BestFitforMe

OneofthethingsIreallywanttodowithmylifeishelppeople.Whetherisit
investigatingacrimeorputtingabadguyaway.Iknowthatsomethingsaboutthesecareers
scareme,buttherearealsosomanypositives.TomakesurethatIgointherightdirection,Iam
goingtolookattwodifferentcareers.Knowingthetraitsofmypersonality,whatIenjoyinlife,
andwhatIwantinlife,Ineedtodecideifbeingasuccessfullawyeroraninvestigatoristhebest
careerforme.
ThefirstjobIwanttoexploreisalawyer.Therearemanyeducationalrequirementsin
becomingalawyer.Luckily,youcanhavemostlyanyundergraduatetogetacceptedintolaw
school.Manycolleges,suchastheUniversityofIowa,haveaprogramofundergraduateandlaw
school,sothatyouonlyhavetogotoschoolforsevenyearstotalinsteadoffouryearsof
undergraduateandfouryearsoflawschool.("EducationandTrainingSearchResults"Career
OneStop).Allstatesrequireyoutopassawrittenbarexaminationtobecomeaprofessional
lawyer.ItisrecommendedthatundergraduatecoursesincludeEnglish,foreignlanguages,public
speaking,government,philosophy,history,economics,math,andcomputerscience.Itisvery
importanttohaveknowledgeoflaws,legalcodes,courtprocedures,precedents,government
regulations,executiveorders,agencyrules,andthedemocraticpoliticalprocess.Another
importantthingistheknowledgeofthestructureandcontentoftheEnglishlanguage,including
themeaningandspellingofwords,rulesofcomposition,andgrammar.Itisalsoveryimportant
tohavetheknowledgeofbusinessandmanagementprinciplesinvolvedinstrategicplanning,
humanresourcesmodeling,leadershiptechnique,productionmethods,andcoordinationof
peopleandresources("Lawyers."CDMCareerZone).Someoftheseseemveryfunand
interestingbutothersseemquiteboring.


Therearemanythingsaboutbeingalawyerthatappealtome.Ilovetheideaofbeing
abletoputawaycriminals.Iwanttobetheonethatputsawayarapistorputsawayanabusive
man.Itwouldbesomethinglikebeingahero,Ilovetheideaofdefendingtheinnocent.A
lawyeralsodoesalotofotherthing,suchas,figuringouthowcrimeshappenedandmaking
senseofit.Manylawyershavetobeabletomanipulatewitnessestomakesuretheirclient
comesoutontop.Iresearchedthatalawyer'smainjobtohelppeoplewiththeirproblems,I
thinkthatwouldbesomethingIwanttodo.
EventhoughtherearemanythingsIloveaboutbeingalawyer,therearemanythings
aboutbeingalawyerthatmakesmenotwanttobecomealawyer.Iamabigfamilyperson,andI
thinkfamilyisveryimportant.Beingalawyergivesoddhoursandthatwouldmakehavinga
familyhard.Ithinktheoddhourscouldruinthiscareerforme.Ialsodontliketheideaof
havingtowriteupdocumentsallofthetime.AnotherthingthatIwouldnotlikeisthefactI
couldbedefendingsomeonewhoisguilty.IdontknowifIcoulddealwithtryingtosave
someonewhodidsomethingwrong.Iliketothinkofmyselfasanoutgoingpersonwithaloud
personality,andbeingalawyerwouldputastintinthat.Beingalawyerinvolvesalwaysbeing
professional,andIamnotsureIwanttodothat.Idontwanttochangemypersonalityforajob,
evenifitisthebestjobintheworld.
Therearemanythingsthatwouldhavetobedoneonadailybasistobeagoodlawyer.
Manydailytasksarequitetiring,suchassearchingforandexaminingpublicandotherlegal
recordstowriteopinionsorestablishownership.Iwouldprobatewills,representandadvise
executorsandadministratorsofestates.Iwouldbeperformingadministrativeandmanagement
functionsrelatedtothepracticeoflaw.Otherthingslikepreparinganddraftinglegaldocuments,
suchaswills,deeds,patentapplications,mortgages,leases,andcontracts.Iwouldhelpdevelop
federalandstateprograms,draftandinterpretlawsandlegislation,andestablishenforcement


