Where do you want to go?
It's never too early to think about where you want to go with your
career. If you are doing a double degree you may already have in mind an
area in which you might like to specialise, but even if you are not
doing a double degree it is still important to think about the areas
where you might like to work. Are you interested in a career in
industry, government, the environment, community, banking or some other
field?
The first step in identifying areas of interest is to think about
what your strengths, interests, experiences, values and skills are, as
well as being honest about what they are not. Think about all of your
experiences, even those that are not obviously related to your study of
law. You may have gained leadership skills from sport or social clubs or
event management skills from organising a community event.
Perhaps you have volunteered for an international or human rights
organisation and have an interest in humanitarian issues as a result.
Have a look at How employable are you? for more
information.
The next step is to think about the different areas of law and
what they entail. This could include entry requirements, potential
career progression, the likely conditions of employment, and potential
salary. More information on this can be found in the section
Law salaries and trends.
Finally analyse how well you as a package match with your desired
area of employment. Is there any knowledge or skills that you will need
to develop, do you know enough about the areas you are interested in to
make an informed decision, is it possible you would have to move
location to pursue your area of interest and how would this impact on
you/your family, would you be expected to work longer hours?
UniSA has a great website that you can use to record all of this
information called
MyCareerPlan.