LEED, then MBA or Law School

Hey, now that I have passed the PE exam...My next goal is to pass the LEED exam.

But after that maybe a year from now I'm thinking about going to B-school or law school. I think that my true passion/goal is to some day become an entrepreur - whether that is within engineering or some other industry I'm not sure of that now.

Any other engineers thinking about B-school or law school?? Please share some of your thoughts...

Volts006 said:

Hey, now that I have passed the PE exam...My next goal is to pass the LEED exam.
But after that maybe a year from now I'm thinking about going to B-school or law school. I think that my true passion/goal is to some day become an entrepreur - whether that is within engineering or some other industry I'm not sure of that now.

Any other engineers thinking about B-school or law school?? Please share some of your thoughts...

Click to expand...

Congratulations and good luck!

Yeah ... I am thinking of pursuing at second Degree and then I ask myself ... why should I go through all of the stress ?

:brickwall:

Eventhough I think B-School would be a piece of cake ? A second degree in Power ... though might be a little tougher.

Volts006 said:

Hey, now that I have passed the PE exam...My next goal is to pass the LEED exam.
But after that maybe a year from now I'm thinking about going to B-school or law school. I think that my true passion/goal is to some day become an entrepreur - whether that is within engineering or some other industry I'm not sure of that now.

Any other engineers thinking about B-school or law school?? Please share some of your thoughts...

Click to expand...

I went ot law school at night right out of engineering undergrad because I was considering patent law for a while. Also, I did not want to do B-school part-time at night because I would have been surrounded by only persons with similar backgrounds and work experiences. I am glad I waited until I could attend a full-time day program (mid-career radical sabbatical). Another advantage was that the Internet was just taking off when I applied and went back to school - awesome exposure to all kinds of new buisiness models. I was able to see them generated, developed and flourish (or die). ModernDoug

I have an MBA & Engineering degree & currently work as a mgmt consultant for a Fortune 10 firm, as well as an engineering consultant for law firms. I also started an HVACR engineering & contracting firm last year since I'm a certified HVACR technician.

I also wanted to be a patent attorney since I have a lot of experience in patent infringement & product liability engineering for law firms but, quite frankly, the work bored me to tears.

I'm pursuing the PE because it will open a lot of doors for my business in the HVACR industry and also because I want to build equity in my business, not corporate america -- what happens when your in your 50's & 60's? In corporate, you're a dinosaur, but as a business owner you still can rock.

Thank gawd I took the EIT when I was in school....lol

GT ME said:

I also wanted to be a patent attorney since I have a lot of experience in patent infringement & product liability engineering for law firms but, quite frankly, the work bored me to tears.

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It is funny, a lot of people were directing me towards law school because of my regulatory background and experience with environmental compliance/enforcement and litigation. I worked with an attorney through one administrative hearing - collecting the files (dated back to early 1980s), depositions, trial outlines, etc. BORED TO TEARS is a spot-on characterization of legal work !! That experience convinced me I would NEVER want to practice law.

It sounds like you have a good game plan for your career !! Kudos to you GT ME - good luck on the exam !!

JR

I actually got my MBA before my PE. Its one of those things that wont probably really pay for itself until I am ready to take over a higher position (Office Manager) or something similar.

It was really insightful compared to an engineering education, and I would recommend it over getting an Masters in engineering (IMO)

I'm with you. I have my BSCE and now my PE. I got accepted to Washington University's Executive MBA program but I can't afford to go and my employer won't pay for it. I chose Wash U in StL due to their excellent entrepreneurial program.

Now I'm considering applying to St. Louis University's B-School (it's cheaper) but will have to take the dang GMAT first. I'd gladly switch jobs if I could find an employer to pay for it. I'd love to migrate from the engineering side of the fence over to the business side and then go on to upper management/CEO or even running my own business.

I've already given up on my dreams to become an astronaut, fighter pilot, and professional waterskiier. I hope I can make this one come true.

D

Volts006 said:

But after that maybe a year from now I'm thinking about going to B-school or law school. I think that my true passion/goal is to some day become an entrepreur - whether that is within engineering or some other industry I'm not sure of that now.
Any other engineers thinking about B-school or law school?? Please share some of your thoughts...

Click to expand...

jd_chi02 said:

Yeah ... I am thinking of pursuing at second Degree and then I ask myself ... why should I go through all of the stress ?
:brickwall:

Eventhough I think B-School would be a piece of cake ? A second degree in Power ... though might be a little tougher.

Click to expand...

depending on the school, an MBA can be really difficult. If it's a piece of cake school, the it will be a piece of cake degree.

Grade A schools (harvard, oxford, LSE, LBS, INSEAD) are really tough, I can tell you from first hand experience.

GT ME said:

I have an MBA & Engineering degree & currently work as a mgmt consultant for a Fortune 10 firm, as well as an engineering consultant for law firms. I also started an HVACR engineering & contracting firm last year since I'm a certified HVACR technician.
I also wanted to be a patent attorney since I have a lot of experience in patent infringement & product liability engineering for law firms but, quite frankly, the work bored me to tears.

I'm pursuing the PE because it will open a lot of doors for my business in the HVACR industry and also because I want to build equity in my business, not corporate america -- what happens when your in your 50's & 60's? In corporate, you're a dinosaur, but as a business owner you still can rock.

Thank gawd I took the EIT when I was in school....lol

Click to expand...

