I am presently a Masters student in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy my plan is to be a peace advocate but i realise that what makes me happy the most is music career not law career What should i do at this stage of my life?
I want to know if its wise for me to change my career plan at this Masters level #career-choice
2 answers
Kim’s Answer
Rebecca,
What exactly is a Peace Advocate? How close are you to finishing your Master's? Do you have the necessary skills to be successful in music? Do you dislike advocacy? Are you good at it? Will you be able to find a job in it? There are a lot of variables to this situation. The first thing that comes to mind is pursuing music as a hobby. I've seen some really good bands comprised of attorneys! Another would be to transition towards music therapy, helping others to find peace through music?? You don't want to totally "waste" the money you already spent on education. you could also consider taking a semester off, doing some work in advocacy to see if you like it, or, maybe doing an internship. It's complicated, I know!
Melanie’s Answer
I feel your pain. I have a few unfinished degree paths and found out after almost completing my second attempt at a Masters that federal student loan funding has a maximum amount you can pull. I had no idea! Driving to just finish a degree, even though you may not enjoy it as much anymore, can be defeating. In my case I found a Masters program that provided a faster turn around for a more profitable career, then plan on going back and finishing my more passionate Masters at some later point in life - maybe after I pay down some of these student loans! One thing that helped me while I struggled through those decisions through my life is thinking through ways to use the knowledge I had already gained in a way that could maybe someday marry the two together, similar to some of the ideas Kim has noted. Doing something you love on the side while you provide for yourself more easily with something you may not be as passionate about can have an appeal, but there is always time in life to work and build up to do everything you want it to be.