Feeling like I made the wrong career choices/feel hopeless

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So be a speech pathologist during the school year and train dogs during the summer. That way you still get all the health benefits and retirement etc. of being a school employees.

By the way, that's what my mom did. Speech pathologist who worked with show dogs during the summer.

I get what you’re saying but it’s not quite the same. I want to help injured or sick animals, not show dogs for profit. I’m an introvert and I will inevitably burnout from being an SLP. I always wanted to work with animals but I have an ethical dilemma that I feel when it comes to profiting off of helping animals… which is why I didn’t choose to go into that and I chose to foster instead.

For an introvert the basically one-on-one work of a SLP is great. You need to reframe your thinking OP. You seem to have crap-colored glasses.

It’s not always one on one. That’s what I thought too before i began my clinical rotations. Schools are over flooded with kids needing and qualifying for services. The SLP will often have to see kids in small group or push-in to the classroom in order to support the student. In other settings (nursing homes and private practice), small groups are also common. And it’s becoming more necessary because so many people need services and in order to serve them all, they can’t always be seen one on one.

Crap-colored glasses is a harsh way to put it, but it's kind of true. You are in a downward spiral, OP. Everything seems hopeless. You are getting some good suggestions here, even if they are not your ideal, but you have an excuse or reason to dislike everything. Yeah, it can be tiring if you're an introvert working with people all day. That's me, and I have to find ways to recharge at night and on weekends. But lately, people are using the term "introvert" to describe social anxiety. They are two different things and need to be approached differently.

You need to work on fixing yourself (depression? anxiety? baggage that manifests in self loathing?) before you can fix your career. Don't shoot yourself in the foot now because you're depressed. You worked hard and got your degree. You have many options. But you are already looking for the next thing that will make your life feel right (spoiler - it won't) just like you thought your degree would make everything right.

[Anonymous]

You sound silly. You just got your masters in speech pathology. You should be incredibly proud of yourself for that achievement. I think it’s important to remember that your job doesn’t have to be your passion, that is very unrealistic. As long as it pays the bills, you can still find your hobbies outside of work. Volunteer to walk dogs at an animal shelter. Hang in there, we all like to compare ourselves to one another but this is your path, it will all work out in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound silly. You just got your masters in speech pathology. You should be incredibly proud of yourself for that achievement. I think it’s important to remember that your job doesn’t have to be your passion, that is very unrealistic. As long as it pays the bills, you can still find your hobbies outside of work. Volunteer to walk dogs at an animal shelter. Hang in there, we all like to compare ourselves to one another but this is your path, it will all work out in the end.

Wow, PP, calling OP silly and then telling her she should be proud. Quite the motivational post.

[Anonymous]

You sound a lot like me. I have my bachelors degree in speech therapy and have been on a two year gap since graduating. I feel antsy, anxious, self pitiful for not having my masters yet. Even though I received my bachelor’s degree. In my head I think I will automatically feel better once I get my masters, but reading this post says otherwise. So I started to practice on gratitude, otherwise we will just keep chasing for the next thing and nothing will make us happy. I also feel shitty that I’m still living with my parents and not moving somewhere cool into my own apartment. But I should value this time I get with my parents, and remind myself that they won’t be with me forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound silly. You just got your masters in speech pathology. You should be incredibly proud of yourself for that achievement. I think it’s important to remember that your job doesn’t have to be your passion, that is very unrealistic. As long as it pays the bills, you can still find your hobbies outside of work. Volunteer to walk dogs at an animal shelter. Hang in there, we all like to compare ourselves to one another but this is your path, it will all work out in the end.

Wow, PP, calling OP silly and then telling her she should be proud. Quite the motivational post.

Cause she sounds silly in the post? Comparing yourself to a neighbor with a pet massage therapy business. Like that would be a stable career?

[Anonymous]

Animal massage? That is not a job. You said yourself that she doesn’t support herself on it. And your real wish is to be independently wealthy and work with animals? You sound incredibly immature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound a lot like me. I have my bachelors degree in speech therapy and have been on a two year gap since graduating. I feel antsy, anxious, self pitiful for not having my masters yet. Even though I received my bachelor’s degree. In my head I think I will automatically feel better once I get my masters, but reading this post says otherwise. So I started to practice on gratitude, otherwise we will just keep chasing for the next thing and nothing will make us happy. I also feel shitty that I’m still living with my parents and not moving somewhere cool into my own apartment. But I should value this time I get with my parents, and remind myself that they won’t be with me forever.

You sound like a loser. Hahaha still living with your parents? In this economy? Loser. And nobody asked. Go boo boo about your lame life somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound a lot like me. I have my bachelors degree in speech therapy and have been on a two year gap since graduating. I feel antsy, anxious, self pitiful for not having my masters yet. Even though I received my bachelor’s degree. In my head I think I will automatically feel better once I get my masters, but reading this post says otherwise. So I started to practice on gratitude, otherwise we will just keep chasing for the next thing and nothing will make us happy. I also feel shitty that I’m still living with my parents and not moving somewhere cool into my own apartment. But I should value this time I get with my parents, and remind myself that they won’t be with me forever.

