EPT![[image loading]](http://www.eyesonsales.com/uploads/node_images/handreach_md.jpg)
The unreachable goal
I'm finally going to be graduating in a few weeks after working the last 10+ years to become a patent attorney. I don't even know what I should be feeling any more; it still seems like it is some distant goal that I am working my way towards. It's an exciting field, but it takes a lot of training to get started (engineering degree + law degree). I'm sure I will come to terms with reality in a few weeks, but I still feel like a student off in my own little world right now. I have had to sacrifice a lot over the years to get to where I am (for example, I haven't played much Starcraft since 2005 and the Mafia Forum people know that I have been too busy to play with them regularly for several years now), but it has all been in the hopes that one day it will be worth the sacrifices I have made.
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Hey mister, can you spare a dime?
A major concern of mine throughout law school was that I was going to graduate from school and still not have a job. Throughout law school, I probably sent out hundreds if not thousands of resumes, I probably interviewed at least 30 times, and I had several callbacks, but I never managed to make it out of the top 4-6 candidates. It isn't like my situation was unique; lots of my classmates are in similar or worse situations, which was also disheartening because many of them have better grades than I do. At least patent law is such a niche field that there is some demand for it.
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A beacon of hope
However, I kept sending out resumes and in February I had an interview with a nice sounding firm in Austin, Texas. They really sound like a very enjoyable place to work. They had me in for a callback in March and gave me an offer to work with them about a week ago. It is such a weight off my shoulders to know what I will be doing after graduation.
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Sage thoughts
Coming out of this ordeal, I have become more of a firm believer that the universe tends to unfold the way it ought to. While there are definitely speed bumps along the way, if you work hard and want it bad enough, you can reach your goals. So here's to your goals in life, TLer - keep your hopes up and continue working hard. I have full faith that in the end, you will get to where you want to be just as long as you keep up the faith. Cheers!
Anyways, on to the other point of this blog - getting information about Austin and meeting TLers who live in the area.
I will be moving in early August (I realize I'm a little ahead of myself right now, but 1. I'm really excited about this and 2. I plan on doing a decent job of looking around, including flying back to Austin and checking out various places before I actually move out there). I know almost nothing about the city - at least nothing you couldn't find out from talking to a native for 30 seconds or looking around the internet for a few hours.
I will be working relatively close to the intersection of 183 and the MoPac Expressway. I would prefer to live close to work (I would rather not have a long commute), but I don't want to live there if it's a seedy part of town.
So my main question is where in Austin should I absolutely avoid living at all costs? If you want to go above and beyond that, feel free to give me any sort of knowledge or advice you are willing to give. And if you're going to be in Austin, shoot me a PM or post here. I'd love to meet you once I get out there.
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Here's a random cute kitten picture. Thanks for reading!
