Ask A Therapist
A place for insight, reflection, and a little humor along the way.
Ask A Therapist
Finding a Job After College (Ep. 22)
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In this episode, we respond to a listener who’s graduating college—and feeling completely unprepared for what comes next.
With pressure from family, fear about debt, and a job market that feels uncertain, they’re stuck in a question so many people in their 20's face: What am I supposed to do with my life? Add in mixed messages about “following your passion” and the illusion that everyone else has it figured out, and it’s easy to feel behind before you’ve even started.
We unpack the myth of having one clear passion, and discuss why your first job is better viewed as a stepping stone—not a lifelong commitment. This episode offers practical strategies for making decisions without perfect clarity, and building a career that supports your life—not the other way around.
If you’re feeling lost, behind, or overwhelmed about your future, this conversation will help you take the pressure off—and focus on your next step instead of your entire life plan.
Have a question? Email us at info@askatherapistpod.com, use the link below, or DM us on IG or TikTok at @askatherapist_pod
Find Kenzie at therapy-with-kenzie.com or @therapywithkenzie
Find Carli at Psychology Today Profile or @carlikinglmft
Hello and welcome. I'm Kenzie. And I'm Carly. And this is Ask a Therapist.
SPEAKER_00Each week we explore life's most relatable questions, from relationships and boundaries to burnout and self-worth, all through a therapist lens.
SPEAKER_01We're licensed therapists, but this isn't therapy. It's a place for insight, reflection, and a little humor along the way.
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SPEAKER_00Okay, hi everybody. This is episode 22, and this week a listener writes in with some worry and uncertainty about graduating, finding a job, finding their passion, and where the heck do we all go from here, which honestly is very relatable. So we want to share a quick reminder that while our questions are specific to listener submissions, the insight and response we share are meant to be supportive and applicable to anybody who may be listening. We're excited to explore this with you all. So let's get started.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so uh Kinsey, I know that you've had like an amazing past uh week or two because you just came back from a really big trip. So I want you to be our highlight this week. Please tell us all about this amazing trip that you've just returned from.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. Oh my honestly, I would love to because it was so fun. It was so beautiful. My husband and I just took a trip to the Netherlands for about a week. We honestly was never really like a bucketless place for us to go, but we made some friends that were from the Netherlands here in Connecticut, and they moved back. And so we were like, okay, we want to go visit them, we want to see them. Um, and it was wonderful. It was it was so beautiful, like the buildings, the roads, there are people biking everywhere. It was so cool. Like, just that is the mode of transportation and how people get around and how they get to work. So that was really cool to see. And we were there during like peak tulip season. So we got to go and see all of the tulips, and it was just like fields and fields and fields, and so many like beautiful tulip displays. So it was beautiful, it was so fun. It was such a good, like relaxing time. I I loved it.
SPEAKER_01That is awesome. I was curious to know like why the Netherlands. I mean, because it it sounds beautiful, but to your point, like it's not typically a place that comes up when you're thinking about like, oh, where are the your bucket lists, you know, places that you want to go? But that's awesome to make friends and then be able to like go visit them and have someone there who can kind of show you around. Cause I always think that's one of the best things about going to a new place is yeah, yeah, like, you know, resorts and things like that are great and beautiful, but getting to actually experience like the culture, the people, the food, and you know, see how a local lives a little bit, I think is like where you really get to experience a new place, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yes. It was we did a couple days on our own and then a couple days with friends. And the days with friends were like, I mean, all of it was so wonderful and amazing, but the days with friends were so special because they like we got there and they cooked us like traditional meals, like things that they, you know, grew up having. And then they were like, Oh, we want to show you this spot or we want you to try this. And so it was all of the kind of local stuff, and it was just so cool and it was so special. And it was really fun. I mean, they spent two years here and we kind of were like, Oh, you gotta try these things in the States, or you've got to like check out these places, and so it was really cool to go there and for them to kind of be like, Oh, we gotta try these things, and like this is kind of how like this is our home and this is where we live. Um, it was definitely such a like special and unique experience. And if you go to the Netherlands and you want to check it out like a local, you have to run bikes and you have to try the snack bar because that is everybody was so excited for us to try the snack bar, which is basically just kind of like all their different versions of like fried foods and things that they like grew up eating and it was fun.
