Need advice, fellow DUers.

[gristy]

I am currently not working. I am torn between some employment options this evening:

1. Accept an engineering position as a contractor out of town (get stuck with extra expense of temporary housing).

2. Accept a law-clerk position with a local patent law firm (I intend on starting law school next fall; am taking LSATs in 9 days). Pay isn't great but it's good experience.

3. Turn down both these opportunities and pursue a promising (and local) full-time opportunity that had just turned up late last week. Law school would make a little less sense when coupled with this option, but is not out of the question.

What do you guys think? One problem is that today I "accepted" the contracting position. What happens if I retract that acceptance?

Help!

[Nevernose]

1. Door number 3!

And go to law school anyway! What have you got to lose, right?

Sounds like you've got some exciting options there -- good luck!

[Love Bug]

2. Well, what do you ultimately want to do?

Firstly, congratulations on the fact you have options! We have DUers here still looking for work.

What to do? Well, don't feel obligated to take the engineering job because you "accepted" it. It's not like breaking a date. You can graciously thank them for the opportunity and explain that something came up at the last minute that means you can't live away from home for the time being.

If you really want to go to law school, option #2 sounds like a good way to go.

However, since you are considering option #3, I seems to me your mind is not made up completely about law school--am I reading you right?

Anyway, good luck with your decision!

[gristy]

3. Thanks

However, since you are considering option #3, I seems to me your mind is not made up completely about law school--am I reading you right?

Yeah, I guess that is true. I am actually "mid-career" as an engineer. I think I am nervous about making the change. It's a huge time commitment, big bucks for tuition, and then I have to work my way up the salary curve (or its equivalent: "billing rate") all over again. But I like law, I like to write (though I need to get better), and I'm a logical thinker.

Thanks for the advice on how to get out of my acceptance. But I need to come up with something that is closer to the truth without them getting pissed off at me.