Choosing a career path is a lifelong process, in making such choice motivations and perceptions of student is of great importance. Everyone knows that choosing a perfect career can be daunting, some wanted something else but the people around them such as parents, siblings and even the society want something else for them. Some are good in certain areas but the opportunity available to them presents something else. In this article, I will take you through my journey of choosing law as a career.
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Choosing Law as a Career- My Story
Choosing career is a serious business because it is a lifetime decision. A lot of people in life are unhappy today because they made wrong career choices. Making a career choice is essential for leading a satisfying life. Lets looks at some of the parties to career decisions. They are students, parent and society; these three have played vital roles in career choice of students. Career is going to affect every aspect of one’s life and as such it should be taken seriously. Let’s look at them one after the other.
Student– Most students don’t know what to become all through high school this is improper. It is essential to know your career path on time in order to be able to consciously work towards actualizing it. Also most students are influenced by their peers to go a particular part and not based on their own abilities and interest.
Parents– Some parents literally force their own choices on students, disregarding the student’s choice and ability.
Society– The society influences career choices as well a great deal, there are certain choices a student makes that is applauded while some are totally disregarded, this leaves students in confusion and forced to go for career path appreciated and widely accepted in the society.
My story
In Choosing law as my career, I was not influenced by any one, the society did not either. I actually wanted to go in a different path, I wanted to study International relation, I wrote the University entrance examination which is called JAMB in Nigeria an abbreviation of Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, but could not reach the cut off mark of 200 twice. The next time, I decided to pray as a Christian to ask for direction from God, and that is how I discovered that the career path for me is Law (A story for another day). I wrote the JAMB exams, passed and was given admission. I never liked Law before then, I lack full knowledge of what law was all about. All I hear and concluded within me is lawyers are liars, and over time I discovered I was actually ignorant of what law entails and I was also good at it.
Was the journey smooth after the admission? No, ‘of course not. My journey in life was a very rough one. When I hear youths complaining, that they are where they are, because they lacked the resources, lacked helpers, or no parents and on and on. I just conclude it is entirely their fault. You may think am harsh, yes I did not know what they have gone through in life. I will tell you that I lost my mum at age 2, lost my dad later when I was in the University. Was life easy for me? No. I worked to register for JAMB myself. How I paid my University tuition fee is left to me because my dad was already down with stroke before I gained admission into University.
As a student, I sold things to survive. Slave for others to get one or two things to take care of my study needs, went into photography to earn a living as a student. I got help from well-meaning Nigerians as well, my first semester 100 level school fees was paid by a philanthropist named Chief Obaro Momoh, that particular payment made me to resume university. Living Faith Church (Aka Living Faith) paid my fees at 200 level and I later got a scholarship for orphans from them which I used to buy camera that I later used for earning some money on campus. A foundation (House of Theo) whose patron is Hon. Sunday Eyiboh gave me scholarship too for Law school. It was a rough journey, but I scaled through and today am a Lawyer.
Do any African Youth have any excuse? I do know that things are hard in Africa, from our parent’s financial status to the system of education and the Government which have failed us. However, let’s stop the blame and put on the mind set of achieving certain fit irrespective of the challenges faced. Don’t forget as well there is a supreme being that created you, I went ahead to seek the face of my creator in my career choice and he directed me. When choosing a career path don’t forget that you were created for a purpose. Yes, everyone you see on earth is created for a purpose and the person who knows best is the creator, which is God. Seek his face when choosing career. You may say I got scholarships, my determination and struggles made me get the help, if I would have given up on myself and dreams, those opportunities wouldn’t have come my way. Work hard; strive for success no matter the circumstance around you, acknowledging the help of the creator.
One other factor that influences our youth is the crave for quick money. Money is good; it comes easy to some and to some perseverance and patience is required. Whichever class you fall into, be patient and work towards achieving success and shun all evil vices.
Career Opportunities in Law
Law is not only all about litigation and filing of court processes or revolves only around courts, law enforcements, corrections and rehabilitations. It includes wide-range of law related occupations; the study of law prepares it’s graduate for a wide range of employment options. Such as corporate secretaries, Legal Secretaries, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioner, human resource manager, legal reporter, arbitrator, law teacher, academic law librarian, law firm librarian, public administrator and even legislators. I have heard people say I don’t want to study law because I detest litigation, You can study law and not pursue career in the mainstream legal practice.
Conclusion
Am glad am a lawyer today, am grateful to my maker for helping me attain this height against all odds. My advice to the youth is to believe in their self and their maker, don’t allow any circumstance make you give up on yourself and your dream.
More so, in making career choice seek the face of your creator, seek for advice and make research. Over the years several high profile and lucrative professions offering promises of fulfilling careers have evolved across the globe. Hence there is need for career awareness, which will make students conscious of various occupations, and have knowledge of the work in the context of their capabilities, aptitudes, interests and values and as such make informed decisions based on various options they are aware of. Wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Drop your questions and comments.