SPEAKER_01Well, that sounds awesome. Um, maybe I need to add the Netherlands to my list. And thank you for sharing. I'm glad you had an opportunity to do that. That sounds awesome.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thanks. It was it was very fun, it was very special. It's um fun to share about, but I know that we missed um a week of filming, so I am excited to jump back into this with you. And we have such a good one today. So I'm excited to get into it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we do. Yes, we do. First, a word from this episode's sponsor comes from Carly King Therapy. Surprise, surprise. At Carly King Therapy, you don't have to navigate life alone. I'm Carly King, a licensed marriage and family therapist, helping individuals, couples, and families work through anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges with compassion and clarity. Using proven approaches like narrative therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and the Gottman method, I help you better understand your story, strengthen your connections, and create lasting, meaningful change. Whether you're facing a difficult transition, working to repair your relationship, or simply wanting to feel more like yourself again, support is closer than you think. With convenient virtual sessions, you can connect from wherever you are. I'm licensed in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Florida, and accept select insurances. Visit Harley King Therapy. That's C-A-R-L-I-K-I-N-G Therapy.com to schedule your free consultation. Harley King Therapy, support that meets you where you are. Okay, so into today's question. I think you know we're in May, it's graduation season, everybody's like preparing for the next phase. And so I thought this this particular question was very relevant. I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to it. So let's jump in. They say, I'm graduating from college in May, and I have no idea what I want to do. My parents think I should go to grad school to get my MBA, but the job market is discouraging, and grad school just sounds like more debt I won't be able to pay off with the entry-level jobs I'll be applying for. Sometimes it feels like being an adult is a joke. Everything is expensive. Jobs want you to work for free to compete for the real jobs. Political decisions can instantly change the rules. A global pandemic can shut down the world. AI is wiping out entire industries, and I'm supposed to make a decision about what I want to do for the rest of my life. I feel like I get mixed messages. Some say it's fine not to know in your 20s, and others say you're behind if you don't know your passion by 12. It seems like everyone around me has figured it out. I'm afraid I'll have regrets or choose something I hate and feel stuck. I feel like I heard over and over, choose something you love to do and it won't feel like work. I love to travel, shop, do nothing with my friends, try new restaurants, and doom scroll. If I can get paid to do that, sign me up. Otherwise, I might have to do something that feels like work. Do you think everyone has a passion? And if so, how do you figure out what yours is? Or is it even realistic to follow a passion as a career? What strategies did you use to find your first job? And how do I decide if working or going back to school is best for me? So loaded question there, Kenzie. But uh, what are your initial reactions?
SPEAKER_00Woof. Oh my gosh, Carly. Okay, I'm gonna be super honest. I had to read this question like four times because I was like very caught up in it of like, oh my gosh, this this frustration is so or this like uncertainty is so real. I think I just got so in it with this question of like what the listener was feeling that I needed to like take a step back and be like, okay, wait, hold on. How can we like ground, how can I ground myself even in just reading this? And you know, so hopefully our this episode and our responses offer some like feeling of feeling a little bit more grounded to this listener. But just like right off the bat, initially, I was like, oh my gosh, there's so much pressure that this person is feeling, and it is strong and it is real and it's and it's understandable.
