Gavie Valerio: Why do you want to find a job?
Jake Rawls: Because I have no money right now.
Valerio: So how are you trying to find a job?
Rawls: Basically, it’s hard finding one these days. I’ve applied for at least three dozen jobs or so over the past couple of months.
Valerio: What kinds of jobs have you been looking for?
Rawls: In the beginning, I applied to a bunch of internships specifically for the field I’m (majoring) in. I got a couple of callbacks, but no actual job offers. After that, I just started applying for part-time stuff.
Valerio: Since you’re a senior, what are your plans after graduation?
Rawls: I’m trying to decide if I want to go straight to work or if I want to get a graduate degree. I’m debating if I want to go get my MBA or go to law school.
Valerio: Where do you plan to attend grad school?
Rawls: If I get my MBA, I want to get into a higher-ranked school, since name recognition is kind of a big deal with MBAs, but not necessarily as much as law school. If I do go to law school, I’d probably just go with what’s cheaper, so UH would definitely be an option, but if I could get into UT that could be better for me.
Valerio: Do (flagship) schools make a difference to you, since you mentioned the name recognition?
Rawls: Well, with the MBA program, if you make it into a top-20 program, you’re pretty much guaranteed a job whenever you graduate.
Valerio: You mentioned law school as an option also. What kind of law were you looking to go into?
Rawls: Commercial law; it pertains to business. I don’t have any interest in criminal law. I think that’s kind of boring. Torts are interesting. It’s more like a consultant or adviser (position) that I’d be interested in.’
