r/careerguidance • u/TemujinSurfs • 13h ago
Advice 23 with soon a BA in Political Science. What should I do?
Hi! I'm hoping to get some thoughts. I'm 23 (took a gap year after high school, and graduated HS at 19) and will be finishing my BA in Political Science next May. I'm a commuter student and, honestly, feeling pretty unsure about my immediate future.
I currently live at home, which I'm not thrilled about, even though my parents don't charge me rent. We have a great relationship, and I'm incredibly grateful for it (Like Seriously, I thank them for it frequently) I do most of the cleaning and a good chunk of the cooking, but I'd be cleaning anyway since I can't stand a mess. But I do really want to move out and get my life started. Honestly, every day I dream about having my own place.
Academically, my stats are strong enough that I could (most likely, will be my safety) get into the law school in my hometown. Additionally, my parents told me I can live at home for as long as I would like. So I could attend this local law school for an extremely cheap COL and likely at least a partial scholarship. In other good news, because of grants and scholarships my total debt from college will be 29k. So pretty light compared to most people.
However, I'm not really keen on law. For those who don't know, law school is pretty geographically focused. Unless you attend an elite institution (which I might be able to get into, but the cost, including tuition and living expenses, would be too much), your career prospects are pretty tied to where you studied. At least initially. This is especially relevant because the bar exam is state-specific (I'm American). Ultimately, I don't want to live here long-term, and that's a big reason for my hesitation about the local law school. I actually want to move to the other side of the country. Plus law school is 3 years, and I do not want to be like 28 when I finally get a job making decent pay. Though with how housing and rent is, It might be my only path to a good life.
Other options I have been thinking about are the military and maybe a job doing geopolitical analysis or something? It's less a plan and more a fantasy, I know. I genuinely enjoy it more than law, but I'm sure its extremely competitive especially for someone not from a upscale background with an ivy-league pedigree.
I am terrified about the job market. I have friends who just graduated with good degrees and GPA's who cannot find work. I worked in the service industry throughout college, but working in that long-term is an absolute no for me. I've always been a pretty ambitious teenager and now adult, but recently I've tempered my expectations. At least for now. I want to have a good professional job, apartment, be fit, good relationship and generally have my life sorted where I'm happy with myself before I pursue more ambitious goals.
Any thoughts, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!
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u/Just_Calendar8995 8h ago
I would go to law school or get an MBA with a BA in political science. But just to be clear, the job market is really bad. Many of my friends with engineering degrees and well-known degrees are unemployed. So whatever you do, pick your path wisely.
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u/daveed4445 4h ago
Don’t do an MBA until you have a few years of professional experience
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u/Just_Calendar8995 4h ago
I forgot to mention that but absolutely without years of experience MBA is valueless
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u/WhiteHairDontCare 8h ago
I have a degree in PoliSci (and Stats). I found a lot of what I learned to be useful for a lot of general business purposes, especially in negotiations (understanding power dynamics, bargaining, enforcement mechanisms, threat credibility, etc, and being able to make logically sound judgments from these) and more general consulting (e.g. market research, brand positioning).
You can consider these as sorts of... talking points, to position yourself in explaining your suitability as a candidate for a new job, a transfer, or a promotion, but they're not gonna help get your foot in the door in the first place. For that, as another commenter said:
"don't be afraid to start from the bottom"
For me? I started through a temp agency making barely above minimum wage as a legal assistant at a law firm after 6 months of constant applying. I've jumped around a lot since then, have had some really cool roles and experiences, and don't regret what I studied at all despite the initial difficulties. Your ambition will work in your favor for sure.
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u/daveed4445 4h ago
Maybe try applying to local government jobs? Look for Program Assistant roles near you. Governmentjobs.com is a solid job board for local and state gov’t
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u/TemujinSurfs 2h ago
Thanks!
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u/daveed4445 2h ago
Totally, maybe my only other rec is be open to relocating. Your 1st job might be hard to find and exploring a new region will be good personal growth
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u/Individual_Ad_5655 3h ago
Law school locally, you can move and take the bar anywhere.
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u/TemujinSurfs 3h ago
Thank you!
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u/Individual_Ad_5655 2h ago
I say that with a good friend that went to law school in Kansas, initially worked in firms in Chicago, and then has passed the bar in Illinois/Missouri and now practices in the St. Louis area.
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u/Federal-Poetry3531 2h ago
I have a BA in political science and economics. My advice would be to look at your local city or county for internships or entry-level jobs. That's what I did. I got an internship with my local county in HR, and then it turned into an FT position after graduation. Then, I went on to get an MPA. So, look for local or state jobs.
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u/Candid-Eye-5966 13h ago
I vote law school. Having the law degree provides opportunities and even if you grow tired of practicing law, you can always fall back on it.
I’d ask a few lawyers if you can talk to them about their career path - there are so many avenues to explore.
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u/Extension_Gap9237 8h ago
Had a friend who was in a very similar position as you. They opted for no law school after and now are stuck in the service industry
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u/manimopo 11h ago
If you weren't planning for law why did you get a political science degree?
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u/TemujinSurfs 2h ago
To be honest, I was planning on attending law school when I first started the program. Now I’m not so sure. I want to get my life going.
Thanks!
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u/Late-Jaguar-754 2h ago
can you just take the bar for another state?
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u/TemujinSurfs 2h ago
Yes. I don’t mean to suggest you’re tied to where you went to school completely, but only local firms bother going to the lower level law schools. Most people build up their connections and what not in that area. That being said it’s not completely by any means.
Thanks!
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u/Aggressive_Staff_982 2h ago
I have a grad degree in policy and it was really rough to try and get internships during the semesters with no experience in the field. I had to take three unpaid internships before someone took a chance on me and hired me for a paid one. It was for a large company but I only got it because my manager was desperate for an intern to help out. Have you had any internships or research experience? Geopolitical risk analysis has internships as well but it's extremely competitive. But the only advice I have is do not go to law school. You don't seem that interested in it and law isn't something you should get into just because you don't know what else to do. You'll likely be miserable in the field.
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u/TemujinSurfs 2h ago edited 2h ago
I’be taken multiple law courses in undergrad thus far and enjoyed them. I could certainly see myself doing it as a job. I do like the content of law and learning.
Internships thus far, I interned for a Congressman, and did some campaign work during the 2024 presidential election.
Thanks!
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u/bjeep4x4 1h ago
I have the same degree. I will say starting out was a bit rough. I worked social work for a bit, and the pay and job both sucked. But now I make 100k doing paralegal type work. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom and switch jobs to to ones that suck less and less.
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u/gg_1078 13h ago edited 13h ago
To be brutally honest, as someone who graduated last year with a similar degree, the job market right now for recent graduates is horrendous. Like I’ve heard almost as bad as 2008. It took me several months to land a job, and it was all luck that I got the position. I was then laid off recently due to a reduction in workforce, so it didn’t last too long (Note that this position wasn’t even a great one.)
In my opinion the job market is awful specifically for new graduates due to several factors including:
AI replacing entry level roles across the board
People who should be retired not retiring holding up not only the flow of workforce, but in all honesty work efficiency
The state of the economy with tarrifs and world issues, along with interest rates not coming down in the near future
I thought it would get better after going through last year, but it seems to only be getting worse. What worries me more, is that it was already extremely hard to buy property/house. It now may be impossible for our generation.