SPEAKER_01I mean, hard relate on the I like to travel, shop, do nothing with my friends. I'm like, yes, yes, and yes. And sure, if someone wants to pay me to do that, sign me up. But otherwise, like what really stood out to me was like this idealized version of how people tell you this is gonna go or how you should approach it or how it should feel versus the reality of what it's like to, you know, start your life and adulthood in this world, like in this stage that we're in. Because, like, like they said, AI is wiping out entire industries. There are careers that were a viable option when I graduated college that just don't exist anymore. You know what I mean? And things are happening so rapidly that it's like you can't you can't make a decision based on the way things are right now. You actually have to look at where things are going and then figure out your direction so that you're not like falling behind. And so it really is a challenge that I can empathize with because it like, what do you do? How do you figure out what to try first, where to go? Do you like like the listener saying, you follow a passion, do you follow the money? You know, like what how do you figure this out? So I felt the angst in it and I felt the very real acknowledgement that the world is different. And so, like, even these people that they maybe got advice from in the past, they probably graduated at a different time when like finding a career was just a different task. So I'm really hopeful that as we dig into this, that other people are going to be able to relate, but that there's something that they find helpful and useful in like navigating these really big decisions.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. And I think that part of the reason that we are probably both like responding in this way to this question is is it is so real, like it's so understandable. It is coming up so much. And so I think that's something else that I just want to highlight for this listener is like you are not alone in feeling this right now. I think that there's so much of this uncertainty going around. And something that they said is like every it feels like everybody has it all figured out. And I just want to challenge that. Like, they don't, they don't like there, so many people are feeling what you are. I think that a lot of people maybe like choose a path because that limits anxiety, right? It's kind of like this is I I don't want to feel this uncertainty that this listener is feeling. And so they're like, I'm just gonna do this and I'm gonna stay here, and that is good. But a lot of times people will pivot later. Like the idea of having to know what you want to do for the rest of your life in your early 20s when you really don't have any life experience at this point is crazy. Like it's it's just not realistic. And so it is really hard when people are like, you know, there's not a lot of room for being able to like feel like you have the opportunity to kind of figure it out. It feels like maybe you have to get a little bit like pigeonholed into something. But I think that so many people can relate to this idea of like you kind of go into it and let itself work itself out. I mean, Carla, you and I both were in different careers before we found this one. Yep. And that's something that we can talk about a little bit more too. But um, I think that's my first kind of like point is you are at a stage in life where you are not supposed to have it all figured out. It is very difficult and frustrating when the world tells you that you should in order to like be safe or limit this anxiety, but you're not behind and not everybody else has it figured out and you don't.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I mean, hard agree on that. Nobody has it figured out. And the people that do think they have it figured out just don't know what things they're gonna encounter and how they might have to pivot. Now, people there may be people who are making like educated guesses. There may be people who are who do have experience in a particular area where they feel more confident in pursuing it as a career, but this idea that like everyone else knows what to do and you're the only one like stuck in this spot is just it's not accurate. And I would also add to that, even the frame of like figuring out what you want to do or like what you're gonna be, I think the concept of like, I'm gonna grow up to be, you know, a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, this, I think that whole concept is going away. And, you know, some of this is based on things that I've been listening to and watching about like what it means that AI is coming in, like what it's gonna mean for the future job market. But I have heard on more than one occasion by people who are very knowledgeable about these things that like that concept of having one career or one thing that you do forever is just not gonna be realistic in the future. It's much more likely that you're gonna need to build up like different skill sets. And it's much more likely that you're going to like move around or do more than one thing. And so, you know, I think about people like maybe of my parents' generation, there's a lot more people I think who like chose a career path and just stuck with it. They may have even stayed with the same company for like decades. And then I think about my generation as a millennial, like we've moved around a lot more than, you know, they do. We'll we'll like quit a job or, you know, leave to try something new or go somewhere different for a promotion. And so you kind of see how things have shifted over time. And I think by the time this listener, you know, gets to the point where they're really flowing in whatever career or careers they choose, there's probably going to be a lot more of that. So, you know, and I don't say that to bring more angst, but to kind of say it seems like your best bet is to prepare for the fluctuation and the change and the need to pivot and be flexible. I think that's how you can be best prepared for what's coming. Because if you're trying to find one thing that you're like, this is my thing and this is what I'm gonna do, the likelihood that you can make a whole career out of that and sustain your livelihood is just very low at this point.
