Become a Lawyer or a Businessman?

[montecristo#4]

Having been a lawyer, and being (currently) a businessman, I feel I am uniquely qualified to respond to this thread.

The answer is:

Don't be a lawyer unless you love the law. If you don't, it just isn't worth it.

Originally Posted by Deluks917

I'd rather be a lawyer. Lawyers seem to have aquired an actual skillset. I'm not sure exactly how much one can teach you about business. Obviously I'm being ignorant here but thats how I see it.

Lawyers acquire a very specialized skillset, but only after they have practiced for a while (law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer, which is useful, but when you graduate you won't really know ****).

Think of it this way: law is a business. Other businesses also require you to develop different skill sets. These skill sets can potentially have value across multiple vertical industries. For example, sales, marketing, finance.... All require domain expertise. Or you may develop expertise in a certain specialized area within a vertical.

If you are in business for a while and haven't managed to acquire some kind of skill set (or, more likely, sets), it is pretty likely that you are a failure and small timer.