J.D. vs. MBA Discuss...

Another reason why the MBA is a better option, in my opinion, is because previous work experience is a hedge if ever you have a tough time finding employment coming out of your program. If all else fails, you can usually head back to your industry. For law students whe have no previous WE, if they don't land a gig straight out of LS they're basically screwed.

I tend to agree with the school of thought that says "MBA fresh from undergrad = school just taking your money".

If you think those are the skills you need, why not just do a more practical undergrad? Come back and do the MBA when you have something to offer to the class (experience/perspective etc).

Originally Posted by rjakapeanut

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i could see how the statement looks ridiculous if you think like a jackass, though.

Lol.

Originally Posted by hrb

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see the post above it. It suggested you become a plumber. You will probably make more money. That's not a joke. I'd probably say the highest proportion of independently wealthy dudes I know at the moment are the ones who went to trade school out of high school. There are a few reasons for this. 1. while we were accumulating student debt, they were earning wages as apprentices and having their trade schooling paid for by their employer 2. once they'd bought their tools (tax deductable), they basically never need to spend again on anything that is not either rebillable at a profit or a tax write off 3. they almost all have their own businesses now, and demand for their services is basically inelastic and stable. The lights go out, you call an electrician...and he bills you a 3 hr minimum call out and is gone in 10 mins. 4. while in trade school they met a network of other trade dudes who formed weird little reciprocal arrangements with each other for when they... 5. start accumulating ****** houses that they renovate with their friends and either resell at profit or use as collateral against the next ****** house until they have like 5 tenanted houses that are paying for themselves and waiting to be re-sold 6. sure the salaries themselves probably aren't ever going to be as high, but they blow the bare minimum of their money on shiny things (Very unSF ) and have almost no debt. If that is an interest, the law path is probably the worst one to follow.

Originally Posted by Matt

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see the post above it. It suggested you become a plumber. You will probably make more money. That's not a joke. I'd probably say the highest proportion of independently wealthy dudes I know at the moment are the ones who went to trade school out of high school. There are a few reasons for this. 1. while we were accumulating student debt, they were earning wages as apprentices and having their trade schooling paid for by their employer 2. once they'd bought their tools (tax deductable), they basically never need to spend again on anything that is not either rebillable at a profit or a tax write off 3. they almost all have their own businesses now, and demand for their services is basically inelastic and stable. The lights go out, you call an electrician...and he bills you a 3 hr minimum call out and is gone in 10 mins. 4. while in trade school they met a network of other trade dudes who formed weird little reciprocal arrangements with each other for when they... 5. start accumulating ****** houses that they renovate with their friends and either resell at profit or use as collateral against the next ****** house until they have like 5 tenanted houses that are paying for themselves and waiting to be re-sold 6. sure the salaries themselves probably aren't ever going to be as high, but they blow the bare minimum of their money on shiny things (Very unSF

) and have almost no debt. If that is an interest, the law path is probably the worst one to follow.
I think one often overlooked point is that people in trades often, at least after the apprenticeship, understand what they are getting into. They have a good sense of whether they will enjoy what they do and I think that translates to a more fulfilling lifestyle. While things change over time (including enjoyment) it's not the same as a business student looking forward to a business type job. I think this applies to law as well. With business, few undergrads understand the type of work they're getting into and usually overlook the unglamorous tasks in their decision making. When they come to understand the reality of their job, some individuals find that they don't like their job but need to stay there until they come across tasks/projects that allow them to demonstrate skills (for their resumes).

yeah, everything that Matt says totally happens i know like 3 plumbers who did all that **** lol. theyre balling.

i almost regret not finding a trade like that myself out of HS, but i had such a stupid hardon for college and law school.

but yeah, everyone goes to college because that's the "right" thing to do and plumbers start making bank.

Originally Posted by Viktri

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I think one often overlooked point is that people in trades often, at least after the apprenticeship, understand what they are getting into. They have a good sense of whether they will enjoy what they do and I think that translates to a more fulfilling lifestyle.

While things change over time (including enjoyment) it's not the same as a business student looking forward to a business type job. I think this applies to law as well.

With business, few undergrads understand the type of work they're getting into and usually overlook the unglamorous tasks in their decision making. When they come to understand the reality of their job, some individuals find that they don't like their job but need to stay there until they come across tasks/projects that allow them to demonstrate skills (for their resumes).
I raise it in this thread only because the OP is tossing out two totally disparate career paths and saying "which one offers me a better future" without any insight into what he is interested in or good at (other than some randomly generated words like "occupational dexterity"). So in that case, lets throw out a third totally unrelated career path an analyse it in those terms.

So, you want a better future...toss in the history degree, be a plumber, and retire in 40 years. You will be debt free, probably in better physical shape (manual labor keeps you fit), have spent more time with your family since you go home at 5 on the dot every day, and any time you have to come out after that, you get to charge triple time (try that in corporate life), and you will own like 14 houses, that you are perfectly able to maintain yourself (how many MBAs do you know that can rewire a whole house), and that you can sell at any time at a massive profit over what you paid 40 years before, and go on vacation with the wife. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by Matt

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I raise it in this thread only because the OP is tossing out two totally disparate career paths and saying "which one offers me a better future" without any insight into what he is interested in or good at (other than some randomly generated words like "occupational dexterity"). So in that case, lets throw out a third totally unrelated career path an analyse it in those terms.

