Is teaching better than law

dillo2k10

Hi,
I was talking to a professor at Trinity. I was asking him about courses at Trinity, mostly Law/ Business. According to him right now would be a very bad time to decide to study law and become a solicitor. He was saying that the need for solicitors is gone. People don't have as much money to spend on them and so less will have a job and their pay is falling. Also there are fewer house sales which require the help of a solicitor.
I was also asking him about teaching. He said that he disagrees that its also a bad time to study for teaching. According to him the number of people in secondary school will jump greatly in about 5-7 years time. And so there will also be a greater need for teachers.
I wanted to become a teacher all along. But I was thinking that I will be nearly guaranteed to get a job as a solicitor and the pay will be much better, even if I didn't enjoy it.
What do you think about that? Would teaching actually be a better choice right now?

And this prob makes it worse - I will want to teach Business and Geography, two subjects which I don't think are, ever were or ever will be in great demand.

Chuchoter

Don't make a choice on 'right now'. Make a choice on what will make you happy long term. You'll be doing this until you're 65, so you better like it.

rainbowtrout

Don't pick a job based on the money, no point doing it if you are going to be miserable doing it for the next 40 years. It's no harm paying heed to whether or not there will be jobs in a particular area or not, but don't base it on money.

Pick something you like at least then you have a chance to work at something that will give you a decent income and that you like.

What if you end up doing law and are on apprentice wages and only get part time work because there's hardly any out there? Then you are on sh*t wages in a job you don't like. Double the misery.

MathsManiac

dillo2k10 wrote: »

I wanted to become a teacher all along.

If this is true, then you shouldn't be diverted from it by what's currently happening in the economy. Who knows what things will be like in 4 or 5 years' time? The usual route into teaching, for the subjects you are talking about, is to do a primary degree in those subjects first. So you're not even committing yourself to teaching yet.

Do what you love!

If you really love geography and business more than anything else, then find a degree course that builds on that. (And if you don't really love the subjects, then please don't become a teacher of them!) After the degree, if you're still passionate about teaching, then go for it. And if not, I'm sure other careers will open up for you, either directly, or with further study.

dillo2k10

MathsManiac wrote: »

If this is true, then you shouldn't be diverted from it by what's currently happening in the economy. Who knows what things will be like in 4 or 5 years' time? The usual route into teaching, for the subjects you are talking about, is to do a primary degree in those subjects first. So you're not even committing yourself to teaching yet.

Do what you love!

If you really love geography and business more than anything else, then find a degree course that builds on that. (And if you don't really love the subjects, then please don't become a teacher of them!) After the degree, if you're still passionate about teaching, then go for it. And if not, I'm sure other careers will open up for you, either directly, or with further study.

I suppose that you's are right. I should do what I would enjoy.

I know that I will want to do teaching and I do really love both of those subjects.
I know that I will want to continue teaching as I wanted to be a teacher since I was in 5th class. I also teach computer to the elderly& horse riding/jumping. I just love helping people.
I was just worried about being financially okay. I was even considering medicine just for the pay and security, but I wouldnt be able to see all of those people only at the bad times. But I now know that the chance that I will be unemployed for an extra few years is better than being employed for 45 years in something that I hate.

Rockshandy90

The lecturer is right apparently the amount of students to enter secondary school is due to jump so that will have to mean jobs!!

I would choose what ever u like to do! even if that is law, if u really like it and are good at it u'll hopefully find a job so i wudn't let that put u off.

The thing about teaching is that u can travel with it. Once u have a teaching degree in Ireland u can travel all over the world and teach in different countries. However as far as i'm aware i don't think a law degree is as valuable in other countries since legal systems are so different in different countries.

I'm studying teaching and if u like it i'd definitely recommend it! :-)

johnmcdnl

choose what you'd like to be - not where there's a job now..

look at all the people who went to be bankers or auctioneers or whatever 4-5 years ago :rolleyes:

they were doing the job that had all the money but look at them now coming out of their courses - no jobs at all

poor them going for jobs that had money and not something they actually had an interest in...

just do whatever you actually want to be because who knows what it's gonna be like in 2020s and 2030s 2040s... that's when we're all going to be working and think how much your gonna hate choosing your career path by the 2010 economic climate with a view to the what it's going to be like 2015...

just do what you want to be - even if what you really have seems to be a dead end stupid thing.. if you like it you'll get a job somehow