SPEAKER_00Sure. Sure. Yeah, I like that idea of building up skills. So, like wherever you go, can you build up skills that you're learning? And can you allow yourself to learn in these jobs too? Like, learn what you like, learn what you don't like. You are freshly out of school. There's the question around like, should I go get my MBA or should, you know, you should like what what should my next move be? I have some I have some thoughts about the going back to school part, at least at this point. But I do think that the idea of like, it doesn't sound like this listener really knows. It doesn't sound like they really know what they want to do yet. They're like, you know, I like these things, these things seem fun to me. How do I make a job out of that? But I think that getting a job where you can you can get skill, like a good enough job at this point, where you can learn some skills. Maybe you have some interest, maybe the energy is there where you're kind of like, I think I like this industry. Going in and being able to learn and then make an educated decision can be helpful. And so just like a reminder for this generation, too. Like your first job is not your identity. This is not something that you have to keep for forever. It can be a stepping stone. It can be something that helps you learn and grow and decide what it is that you do want to do in the future. And if grad school is something that you're thinking about, you know, I don't think that going back to school just because your parents think that you should is like a reason to do it. Um and and I think that the concerns are valid around like, am I just gonna go to school and then be applying for these like entry-level jobs? Um, so I I do think that realistically you might need some time before going back to school. I think that if you want to go back to school, making sure that it's in a an industry or in an area that you are excited about, that you do know that you want to be in. And it'll feel right. It won't feel like, okay, this is an option just because I feel like I should. It'll be like, oh, I want to do this. And so that's that's always something that you can come back to, but it's also okay to like have a little bit more life experience and figure it out first.
SPEAKER_01I agree with you on this one, Kenzie. I don't think that I have an opposing viewpoint on this. I the I I know a lot of people push um high school grads, you know, you go to college, you gotta, you gotta get this college degree. I think at this stage, going to school, like paying for school for anything at any level without having some idea of what you want to do with it is if you have the opportunity and the privilege to do it and you can afford it, okay, great. But if not, I think we have to really rethink that entire model because what the listener's saying is very true. You walk away with debt, you often are still only qualified for entry-level positions because you still have not done anything yet. So you have this degree, but if you've not actually practiced in the field, a lot of times people want the experience. Well, how do you get the experience? You have to work for free. Well, who can afford to work for free with debt? It doesn't make sense, right? Like it really doesn't add up. So I'm with you on grad school is great if you know what you're doing it for and why you need it. Yeah. But one of the benefits to working first is sometimes there are jobs that will pay for you to get an advanced degree if it's going to serve you in that role. So maybe there's an opportunity to do it with less debt in, you know, in that way. But also to your point of just getting like getting your foot in the door and learning some skills, even if you learn what you don't want to do. I would strongly encourage this listener to not think of their first job as like a life decision for the next 30 years. This is just a starting point. It's just an exploration point. And through it, hopefully you learn a little bit more about yourself. You learn what you're good at, you learn what you actually care about, like this idea of having a passion. I'm always like the idea that you should be able to make a career from a passion, I think is so idealistic and great if you're able to do that. But so few people are actually able to accomplish that. You know what I mean? Because, like, what is the likelihood that there's something that you care enough about that you qualify for a position in? It pays well enough for you to sustain your lifestyle. And it's like, it's just hitting all cylinders, and our job market is not set up in that way. Um, and so you don't have to figure out what you want to do for your life. You just need to figure out what you want to do right now as you figure out your next step.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. I wanted to touch on the passion part of it too. And they said something around along the lines of like, choose something you love so it won't feel like work. And and like the reality is that no job is gonna be perfect. And I remember like there was something where I was talking to one of my parents' friends, and I think I was like applying to a job. This was out of grad school, and I was like, honestly, it sounds perfect. Like it sounds like right up my alley, like I'm gonna love it. And they kind of laughed and they're like, Well, no job is perfect. And I was like, Well, I mean, this one seems kind of perfect. Like, and then you get in it and you're kind of like, oh, yeah, no. I mean, it's it's great. I would say that like really good jobs are ones where you have a mix of something that you enjoy, something that you're good at. Like it touches on your skills, it's something that you're interested in. It's something that provides you security, like you can financially afford to