procedures.Icouldalsobeactingasagent,trustee,guardian,orexecutorforbusinessesor
individuals.Alsonegotiatesettlementsofcivildisputes("Lawyers."CDMCareerZone).Many
ofthesethingswouldtakealotoftimeandeffortandnotleavemuchtomyselfbutIthinkit
couldbedone.
Ithinkthatwithmypersonality,Idontexactlyagreeingwithalawyer.Ineedtolookat
anothercareertomakesurethatIfoundoneIlike.ThesecondjobIwanttoexploreis
investigation.Therearealsoeducationrequirementsforbecominganinvestigator.Luckily,ifI
cantdecidewhatIwanttodobeforecollege,itisrecommendedthatinvestigatorsshouldgoto
lawschool.ThismeansIcouldalsogototheUniversityofIowaanddothesamesevenyear
program.Ihavetohavetheknowledgeoflaws,legalcodes,courtprocedures,precedents,
governmentregulations,executiveorders,agencyrules,andthedemocraticpoliticalprocess.I
havetohavetheknowledgeofrelevantequipment,policies,procedures,andstrategiesto
promoteeffectivelocal,state,ornationalsecurityoperationsfortheprotectionofpeople,data,
property,andinstitutions.TheknowledgeofthestructureandcontentoftheEnglishlanguage
includingthemeaningandspellingofwords,rulesofcomposition,andgrammar("Criminal
InvestigatorsandSpecialAgents."CDMCareerZone).Onceoutofschool,Iwouldhavetogoto
training.Allnewinvestigatorsundergo16weeksoftrainingattheFBIAcademyontheU.S.
MarineCorpsbaseinQuantico,VA("SPECIALAGENTS."
FBI
).
Severalthingsinbecominganinvestigatorinterestme.Iamveryinterestedinfiguring
outhowthingshappened.IthinkthatifIcanhelpsomewayevenjustalittlethatIwillbedoing
good.Ithinkusingmybraintohelptheworldwouldbeagoodthingformetodo.Ilovetheidea
ofcatchingthebadguy.Ithinkthatputtingbadpeopleawayisoneofthebestthingstodo.I
thinkthatprotectinginnocentpeoplefrombadpeopleisthethingIwanttodo.


Althoughtherearemanygreatthingsinbecominganinvestigator,therearealsothings
thatIwouldntenjoy.IwouldntenjoythedangerthatIwouldcomewithbeingininvestigator.I
thinkthatIwouldhavealittleproblemwithcarryingagun.Ihaveneverthoughtabouthavingto
carryit.IknowthatIcouldhaveadeskjob,andthenIwouldnthavetocarryagunwithme,
butIfeellikeIwontbeabletohelpasmuch.IalsowouldntliketheamountoftrainingthatI
wouldhavetogothroughtobecomeanFBIinvestigator.TheideathatIcouldendupkilling
someonereallybothersme,anditmightruinmyideaofbecominganFBIinvestigator.
Beinganinvestigator,meansIwillalwayshavedailyfunctionsthatneedtobedone.I
wouldhavetoissuesecurityclearances.OnethingIwouldenjoyisprovidingprotectionfor
individuals,suchasgovernmentleaders,politicalcandidates,andvisitingforeigndignitaries.I
wouldmanagesecurityprogramsdesignedtoprotectpersonnel,facilities,andinformation.I
wouldlovecomparingcrimescenefingerprintswiththosefromsuspectsorfingerprintfilesto
identifyperpetrators,usingcomputers,examinerecordstolocatelinksinchainsofevidenceor
information.Iwouldbecollaboratingwithotherauthoritiesonactivitiessuchassurveillance,
transcription,andresearch.Ithinkthebestpartofthejobwouldbeperformingundercover
assignmentsandmaintainsurveillance,includingmonitoringauthorizedwiretaps.Iwould
developrelationshipswithinformantstoobtaininformationrelatedtocases("Criminal
InvestigatorsandSpecialAgents."CDMCareerZone).
Oneofthemostimportantthingsformeinmakingthisdecisionissalary,alongwithjob
outlook.Alawyerssalary
in2013,was$131,990.Theoutlookofalawyeris7,000openings
(
Lawyers

CDMCareerZone).
Aninvestigatorssalaryis$79,030withmostpeoplemaking
between$40,110and$125,320.Theoutlookforaninvestigatorisnotasgood.During2010,this
occupationemployedapproximately119,000peopleinUnitedStates.Itisprojectedthatthere
willbe122,000employedin2020.Thisoccupationwillhaveabout0openingsduetogrowth


andabout30,000replacementopeningsforapproximately30,000totalannualopenings
(
CriminalInvestigatorsandSpecialAgentsCDMCareerZone).
SoIthinkthatsalaryand
outlookwise,lawyerisbetter.
Ithinkthatbothofthesejobswouldbegoodforme.Althoughtherearedownfallsto
bothofthem,therearealsosomanythingsthatIloveaboutbothofthem.IthinkrightnowI
needmoretimetodecidewhatIwanttodo.Ithinkthisreallyopenedmyeyesonallofthe
thingsIwillbedoingwitheitherofthesecareers.
Sofornow,atleast,Iwillneedtocontinueto
decideifIthinkbeingasuccessfullawyeroraninvestigatoristhebestcareerforme.

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