So, you want a better future...toss in the history degree, be a plumber, and retire in 40 years. You will be debt free, probably in better physical shape (manual labor keeps you fit), have spent more time with your family since you go home at 5 on the dot every day, and any time you have to come out after that, you get to charge triple time (try that in corporate life), and you will own like 14 houses, that you are perfectly able to maintain yourself (how many MBAs do you know that can rewire a whole house), and that you can sell at any time at a massive profit over what you paid 40 years before, and go on vacation with the wife. Problem solved.

Doing a trade is great if you are interested in that. But being a plumber for 30 years involves going out every weekday and, well, doing plumbing. That might not be interesting to everyone. To some it is, and those people often do very well for themselves, but I probably couldn't stand the day to day grind/monotony of that type of job.

which misses my point. A JD involves spending 30 years going out and practising law, which he apparently has little interest in either. An MBA (esp straight out of undergrad) offers almost nothing concrete in the way of a career path, it's focussed only in comparison to a Bachelors in history. I'm not saying he should be a plumber, but my point is he is throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping a meal will stick...well in that case...fine...include the trades in the pasta. Hell, include the priesthood, pimping and street performance.

Either that, or do some thinking for himself as to what he would actually like to do, what would be interesting, what he is good at, and offer that in Real Words instead of made up pseudo management speak.

Originally Posted by Matt

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which misses my point. A JD involves spending 30 years going out and practising law, which he apparently has little interest in either. An MBA (esp straight out of undergrad) offers almost nothing concrete in the way of a career path, it's focussed only in comparison to a Bachelors in history. I'm not saying he should be a plumber, but my point is he is throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping a meal will stick...well in that case...fine...include the trades in the pasta. Hell, include the priesthood, pimping and street performance.

Either that, or do some thinking for himself as to what he would actually like to do, what would be interesting, what he is good at, and offer that in Real Words instead of made up pseudo management speak.

I agree with every word you wrote.

Originally Posted by Matt

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I raise it in this thread only because the OP is tossing out two totally disparate career paths and saying "which one offers me a better future" without any insight into what he is interested in or good at (other than some randomly generated words like "occupational dexterity"). So in that case, lets throw out a third totally unrelated career path an analyse it in those terms.

So, you want a better future...toss in the history degree, be a plumber, and retire in 40 years. You will be debt free, probably in better physical shape (manual labor keeps you fit), have spent more time with your family since you go home at 5 on the dot every day, and any time you have to come out after that, you get to charge triple time (try that in corporate life), and you will own like 14 houses, that you are perfectly able to maintain yourself (how many MBAs do you know that can rewire a whole house), and that you can sell at any time at a massive profit over what you paid 40 years before, and go on vacation with the wife. Problem solved.

Let's not forget the prospect of owning a plumbing company - I've seen financials for a couple of tiny ones and they make serious bank.

Originally Posted by Matt

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I tend to agree with the school of thought that says "MBA fresh from undergrad = school just taking your money".

If you think those are the skills you need, why not just do a more practical undergrad? Come back and do the MBA when you have something to offer to the class (experience/perspective etc).
QFT. I couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by Lord-Barrington

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Doing a trade is great if you are interested in that. But being a plumber for 30 years involves going out every weekday and, well, doing plumbing. That might not be interesting to everyone. To some it is, and those people often do very well for themselves, but I probably couldn't stand the day to day grind/monotony of that type of job.
yeah but the guy is basically asking which is a better investment, what will be more profitable etc. there's no indication from his OP that he's looking for something that will interest him; he's selected two completely different fields that sound good/like he'll make $$$. in that case yeah, definitely include trades.

Originally Posted by Flambeur

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Let's not forget the prospect of owning a plumbing company - I've seen financials for a couple of tiny ones and they make serious bank.
YES. friend of my uncle fits this nicely. dude skipped the traditional educational route people advocate and started grinding. drives a sick ass truck, runs his own business, and lives in a baller house.

I'm a junior at Florida International University (not the greatest ), and I'm actually going to be faced with this decision next year. I'm trying to get my gpa up as high as I can before graduation to get a shot @ Columbia, NYU and Chicago. I'm a pretty good test taker , and I'm planning on taking both the GMAT and LSAT.. though my main concern is my gpa =[
I dont think its a real deal-breaker to not have experience (i don't) and finish school in a straightshot.. Obv I wouldn't know, but I have plenty of friends and acquaintances who are 4-5 years older than me and are very successful because they went to a top tier grad and did well. (right after undergrad)

Originally Posted by mrscrouge

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I'm a junior at Florida International University (not the greatest

), and I'm actually going to be faced with this decision next year. I'm trying to get my gpa up as high as I can before graduation to get a shot @ Columbia, NYU and Chicago. I'm a pretty good test taker , and I'm planning on taking both the GMAT and LSAT.. though my main concern is my gpa =[
I dont think its a real deal-breaker to not have experience (i don't) and finish school in a straightshot.. Obv I wouldn't know, but I have plenty of friends and acquaintances who are 4-5 years older than me and are very successful because they went to a top tier grad and did well. (right after undergrad)

If you're going to law school that may be the case but Columbia, NYU, and Chicago won't even let you in to their MBA programs without work experience.

For the last time, folks: The type of companies that recruits MBAs at top tier school (even at lower ranked schools, really) WANT WORK EXPERIENCE! Period!