InformationWeek

August 25, 1998

I was a successful programmer and software development manager with an undergraduate degree in video production; I became interested in the law and went to law school and passed the bar exam. I have now been in the private practice of law for five years and I am tired of working 12-hour days and not earning as much as when I was a software developer. I think my combination of skills and experience would be valuable to technology employers, but people always seem to stop listening when they hear the word 'lawyer.' Law firms, on the other hand, tend to prefer graduates who went to more prestigious law schools (and who made better grades) than I did. Would my skill set would be useful to a small entrepreneurial company such as an equipment manufacturer or software developer?

Finding those opportunities is challenging. What you need to do is get yourself back into a technical class like Java or C++. The fact is that you have been out of the technology field for five years and need to get re-entrenched--a lot has happened in five years. Once you have brushed off some of the rust, you should target law firms' IT departments. I would be very surprised if they held their standards on educational pedigree as high--particularly since your legal background coupled with your development experience should make you an even more attractive candidate. But before you can do that, go back for training or you're in for a long frustrating search.

More Questions:
Will two years of Unix networking and two years of SAP knowledge help me accomplish my goals?

Should I accept a counter-offer?