Three Years Later… And no jobs, jobs, jobs!
Jessica Diaz
Probably one of the greatest parts of getting my Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling was meeting the friends I have now. Three girls and myself still keep in touch on a regular basis. We try and meet for dinner or lunch about once a month. Sometimes it is easier than others to juggle our busy schedules. And what do we talk about when we get together? Inevitably the conversation turns to our careers. Of the four of us, I stayed on to get my Ph.D., one got a job as a State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, one works at an alternative school as a kind of case manager/intervener of crisis, and one is currently in the process of finding a field related job.
When we talk about the rest of our cohort, we wonder how “useful” our degree really is. We all struggled findings jobs in our field and many in our cohort have simply found jobs completely unrelated. Admittedly many of us were a little unsure of what we were getting ourselves into when we started our Masters degrees but it is truly difficult when we wonder if we made the right decisions. I would never trade my degree for anything but I completely understand the feelings of my friends. Especially in these very difficult economic times, we want to know having spent two years on a degree that we are somehow MORE marketable, MORE valuable but perhaps we aren’t. As money gets siphoned, divided, rerouted, and diminished, how do we work to ensure that our field does not become irrelevant, ignored, or unappreciated? Is it our responsibility to become advocates not only for our own careers but also for the field as a whole? And if we are, where do we start?
Jessica Diaz is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, a third-year doctoral student, and a student representative on ACA’s Governing Council.
Hey Jess!
I liked your article. After a long consideration on what to do I have decided to pursue my master in rehab counseling. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time because I know there is no guarantee that I will be able to get something in my field. I have debated this up and down in my head as to whether I should take the chance to take the time and spend the money which I ultimately decided to do.
I am a hopeful person by nature and after I am done(about 3 years) then I hope there will be job openings available for me.
If you have any advice for me to increase my chances when I gradate from this program I would appreciate it.
Best,
Deborah Meredith
I definitely think rehab counseling is a rewarding career but like all professions, they have there ups and downs, pros and cons. My advise is to find your niche within the field of rehab counseling as soon as you can and start making contacts. Don’t settle for any internship. Choose one that is close to where you see yourself working after you finish. Those of us who did, ended up with jobs offers after we completed our 600 hours. Finally, get your CRC and become involved within the profession. Rehab counseling is all about networking and bridging your professional contacts. If something doesn’t work out, reach out to others and stay “in the mix.” Attended your local and national conferences. Hope this helps and good luck.
Jessica wrote: “When we talk about the rest of our cohort, we wonder how “useful” our degree really is. We all struggled findings jobs in our field and many in our cohort have simply found jobs completely unrelated…we want to know having spent two years on a degree that we are somehow MORE marketable, MORE valuable but perhaps we aren’t.”
I am not in Rehab Therapy, but appreciate how much this field must be growing with the increase in lay-offs/unemployment. I would suspect that there are jobs out there, but may be difficult to find as people who are “hungry” put themselves out there, before companies start looking. If Rehab is your passion, I’d say hang in there and keep advocating. Once people know your name and identify you with your advocacy efforts, they will find you!
I wanted to add another spin on the whole “making a living” thing, however. I remember when I was in graduate school, all I knew was that I enjoyed helping people. I wasn’t sure in what capacity, but knew that becoming a clinician was the right path for me. Ultimately, I decided that I enjoy most working with kids, but only made this discovery after having one myself just before graduating. This, I believe has been the key to job stability for me, even in difficult economic times.
I LOVE my work and if I were to win the lottery, I would do it for free. I believe that people feel this passion and because I enjoy my work, I am good at it. Money was not my focus, nor “work” especially. I just wanted to help. I also wanted to make a “life” for myself, not just a “living.” As a result, I think I have built a pretty solid professional reputation for the work I do, and people seek me out because we enjoy working together.
I think it is important, in choosing a career track, to look for something that you already enjoy doing. In a market that is saturated with trained professionals, it is typically those with a real passion for their area of expertise that stand out from the crowd.
Relative to advocacy… if you’re willing to get up on the roof and scream that what you do is important and help people to understand why, then you’ve found the key to all the material benefits that will come after it. (smile)
Shawn