Man, that sounds like a great plan. That's the kind of stuff I want to be doing... just haven't found the time. Maybe we could partner...? I have a PhD in engineering, 2 MSc (mechanical/aerospace and civil engineering) I have a PE, I have a couple other degrees in environmental impact and languages and obviously a BS in engineering (civil). I am half done with a MBA in a grade A school (its taking me too long and too much money!) and some 15 yrs of experience... I work for the #1 (seevn years in a row ENR) engineering consulting.

When I graduated, I swore I was going to work for 2 years and come back and get my M.Sc. in Engineering - That didn't happen.

I stayed at my first job, and I am still here after 5 years, have learned a lot, like the work environment, good pay etc., became a PE this year and everything, LEED AP, etc.

3 years ago I got married and my wife is now on her senior year of Resp. Therapy. She will be done in May, so we were thinking about now me going back to school.

I thought about an MBA, but in my small office that would not amount to more than a handshake and "Good for you!".

I have always been interested in studying law and as a previous poster said, going maybe into Intellectual Property Law, and even Real Estate and Construction Law, since I have experience on those areas. I do think it can open a lot of doors, even though I worry about how rewarding the job might be. Frankly I only have a small idea of what the day to day entails. However, the more I think about it, the more I get excited about it.

Anybody has any insight into this? My plan is to start studying this winter for the PTO exam and take it next year, as well as prepare for the LSAT and apply to a night program close by (Temple University, Phila). I think taking the PTO Exam would give me a notion for what Intellectual Property Law would be like.

Let me know if any of you guys are in the same boat as far as deciding and if there is any of you engineers actually attending law school, or practicing!

Jpgolf

^^^ I think it all depends on what kind of person YOU think you are

You saw my note above, I thought law would be interesting but found that it just didn't hold my interest. After speaking to several lawyers, the consensus was that none of them really 'liked' what they were doing - it was more of an means to and end (as in getting a paycheck).

IMHO, the best thing you can do is find out more about:

1. Coursework; and

2. Job prospects (e.g. what can YOU do with a law degree and license).

Best of luck!

JR

My wife's cousin's husband is a patent attorney and a guest analyst from time to time on CNN. He seems to like his work, but he is closing in on 50 and still putting in 60+ hours consistently per week... The pay is nice, but how can you enjoy it if you are always working?

My sister is an attorney and started out with a big firm - hated it, and took a pay cut to go work for a smaller local firm and puts in considerably less hours and likes the work she is doing more.

Like most of the engineers I work with, lawyers also see their vocation as a paycheck and a means to an end.

-Ray

Jregieng, you are correct, I have been doing some looking-around to see how the job market would appear. I have seen recent law-graduates go for clerkships with Judges and I do not know if that is a must, I would not like to do that, even though I understand it is good prosecution experience.

Ray, thanks man, at least now I know I have 1 contact that knows another contact, just in case!

Regarding the long hours, don't we engineers work long hours anyway? I am not at 60 hrs. per week, more like 50 right now.

I think taking the PTO Exam would be a nice test to see how interesting this field really is. If it bores to me death then I guess that's it. If not, I know I can continue, besides, I passed the PE, how difficult can that test be? right??

Jpgolf

Hats off to all of you thinking of going back to school. I love learning but I don't think there is anything that could get me to go back...at least not at this point in my life. My husband has thought about it, but the school of choice (since we live close enough) Univeristy of Illinois's chemistry and Chem Eng department have a very strict policy on not accepting undergrad alumni into their grad school programs...they consider it imbreeding.

snickerd3 said:

Univeristy of Illinois's chemistry and Chem Eng department have a very strict policy on not accepting undergrad alumni into their grad school programs...they consider it imbreeding.

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That's odd. If I go to the same school as my masters degree for my MBA, I get a 1/3 tuition discount. Can't really pass that up.

snickerd3 said:

I love learning but I don't think there is anything that could get me to go back...at least not at this point in my life.

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I am completing my MS degree now but after that I am going to give up. I have substantial coursework towards a PhD but I am just tired of being in school now. If (a REALLY big if) were to take any more classes, I would do it only for enhancing my knowledge in a particular area and not as part of a degree program.

I agree - hats off to anyone who will take on grad school at this point in time! :bananalama:

JR

JPGOLF said:

Jregieng, you are correct, I have been doing some looking-around to see how the job market would appear. I have seen recent law-graduates go for clerkships with Judges and I do not know if that is a must, I would not like to do that, even though I understand it is good prosecution experience.
Ray, thanks man, at least now I know I have 1 contact that knows another contact, just in case!

Regarding the long hours, don't we engineers work long hours anyway? I am not at 60 hrs. per week, more like 50 right now.

I think taking the PTO Exam would be a nice test to see how interesting this field really is. If it bores to me death then I guess that's it. If not, I know I can continue, besides, I passed the PE, how difficult can that test be? right??

Jpgolf

Click to expand...

You don't need to clerk, but I think it is supposed to be great experience (and gives you contacts)... my sister clerked for a State Superior Court Judge (I think, either that or federal) in Trenton for two years and because of that experience she landed the first job. Through her time there she made a ton of contacts which really helped when she wanted out of the big firm.

Long hours? I guess like anyone else, it is peaks and valleys... I have had my share of 80 weeks, followed by trying to find a place to bill my 40 hours the next.

-Ray