live on the salary that you're making. And it will have elements that you don't enjoy. Like there is no job where you go in and you're like, I love every aspect of this job. Like, there are gonna be moments where you feel annoyed or frustrated or it feels tedious, or it feels like I just don't love this part of my job. And so to kind of like expect that too. And I feel like I can like hard relate to this listener of trying new restaurants, hanging out with friends, like traveling, like those are those are fun passions. Like, I love that. And I think that it's okay to remember that like your job's not your only identity. Like it takes up a large portion of your week. That's super fair, that's true. And therefore, you have to be very intentional about creating a life outside of work too, where you can spend time with friends, you can do things that you enjoy, you can travel. Like there you don't have to find the perfect job that allows you to do that. But you can build a really good life. You can build a life where you have a job that you enjoy, that you feel like, okay, this is this works for me in my lifestyle. And what am I doing to make sure that my work life balance, that who I am outside of work, is also being prioritized.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So the the passion thing or or not wanting it to feel like work. I think to the point that you're making, the harsh reality is even when you find something you're passionate about, if you do it for work, eventually it starts to feel like work. Yeah. So even what the what the um listener was saying about the things that they're interested in and they like to do, you know, I think one of the first things that comes to mind for a lot of people of that age group is like, well, you know, social media, you can be an influencer, you can travel and you can record it and you can like do all the things that you love to do. And make money off of that. And I will tell you, even people who travel for a living and vlog about it or try new restaurants for a living and you know do social media about even people who do that, there are aspects of that that become tiring and draining. And it feels like work sometimes. Like, yeah, it's fun to go out to a new restaurant, but when you have to like, okay, everybody wait, let me pull out my phone so I can like take the picture and you got to get the angle just right and you got to find the right music to go behind it. You need the right caption. And of course, there are people who are, you know, good at that and maybe enjoy some aspects of that. But when you can't go out without doing that, and that be, I mean, no matter what, anything that you're doing that often, there's an element of it that's gonna become a little tedious, maybe a little annoying. You're gonna find something about it that you don't exactly love or feel like doing all the time. So I think just the I I get why people say it, but I just think that realistically, anything that you do for work eventually is gonna feel like work. And that's not necessarily a negative thing, but to your point, you've got to have that balance between work and life. I think in the United States, because of our focus on capitalism and this like go, this like drive, you gotta go, gotta go get it. I think that's where that idea of, well, find something you're passionate about so that you can just like work, work, work, work, work, and then you know, you can kind of like beat the system. But that's that's not necessarily how things are everywhere. Like there are plenty of places and plenty of cultures where work is like a part of what you do, but it's not everything. And so maybe in this listener's case, maybe work becomes something that funds their passions, right? Like maybe they really are passionate about doing these things, and work just becomes, you know, a job, a way to sustain the lifestyle that they enjoy. And with their free time, they do hang with friends and travel and like do all of those things. So I just think we we have to knock down that myth a little bit that there that something exists that fits this like unicorn category. I don't think that that's realistic at all. It's okay for it to feel like work, and it's okay for work to not be your identity or you know, the most important part of your life. You spend a lot of time doing it. And so I can understand wanting to feel good about that, not wanting to feel like you're wasting your life doing something that you don't care about. But there's different ways to organize your life where work doesn't necessarily have to be the center of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I love that. I completely agree. And I think just as you were talking to, I was thinking about like this wasn't something that I had necessarily thought of before, but just as we're sitting with it some more, like this listener clearly wants something big, you know, they want something that they like feel good about and feel excited about. And so I think just trusting that that will come too. The idea that you have to have it figured out right now is not true. And it also sounds like they're taking on a lot of like advice from other people. And so I also would encourage them to like sit with what what is it that they want to, even if they don't necessarily know exactly right now. I think that they'll they still will have a sense of kind of like what am I drawn to? What feels right for me outside of all of the noise, and and taking into account some of the things that we've been talking about too, of like it's okay to kind of figure it out, to get some life experience, to see where it takes you, um, and you know, allow allow yourself to be guided in a way too, instead of trying to just like strong arm it all into having it all figured out right now.
