Interviewed

One of my students interviewed me this week for an assignment she had in another class. She was to interview someone who works in the field in which she is interested. My answers are nothing extravagant or well-worded, but, for whatever reason, I thought it was an interesting exrcise. Here it is:

How difficult was it to build a career?

Actually, I kind of stumbled into my career -- so, not too difficult. I guess I never think of this as my career though either. I didn't enter the field with specific goals so I never really thought of myself as building anything in particular. I am still a long ways away from where I'd like to be (I am also rather young though too).

How satisfied are you with your choice of career?

As with any career, I think it depends on the day. Overall, I am satisfied. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I am good at what I do. This knowledge helps me be a little more secure in my role. I feel like I really make a difference in the world as well. My presence affects other people. If I see other people benefiting from my work, I am satisfied. As long as I can pay my bills and feel good about the work I do, at the end of the day, I am happy. I find that on the occassions I am not happy, it usually has to do more with some type of internal conflict than it does my job. At those moments, I have to reflect and figure out what to change to make things better.

What didn't they teach you in school that you wish you had known?

Ah...where to start... I think that it would've been nice to know that there is little respect for professionals in the field in many cases. I think I would've liked to have learned how to respond to a psychotic person screaming at me (they don't mention specific techniques in the texts). It would have been nice to know more about burnout too....I don't know -- to be honest, I don't feel like I learned much in school except for how to think for myself (which is excellent). I don't think I really learned anything 'real' about psychology until I was thrown into the field....I am not sure I was ready to learn all of those things before though either. I tend to benefit from hands-on learning experiences so things worked out just fine. :)

What are your frustrations?

My frustrations are pretty standard: I feel like our society is ill-informed and our resources too limited. I also often feel that those with the power care the least -- that, in my opinion, is a system flaw.

What do you find the most rewarding?

A person's smile....

What do you do for continued professional and personal development?

I attend conferences mostly. I seek out guidance/knowledge from better-informed/more expereinced professionals.

How do you manage stress/burnout?

I am not sure I always do. It is sometimes a challenge. I've changed positions several times, which has allowed me the opportunity to be exposed to several different facets of the field and allowed me to keep things fresh. I also teach as a hobby, which allows me to be creative, etc. and helps balance my life.

What is the most important thing you have learned from your profession?

Hmm..that is an odd question. I've learned that the most valuable thing in life is human interactions. I've learned the importance of dignity and respect. I've learned that being compassionate is wonderful. I've learned that one should always follow his or her gut.

What are your specialties in your career and why did you choose them?

I don't know that I have a specialty per se. I like to do mental health assessments. I enjoy working with extremly chronic people. I guess you can call those my specialties. Again, I just kind of fell into it.

What kind of training did you get for your specialty and what was required for licensure/certification in your field?

The minimum requirements to gain licensure in my field is a Master's + 3500 post-Master's hours supervised and passing a national exam.