<p>I graduated from college in May, and my parents have always wanted me to go to law school. We don't communicate much, and I never made it clear to them that I had no interest in going. I also had no real idea what I wanted to do, so I just went along to keep the peace.</p>
<p>But in my final two years of college, I realized that I wanted to work in the media business. Like TV or film producing. I became heavily involved in my school's student TV station and student theatre. I got a lot of creative and administrative experience.</p>
<p>At graduation, I told my parents about my idea of finding work at a network or a film studio for a few years before going off to business school. I thought this would satisfy them since I'd get an MBA in the end. But they wouldn't have it. It was law school, end of discussion. My parents are Asian immigrants, and I think they're a bit too enamored with the JD as some kind of supreme status symbol. I don't think they're aware of the current status of the legal profession in America.</p>
<p>So I gave in, and spent the summer studying for the LSAT. I was supposed to apply this fall, but I felt like I had to take one determined stand. I told them that I did not want to go to law school, and made a stronger case than last time. They finally relented, and have begun to help me look for work in my field of interest.</p>
<p>But they still talk to me as if I'm going off to the circus to be a juggler or something. And I can't even trust my parents' judgment anymore. My dad didn't even know what a Juris Doctor degree was, despite his infatuation with law school. And my mom is a housewife who isn't really in touch with the modern world. I no longer have any confidence in the advice that they give me.</p>
<p>I don't think I'm being unreasonable here. I'm not blowing off law school to become an artiste or whatever. I see myself going into marketing or development, and eventually going to business school. Is that such a huge risk compared to going to law school? Do my parents have a case here?</p>
<p>To answer your question, it does not sound like your parents are able to offer you reliable career advice. You’ll need to network to find other sources.</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters. If the law is not your passion, you should stay away. You need to find something that uses your skills, abilities, personality, values and passions. That is where you will find success, unfortunately it may not be something that your parents value as much as you do. Ultimately, money or status is never enough compensation for doing something you don’t want to be doing.</p>
<p>“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” Viktor Frankl</p>
<p>Aside from studying for the LSAT, what have you been doing? Something in the field you like so you can expose your parents to its possibilites? Have you worked with your school’s Career Center?</p>
<p>Your parents have no case. You are a college graduate and you don’t have to depend on your parents.</p>
<p>On the other hand, you are now capable of gathering information to politely present to your parents to show them why you should follow your interest in media business and administration. The way you talk to them is very important. You should show them how mature you are, not like when you were under their protection.</p>
<p>As immigrants, your parents are looking for you to have a career in a respected profession, with excellent income. Law is one of the professions and while people love to make lawyer jokes, it is high-status to folks whose parents or grandparents were pulling weeds by hand on the bottom of their countries’ totem poles (I mean no insults towards your ancestors!). </p>
<p>There have been changes recently in income expectations in law, but it is still one of the professions. And, income depends on your specialty and where you work.</p>
<p>The entertainment business, which is what the media industry is to your parents, is seen as way less professional – you hit on it yourself when you mentioned jugglers! And an MBA means being a merchant, to your parents’ generation. </p>
<p>They want you to be in a field which is revered. A lawyer is a scholar, to them. </p>
<p>Yes, of course they do not realize what you are talking about — it is not easy to come to an entirely different culture and absorb it, when you are an adult. </p>
<p>Your situation would be recognized by many Jewish and Italian kids, a couple of generations ago! Some of them have made good livings telling jokes about it, too. </p>
<p>Perhaps if you found someone from their community whose opinion they would respect, who could explain that marketing, development, an MBA are respected and certainly hold as much job security as many lawyers enjoy, it would help them understand. They look at your youth and they remember the baby who crawled around, when they see you — parents can’t help being reminded of their childrens’ inexperience. Someone of their own generation and culture might be better able to convince you are making good choices.</p>
<p>There are too many lawyers out there competing for work for you enter that profession unless it’s a genuine passion of yours. As others have pointed out, your parents may not be aware of the state of the market for law graduates.</p>
<p>I think it’s exceptionally hard for all parents these days to give reliable specific advice about careers, promising fields, etc. The world is changing very fast and in ways that we can’t anticipate. What worked for us may very well not work for our children. Other than general advice to get a life-long, flexible education, be prepared to adapt constantly and update your skills, live within your means, and be a decent person with integrity, what else can we say?</p>
<p>I’m currently in Seoul right now. I’m Canadian, but my parents moved to Korea a few years ago and my student visa expired in the US.</p>
<p>This has turned out to be a blessing in disguise though. Korean entertainment is huge in Asia, and many companies are trying to break into the American market (which I hope means more opportunities for bi-cultural and bilingual people like me). Plus, my parents have become more accommodating towards my plans since they know that I’ll be close by and they can see how I’m doing. </p>
<p>Right now, I’m trying to do as much research into potential employers. My Korean is only about half-fluent right now, so I’m going to take university classes in the spring to hopefully become fluent. By then, I’ll be an Ivy League grad with fluency in both English and Korean, so I should be a pretty attractive candidate for internships and jobs.</p>
<p>I just need a chance to prove to my parents that there are viable careers outside of law and medicine. I guess it’s up to me now to work hard and do just that.</p>
<p>Also, if you have studied for the LSAT you probably have some idea if the legal profession holds some interest for you. I come from a multi-generation family of lawyers. I went into the restaurant business after graduating from college and went to law school starting when I was 33, when I sold my interest in the restaurant I had opened.</p>
<p>The years immediately after college are prime years for going after things that interest you. If those things don’t include law, I suggest don’t force yourself. I (age 60) have too many friends (lawyers and doctors) who now wish they had followed their passions.</p>
<p>My S graduates this May. He took 8 years of Japanese at his private school and took Mandrian Chinese in college. He has a job lined up in Taipei after graduation. The jobs and opportunities abound in Asia. You may be at the right place at the right time.</p>