SPEAKER_01Yes, this is a conversation that I often have in couples work, where sometimes the goal is to get to a point where there's no conflict or like where, you know, we just get along so well and that and that's that's not realistic. Our goal is to figure out how we're gonna work with the conflict, how we're gonna manage the conflict so that it doesn't lead to the detriment of the relationship. And I see that being like very similar here in that the goal is not to figure out how do I choose something that will never cause me problems, I'll feel passionate about it, I'll love it for no. The goal is to figure out how am I gonna set myself up to be able to pivot when those, when that friction inevitably comes, how do I equip myself? How am I gonna manage the fact that I might have to make some changes, I might have to make some adjustments. So, how do I make myself as flexible as I can be, right? Within this job market that I know is changing, how do I build up skill sets that I can then exchange for money? Like, because that's essentially what we're all doing or trying to, you know, figure out. So I think asking questions like, what skills do I want to build? What environments give me energy? What am I curious to learn more about? And even what type of lifestyle am I trying to build? Because those are things that are going to help you navigate those decisions of like, okay, do I consider moving to take a job? Because, you know, it gets me in an environment or in a city that I really feel energized by. Or do I maybe take what feels like a safer route and build up a little bit of a savings where then I have some flexibility to take something that pays less, right? So I think, you know, looking at questions like what am I good at? What do I enjoy? What skills do I want to build? Those are the questions you want to be asking, not what do I want to do for the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, that's so good. I love that. I feel like so many people can ask themselves that because those will help guide you more than like the fear-based question of like, I have to have it all figured out, and what does everybody expect me to do? And what's the right answer? Like that, that's only gonna keep you frozen and stuck in like, I don't know. So I really like those questions. I think that those are really good examples of things to kind of like ground yourself in and really reflect on. So it's kind of like, okay, wait, this feels a little bit more achievable. This feels a little bit more manageable.
SPEAKER_01Now, Kenzie, the listener did ask what strategies we use to find our first jobs. And so I am curious to know, Kenzie, how did you go about finding your first job?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. I mean, yeah, I'm laughing because I I was so all over the place. I got my, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I can't remember if I um have talked about this already, but um I knew that I liked writing. That was really all I knew. I was like, how the heck am I gonna like make any money? And so in college, I was like, oh, I'll do like a degree in technical writing and health communications. I don't know, I just like it was boring. I didn't like it, I hated it. But I um was in a club in college where I volunteered and did like some activities, like working with people, and I loved that. And so I was like, okay, what do I want to do? I started working at a nonprofit. I had, I mean, again, I had no idea what I was gonna do. I just found a job working at a nonprofit, and then I started going to therapy and I was like, wait, I think that this is like I could really see myself in this kind of a career. And so I I spent three years working at a nonprofit, and then I decided to go back to school and get my degree in counseling, and I worked through it. Like I worked, I went to school at night, and I just kind of knew, but I had no idea what I was gonna do before that. Like, I, you know, I started this job just kind of being like, all right, I guess I'll start here, see where it takes me. And I was lucky enough to find something that I did feel pretty passionate about, but that wouldn't have happened right out of college.