I’m sometimes convinced that the reason a lot of people become doctors or lawyers is due to the fact that the path to those jobs is laid out pretty well. There’s sort of a blueprint you can follow – go to college, get good grades, do well on some standardized tests, and so forth, and so forth. When you have things laid out for you like that, it’s sort of easy to find yourself gravitating towards those career paths.
Looking back at my own education and career, that’s probably why I ended up going to law school and becoming a lawyer in the first place. Sure, I told myself that I had a desire to be a lawyer. But a lawyer was also a recognizable job – one that was clearly defined and that had step-by-step processes on how to get there. As a new grad looking for a good job in a bad economy, becoming a lawyer made sense to me. It had direction.
And it’s direction that a lot of us are looking for when we’re trying to figure out how to make a living. When faced between the clear career path and charting our own path, the clear career path almost always wins – even if it’s not necessarily the right path for us. I think it’s just important for all of us to think about why we end up on the paths we choose.
The Appeal of the Clear Career Path
When you think about it, law and medicine are unique in just how structured they are. Obviously, a lot of it comes down to grades and the ability to take standardized tests (which themselves can easily be studied for and gamed). But a lot of becoming a lawyer or doctor is also following a step-by-step process that pretty much anyone with some smarts can do.
Take the example of what you need to do if you want to become a bigshot lawyer. I can pretty much boil it down to these steps:
- Get good grades at a decent undergrad.
- Get a good LSAT score.
- Go to the best law school you can get into – preferably a T-14 law school.
- Get good grades in law school and get on law review.
- Land a summer associate position at a big law firm.
- Do a prestigious clerkship.
- Be an associate at a prestigious firm.
- Make partner or go in-house at a big company.
It’s a generalization, of course, but those steps laid out above are pretty close to what you need to do to become a bigshot attorney. I’m fairly certain that I could take any reasonably intelligent 18-year old and basically guide them into a prestigious biglaw job 7 years into the future. And the process is pretty similar for doctors I imagine – basically get good undergrad grades and a good MCAT score, get good med school grades, land a prestigious residency, and so on (I’m not a doctor though, so this is all based on my experiences with my doctor friends).
For those of us looking for direction, the step-by-step process of law or medicine can obviously be very appealing. I can tell you exactly what you need to do if you want to become a doctor or a bigshot lawyer. But I can’t really tell you how to become an online entrepreneur, start a business, or do some other non-obvious job where the path isn’t really defined at all.
It’s the appeal of this clear path that I think leads to so many doctors and lawyers seemingly finding themselves unhappy and looking to do other things. That’s not to say that people don’t genuinely want to become doctors or lawyers (my wife is a clear example of someone who absolutely wants to be a dentist).
But there’s also no denying that there seem to be a lot of doctors and lawyers (myself included) who are interested in doing things unrelated to their regular jobs. A Facebook group called Physician Side Gigs has over 21,000 members. There doesn’t seem to be an equivalent lawyer group, but those of you reading this already know that I’m a lawyer that does a lot of stupid, non-legal related side hustles. And I’m not definitely not alone.
It makes me think that people found their way into these careers, not necessarily because it made the most sense for them, but because it was there.
Choose The Path That’s Right For You
The purpose of this post isn’t to say that people going into law or medicine are doing it just because the path is laid out in front of them and they aren’t able to figure out other things they can do. I know that there are a lot of people that were just born to become lawyers and doctors. And I know people who love what they do.
Really, this post is just a reflection on my own path. I went into the law because it had a clear direction – a process that I could follow. Looking back, I wish I had thought about it more and used a little bit of creativity to figure out what made sense for me.
Going to law school definitely worked well for my skill set. I’m really good at following processes and I knew exactly what I needed to do if I wanted to become a bigshot lawyer. But whether it was the right career path for me professionally is another thing.