You sound like a loser. Hahaha still living with your parents? In this economy? Loser. And nobody asked. Go boo boo about your lame life somewhere else.

Dickhead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound a lot like me. I have my bachelors degree in speech therapy and have been on a two year gap since graduating. I feel antsy, anxious, self pitiful for not having my masters yet. Even though I received my bachelor’s degree. In my head I think I will automatically feel better once I get my masters, but reading this post says otherwise. So I started to practice on gratitude, otherwise we will just keep chasing for the next thing and nothing will make us happy. I also feel shitty that I’m still living with my parents and not moving somewhere cool into my own apartment. But I should value this time I get with my parents, and remind myself that they won’t be with me forever.

You sound like a loser. Hahaha still living with your parents? In this economy? Loser. And nobody asked. Go boo boo about your lame life somewhere else.

Dickhead

It’s called sarcasm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Animal massage?? That’s not a job, it’s a hobby. She is not supporting herself at all with that.

Why not work at schools until clinic job opens? DCUM says SLP is golden ticket for working moms.

It can definitely be a job. But OP's neighbor has a safety net that OP seems not to have - and for some jobs, you either have to be very risk-tolerant or you need a really good safety net. That's not OP's situation. You don't have to belittle the neighbor to recognize that this isn't possible for OP.

[Anonymous]

If you love animals so much why didn’t you choose to be a vet? Why did you go to school for speech pathology when it seems like you don’t even like it? Why didn’t you drop out a while ago? I’m sorry but we can’t help with the life choices you made. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Animal massage?? That’s not a job, it’s a hobby. She is not supporting herself at all with that.

Why not work at schools until clinic job opens? DCUM says SLP is golden ticket for working moms.

It can definitely be a job. But OP's neighbor has a safety net that OP seems not to have - and for some jobs, you either have to be very risk-tolerant or you need a really good safety net. That's not OP's situation. You don't have to belittle the neighbor to recognize that this isn't possible for OP.

We belittle the neighbor. neighbor be mean to OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound silly. You just got your masters in speech pathology. You should be incredibly proud of yourself for that achievement. I think it’s important to remember that your job doesn’t have to be your passion, that is very unrealistic. As long as it pays the bills, you can still find your hobbies outside of work. Volunteer to walk dogs at an animal shelter. Hang in there, we all like to compare ourselves to one another but this is your path, it will all work out in the end.

It is really normal to feel down at the end of a big project. You've worked so hard for so long, focusing on incremental challenges and goals - then you get to the end and it's like: now what.

Now you start again. The next set of incremental goals and challenges. But also that fun existential crisis hanging over you.

I think you will feel better once you start a job and aren't just thinking in terms of potential anymore. It's hard not to know what's coming next - or even what you will be doing next week. Most of us need routines - too much empty space, and too many "coulds" will drive us crazy.

Also please remember - being self-employed is hard in its own way. And for all you know your neighbor is watching you graduate and get ready for your next chapter, and is feeling all kinds of self-doubt, too. We all do it, no matter how rosy things look on the outside.

If you're not in therapy, get yourself into therapy, so at least you have someone to bounce all this off of (other than a spouse or friends, who, no matter how much they love us, get tired of hearing this stuff).

I do work in an animal field and it is both very rewarding and very grueling. But I bet you can find a way to interact with this field if you're interested. Maybe you can do speech therapy sessions at the shelter sometimes, for kids - or adults - who feel more comfortable around pets. Or something - I don't know what, but something. A big part of animal welfar enow is trying to draw more connection between the human side of things and the animal side of things, so I bet you can find some way to build on that intersection if you're interested.

But for now - just try to remember what you are feeling is normal, but these feelings are not a reason to stop moving forward. Get a job, even if it's not the perfect job. Look around at who in your field is doing work you could imagine doing - and try to develop a pathway toward that. Who knows what twists and turns you'll find on the way, but at least it gives you something to move forward for.

And congrats on the degree.

[Anonymous]

My only goal on life is to make a bigger paycheck and tolerable work hours. I don’t give a shit what I do. Not very inspiring I know. But I am a simple minded person. I just want to have a good time with people I love. And to do that and go on trips sometimes, I’ll need to make some money. That’s all. Don’t take this silly life too seriously

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only goal on life is to make a bigger paycheck and tolerable work hours. I don’t give a shit what I do. Not very inspiring I know. But I am a simple minded person. I just want to have a good time with people I love. And to do that and go on trips sometimes, I’ll need to make some money. That’s all. Don’t take this silly life too seriously

Best advice here.

Op, you are very employable. Enjoy that for a while, use the work life balance to pursue your passions on the side.