Post #1

          After our discussions in class last week, I really began to think about why it was that I chose to pursue a career in psychology. Ever since I was younger, I had always dreamed of being an eye doctor. I was successful in all of my science classes in high school, but other than that I do not recall a reason that I had wanted to be a doctor. At the time, it seemed like I just picked the first subject that I was good at, without taking into consideration if I actually enjoyed what I was learning. For my first two years of college I was a biology major; however, I did not enjoy my classes in the least bit and often dreaded going to them. At this point I felt completely lost about the career choice I had made. I feel like I had made the decision on a whim and had not taken any careful thought and consideration into what it was I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Late into my sophomore year of college, I took my first psychology class and was instantly interested and wanted to learn more. This is what it felt like to be passionate about a subject! I no longer dreaded going to class and I was actually interested in reading the textbook (shocking, I know) and learning as much as I could. Two years later I graduated with my psychology degree, but I would oftentimes continue to stress myself out with thought such as “what if I don’t have the skills necessary to be a successful therapist?” and “what if I’m making the wrong decisions again?”

            Looking back on things now, I really wish I had been given some direction in school about how to make appropriate career decisions. According to the text, career guidance programs often consist of “systematic attempts to dispense career information, activities to enhance self-awareness, career planning classes or individual career counseling, and job placement” (Brown, 2012, pg. 15).  Like most of my classmates, I do not feel as if I was given adequate career guidance to make an informed decision in what I wanted for my future. I believe if I had been given this guidance, I would have been more prepared and knowledgeable in what I liked and didn’t like and would have been more prepared for what was ahead of me. I believe the most useful career guidance I received was after I had gotten my undergraduate psychology degree. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I decided to take a year off from school to work in the field in order to see if I really did want to be a therapist. During my time off I began working (and still do today) in an inpatient psychiatric unit with adults with severe mental disorders.  I immediately knew that this was the field I wanted to work in. Not only did I find my work to be interesting, but I enjoyed going to work every day and interacting with our clients. After talking to the therapists at my job, I knew that I wanted to continue my education. I decided to get my masters degree in clinical psychology so that I would gain the skills and knowledge to help others in a way that I am unable to do so now. I believe that having firsthand experience in my field was very important in helping me make decisions for my future.

Reference

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.