I’m now 5 years out of law school, and 9 years out of college. I’m starting to see all of the paths that exist out there. The clear career path is the one I started out on. But I see so many things out there that people can do to make a living – things like starting up a business, getting into real estate, creating something, or really whatever. The possibilities are endless.
The clear career path may be right for you – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it! I think it’s just important to really think about why we follow these paths. Question yourself and look deep inside you. Are they really the right paths for us? Or are we just following them because they are there? It’s up to you to figure that out.
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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Hi completed my LLM 12 yrs before…. Got married and having two kids, I was doing part time lecturing in college. Due to family responsibility I quit the job…. Now interested to do something where I can manage both family and career.
Having done the exact same thing as you, I can sympathize! Jumped right out of undergrad into a dual urban planning/ JD program, which I plowed through in 3 years. Upon graduating, the only thing I was sure of was that I didn’t want to be a lawyer! I then did the whole travel thing, before working in some law-adjacent gigs (law library, municipal employee working on legally mandated processes etc.), up until semi-recently. As of a few weeks ago I am officially working as a lawyer for the first time, a modest 7 years after graduating. It’s not lucrative but it’s easily enough for me to live on, and happens to be both a level and quantity of legal work that I don’t mind.
Hey FP. You present a valuable insight here. I have no doubt that I took the law school/attorney route because it was clearly defined. And I really like clearly defined paths. The allure of big money sealed the deal. I second the idea that anyone attracted to this field (or any other) for these reasons should think long and hard about it. If you’re not passionate about your profession–especially one like ours that is going to take TONS of your time–eventually you will peter out.
–Joe
Thanks for the comment Joe. This post got some decent responses from people, so it’s good to see that this nagging feeling I had about why I went into the law isn’t just me. There’s something about the clear path – it’s like a game that you know how to win. In many ways, that clear path is probably why FI is so attractive too – it’s often presented like a game with an obvious way to “win.”
Thanks for this timely post! I’m about to quit my “stable” job in academia–mainly because the bureaucracy is growing and making it impossible to do actual work–and I’m trying to decide between trying something totally new or sticking with my general field of expertise and just moving universities. I’m only 3 years out of undergrad so while I technically have more “flexibility,” not knowing my financial situation stresses me out a bit.
The great thing is, if you’re only 3 years out of undergrad, you probably can take chances without too much downside risk. Worst case, you will always be able to get a job. It’s important to remember that!
Love your insight! I went for a career in medicine and while passion for the healthcare field played a big role in my decision, the clear-cut path (that many of us just getting out of college were in desperate need of) became the deciding factor for why I chose my career. It’s refreshing to have you put into words what I’ve always subconsciously had in the back of my mind. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks Avery! I knew I couldn’t be the only one that was thinking this. In retrospect, I wish I had gone into something like pharmacy – seems like it would have been a better fit for my personality. But I know there are a lot of pharmacists that are looking to do other things too, so maybe it’s just a grass is greener on the other side thing.
Did not realize that I want to become a lawyer until I was in my mid-30’s. I studied accountancy, and to date, I still don’t know why I took it. Hey, at one point I thought I also want to be a professional golfer. Oh well, no regrets, just sayin!
Good to see a happy lawyer here! Second career lawyer always seems to have a better head on their shoulders compared to us K-JDs.
Interesting concept, I think it applies to engineering too except it is a shorter path since you only need four years to complete it. I chose my major and never changed it and followed a very predictable path of intern, engineer, senior engineer, supervising engineer, managing engineer, facility manager, Vice President and General Manager which I could visualize from my first day on the job. In my case it fit like a glove but as you point out it does not fit everyone. I had some very good engineer friends quit their engineering jobs and go to law school after figuring out they did not like being an engineer! They became happy lawyers and very successful ones.
Thanks for sharing the engineer path. That one probably is pretty structured too. Good to see it fits you well.
Thoughtful article. I’d add to the Engineer discussion that second-career engineer is a tough row to hoe, speaking from personal experience. Wish I’d had more foresight in college.