From Law School to...Fishing?
The Multi-Cornered Maze That Is Post-Graduation
Cody Bingham
Issue date: 5/5/07 Section: Postgraduation
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The working world is a scary place, as most people would agree. It's particularly intimidating for those newcomers, who after several years of schooling would welcome some kind of a helping hand.
For those who make it, the best reward is the acknowledgment of their hard work. To be recognized for your completion of challenging subject matter and personal growth is a great feeling.
Some might say that your degree is the key to your ideal job. Others say that it doesn't matter what your degree is in, the fact that you have one is what counts. Some even say that your degree is downright useless!
Alyson Dogerty is a thirty-five year old grant writer for Girl Scouts of America: Upstate New York. She has been writing grants for nearly eight years, and according to her, there was no way for her to predict where she ended up.
"I went to college in Boston for accounting," she says. "Not the most exciting work, but important to know how it works. I couldn't tell you in just a few words how I ended up here, doing the job I am now. There were so many twists and turns, you can never know."
Accounting and grant writing are somewhat different occupations, but the skills of one could easily be incorporated into the other. This is not so much the case for Mike Frost, a forty-four year old law school graduate. His degree led him to the middle of the ocean, literally.
"I'm a sailor," he boasts. "A real sailor. Me and a few other guys go places like South America to pick up boats for wealthy people. They buy them from some ship-builder and we go to bring them to the buyer, by water."
Frost has several stories to tell, most of which would make interesting movie scripts, and few that would likely happen to a certified lawyer.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he says. "Lawyers make a lot of money, but so do we! I've sailed through storms, come across trespassing Russian fishing boats, and had my gear stolen by pirates while the boat was in dock! I don't think I could tell those stories to my grandkids if I became a public defender."
For those who make it, the best reward is the acknowledgment of their hard work. To be recognized for your completion of challenging subject matter and personal growth is a great feeling.
Some might say that your degree is the key to your ideal job. Others say that it doesn't matter what your degree is in, the fact that you have one is what counts. Some even say that your degree is downright useless!
Alyson Dogerty is a thirty-five year old grant writer for Girl Scouts of America: Upstate New York. She has been writing grants for nearly eight years, and according to her, there was no way for her to predict where she ended up.
"I went to college in Boston for accounting," she says. "Not the most exciting work, but important to know how it works. I couldn't tell you in just a few words how I ended up here, doing the job I am now. There were so many twists and turns, you can never know."
Accounting and grant writing are somewhat different occupations, but the skills of one could easily be incorporated into the other. This is not so much the case for Mike Frost, a forty-four year old law school graduate. His degree led him to the middle of the ocean, literally.
"I'm a sailor," he boasts. "A real sailor. Me and a few other guys go places like South America to pick up boats for wealthy people. They buy them from some ship-builder and we go to bring them to the buyer, by water."
Frost has several stories to tell, most of which would make interesting movie scripts, and few that would likely happen to a certified lawyer.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he says. "Lawyers make a lot of money, but so do we! I've sailed through storms, come across trespassing Russian fishing boats, and had my gear stolen by pirates while the boat was in dock! I don't think I could tell those stories to my grandkids if I became a public defender."