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, fair. I don't know that I would have landed here right out of college. I really didn't want to be in a helping profession at all. Yeah. I studied public relations and business. I thought that I was gonna like, I don't know, work for a PR firm or do like image consulting or like those types of roles, maybe go to New York and like things like that. And I did out of college, applied to a lot of jobs. I used like the career resources that were a part of the school, um, tried to network a little bit. I remember going on a few interviews in New York, in Louisville, Kentucky, which is like kind of random. But like I remember, like, I just kept broadening the scope because it was like, I think this is what I want to do, but there weren't opportunities there. And so I kind of just kept like going out, out, out. Um, ultimately, my first real job out of college ended up being at the school that I graduated from in my hometown. And it allowed me to use some skill sets that I thought I was pretty good at. I worked in development, so like fundraising and development. And there were some aspects of it that I liked, but also a lot that I was like, I don't know that I can do this long term. And ultimately, similar to you, I ended up doing couples, it was premarital therapy before getting married. And that was like my first introduction to like the idea of being a couples therapist. And, you know, no disrespect to that therapist, but I think I've said it before, I was like, I think I could do better than you know what they're doing at this, and I'm not studied in it, you know, like, but that ultimately led to me going back to school and deciding that, like, okay, if I want to pursue this, like, you know, you do need an advanced degree. And so I decided to do that. And at the time was kind of like growing my family. So I had a few delays and that took some time off when I had my daughter and things like that. And then even af even while I was pursuing therapy, being a therapist in school, um, I was still working in like fundraising and things like things like that. I would take uh like contract jobs as like a project manager or for fundraising and things like that. I did grant writing for an organization in Dallas. That's where I was living at the time. So I still was kind of like had my hands in a few different pots. I even worked for a company that did like like ropes course and things like that. Like it was almost like a team building type of space. And like, so I mean, I kind of ran the gamut in terms of the types of jobs that I took, but it took some time to ultimately land here. And even once I landed here, it took some time before I was qualified to actually make money in the field. Anybody who does therapy knows you got to go through a period of being an intern. You essentially work for free. Um, doing that while working is incredibly challenging and taxing. And so it took time to get to the point of being able to actually like work in this field and make it a career. So I hope that makes the listener feel a little bit better about being uncertain. We've all had our periods of uncertainty. Use the resources and the network that you do have to like, you know, try to get a foot in the door. But don't you the the fear of being stuck? You're never stuck. Like you can always choose to pivot and make a different choice. So don't be afraid of that. It's gonna happen. Let's just have a plan for what you do when you feel like I think I need to make a change.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And I love the idea of allowing yourself to be open to what calls to you, to what opportunities present themselves to you. Like, I think for both of us, it was we didn't know, and I'm sure we both felt some sense of uncertainty of like, all right, where are we gonna be? What are we gonna do? But I mean, definitely felt a bit of a calling of like this feels right. And so, like trusting that that will find its way to you too, and being open to opportunities that present themselves to you, like if they feel right, you know, that that that really does happen. And so, like right now, you don't know, but believing that that's not always going to be the case. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, I hope that offers just a little bit of reassurance and a little bit of courage to like take the chance of trying something and being okay with like, if this works for me, then great, I might keep down this path. And if not, I'm okay with the fact that I might have to change directions. If you'd like to hear our thoughts on a topic that matters to you, email your question to info at ask a therapistpod.com. We'd also like to hear your thoughts on today's topic. What resonated, what didn't, and what did we miss? If you have advice for our listener, please share it. You may just hear your feedback on a future episode. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at ask a therapist underscore pod. Emails and DMs are always welcome. Also, if you'd like to connect with me or Kenzie and learn more about the services we offer in our private practices, check the show notes for ways to reach us directly. With that, we're signing off. Thanks for listening, and remember, don't wing it, just ask a therapist.
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