Career Advice? Teacher, Social Worker, or Attorney?

[adiostar467]

Hi Everyone, I'm looking for some career advice. I am 28 years old and going back to college. I already have a Bachelor's Degree, just in General Studies (aka nothing!) with a minor in Psychology. I'm thinking about becoming a teacher (either elementary or High School English), or a Social Worker/Counselor, or a Family Law Attorney.
I'd love to hear from experts in any of the above fields, or anyone who has an opinion! A good salary (ie; 40k or up?) would be nice, and I know teachers don't make that much, but money isn't everything either!
Also what is the job market like (specifically in Arizona) for each of those jobs? I hate to waste more time in school and come out not being able to find a job! And as far as student loans, I'm not TOO concerned about those because I get some grants due to the fact that my dad is a disabled Veteran. Thanks for your help!

[tony5]

Attorney-the best!!

[Angry Bird]

Social work is one of the lowest paying careers out there.

[Monique]

Indeed is a good online job search, and job searches are good for research because it provides you with qualification, experience and etc. that employers are looking for. http://www.indeed.com

You will find in life that asking people about career choices is like reading review for appliances. Some people will hate the appliance while others love it and would recommend it to their friends lol There is definitely something for everyone out there.

I have a social work degree, both undergraduate and graduate.........my interests have always been related in the health care and mental health aspect. I am also licensed as a clinical social worker. I currently work in a position that deals with the health care regulatory aspect of health care entities. If you wanted to perhaps pursue clinical social work, you could find jobs as a therapist as well. There are a lot of options. It would all depend on what your interests are. I will say that those who say social work is the lowest paying degree are wrong. It all depends on what you do with the degree, to include the type of agency you work for, the size of the agency, etc. I have met a couple of individuals who attended a University that had a MSW/JD dual/joint program. One of these individuals has her own successful elder law practice. So it all depends on your interests.

If interested in teaching you probably can qualify to become a substitute teacher, with a Bachelors degree, which can give you a sense of whether teaching is for you or not. In my state, all it requires is at minimum an Associates degree to become a substitute teacher.

In today's job market, you may find that you have to be willing to relocate for professional jobs once you graduate (regardless of the degree)........this is just the trend I see now when we have more individuals qualified for jobs with higher education looking for jobs in the same radius.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides good information on job duties and responsibilites in these fields:
Teachers: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos318.htm
Attorneys: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm
Social Worker: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm