepted frame of reference for a wide-swathe. I’m not saying this to ridicule youth, but like Seth Godin, to encourage the Slackoisie to pull it together, grow up and get to work.
Consider Seth’s query, “who else would you hire?” Picture in your heads sitting across from the hiring partner and telling him that your goal in five years is to be in the corner office, driving a BMW and out of there by no later than 5 every day. Would you hire you?
We’re sorry that this advice isn’t pleasing to you. We’re sorry that the world (the one you blame us for thrusting upon you at a time when you were supposed to due a good time) isn’t the one you expected. But as Seth says, tough. Blame us all you want, but it doesn’t change anything. You won’t find a satisfying life by complaining, no matter how strongly you believe your complaints to be valid.
When Adrian Dayton recently called me the Grumpiest Boomer on the Internet, I was honored. But it’s quite possible that I will have to share the title with Seth Godin. I don’t think he’s surpassed me yet, but it’s close.
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Why in the hell should i learn how to become a computer programmer?? i don’t get that one
It’s a concept; do something useful rather than sit and complain about your sorry life. Computer programming is an extremely useful skill, no matter what you do. It certainly wouldn’t hurt you to gain the knowledge and, given that I’ve had to spell this out for you in excruciating detail, perhaps it offers you a more viable career than law.
Do you have any sage suggestions for Boomer parents whose law grads are unexpectedly (and gripingly) moving back home? If I weren’t so blog-retired, I’d draw up a few Back In the Nest commandments and try to get back on the GBI list with you and Seth.
Absolutely. Toss their sorry butts out the door. They’ll get hungry eventually, and have to do something with themselves. Remember that lesson we forgot to teach them, that life isn’t fair? This would be a great teaching opportunity.
All those Boomer Parents who’ve been trying to be their children’s Best Friend and Friendly Banker all these years clearly will need some major attitude adjustment. They have been Entitlement Tutors all these years. Perhaps Junior or Missy, JD, should get a 3-day notice prior to the eviction.
Typo alert: I meant 30-day eviction notice. I’m not that grumpy.
And you just took yourself out of the running for GBI.
sigh. Must be those hormonal changes that come with aging.
Computer programing is performed far worse than almost any skill by far too many people. It’s hard to do well. [Edit. Note: Link deleted.]
Better to learn a trade, electrician or plumber. At least the standards are well defined and the skills are international.