Can't find a job in MS...maybe go back to school?? (Hattiesburg: credit, lawyers)

[Drayb3]

Hi all. I posted here a while back about my girlfriend and I looking into relocating to Mississippi from up here in Philly. I've been looking into jobs for months now with not much luck. I have a decent entry-level job here (I commute to Princeton, NJ), but I really feel like this isn't what I want to be doing at all.

I have been considering going back to school and getting my Master's, most likely in Criminal Justice, which I went to undergrad for. I'm pretty intrigued by the master's program at Ole Miss...does anyone know anything about the program, or the school's general reputation beyond what the website says. Southern Mississippi could also be a possibility.

Anyway, what I want to ask is this:
1) Do you think it'd be a good idea for us to move down here so I can go back to school?
2) If I got my Master's in Criminal Justice, would there be many more opportunities in Mississippi for me, or would it pretty much be the same as now? I've noticed that in many places, having a Master's doesn't really do much for you except for put you into greater debt.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[poptones]

I'm going back to school as well, to get a law degree. My question to you is, why stop at a masters? I'm planning to pass the bar. Too many years spent as a computer engineer left me with no retirement; I figure once I pass the bar I should be able to make a living until I'm senile - even later, if I surround myself with good people

[jhadorn]

University of Mississippi Wins Accolades! | IDP Blog

Malaria - Findings from University of Mississippi advance knowledge in malaria

The University of Mississippi - Recent Accomplishments (http://www.olemiss.edu/info/rec_acc.html - broken link)

The James D. Hardy Archives | University of Mississippi Medical Center (http://www.umc.edu/about_us/hardy.html - broken link)

University of Mississippi is a great school. Being in Mississippi it doesn't get the credit it deserves, but it provides a fine education nonetheless.

[Drayb3]

I took the LSAT back in '08 and did pretty well on it. I decided though that I didn't want to go to law school for two reasons:

1) It's a huge commitment, and I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to do that anyway.
2) So many people go to law school now that it's incredibly difficult to come out and do anything worthwhile. Too many young lawyers fall into being career ambulance chasers or underpaid public defenders.

[Drayb3]

Thanks jhadorn. Another big factor that's attracting me to Ole Miss is the cost. Compared to where I am in the Northeast, that's dirt cheap!

[peppermint]

I don't know anything about Ole Miss or the program there so I can't answer that question. I do have a few questions for you though.

1. Why are you thinking of MS? Is it just the cost?
2. Have you ever been to MS before?
I guess I'm just curious because I lived in NE PA and enjoyed it so much. Everything about the areas is different - climate, people, the things to-do, the land, politics, accents. Oxford (or Hattiesburg) will have very, very little in common with Philly. It's quite a culture shock - at least it was for me.

3. Do you need a job while you go to school?
While the economy, as I understand it, is slowly improving, it's probably not a good idea to relocate without having a job secured.

These are, of course, somewhat rhetorical questions. You have to decide the best course for yourself. Good luck!

[Drayb3]

Both my girlfriend and I have been considering MS for a while. I've been there twice and really enjoyed it both times. The girlfriend is originally from rural South Carolina and loves the South and everything about it. I'm originally from New Jersey, and have lived there and now in Philly my entire life. Everything here is insanely expensive and it's way too crowded. We're both ready for an extreme change.

I'm not sure about needing a job when I go to school. It'd be a possibility that I could be a TA or something while in grad school, as I did extremely well in undergrad.

[peppermint]

Well, good. I was afraid you had no clue what you were about to jump into. I've seen posts like that quite a bit lately on this board and the TN boards.

If you think you're ready for the change, go for it! The biggest issue is the job, I'd say. You'd probably want to figure that part out before coming down, unless you have the saving to float until you can secure a TA or RA.

Good luck and pack shorts!

[brickpatio]

I googled masters in criminal justice and the first thing to pop up was mastersincriminaljustice.com. Towards the bottom of the website they list careers for this line of study, most of which appear to be different types of law enforcement from FBI to Coast Guard to CSI investigator.

I would imagine that if Ole Miss and USM have masters programs, their admissions staff could direct you to someone who you could talk to to probe specifically about these types of jobs in MS for their graduates.

Both Oxford and Hattiesburg are nice places to live. Hattiesburg is somewhat bigger. Both universities have nice campuses.

[Drayb3]

Good advice, brickpatio. I'm going to get in contact with the program directors and see what they have to say.

Also, I applied for a job in Vicksburg that I found on USAjobs that I'm extremely qualified for. Hopefully I hear back.