What is it like to be a rehabilitation counselor?
Hello! My name is Isabella and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in the rehabilitation counselor field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be a part of my assignment.
1. What profession did you choose?
2. How many years of college did you need to complete?
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Phd in this field?
5. Were you in a college program?
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
9. Was there a particular subject that you struggled with during your school years?
10. What skills did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11. Was the career choice you have now the same from the beginning of your journey?
12. Do you recommend looking at other careers similar to the one that I have picked?
13. What important skills did you learn when first entering your career?
1 answer
Stephanie E.’s Answer
1. What profession did you choose? I am currently working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor in my state. My job is to help individuals (HS age to adults with disabilities enter and maintain employment as independently as possible)
2. How many years of college did you need to complete? I have a bachelors degree in psychology (4years) and a masters of science in rehabilitation counseling (2years)
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? Prior to this position, I worked as a certified nurse aide in an acute rehab hospital in the brain injury unit, I also worked in a psychiatric hospital as a mental health tech, and crisis counselor at our hospital's emergency room.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Phd in this field? Learn what you can do at all educational levels. You can really "do" the work and thrive in the field with a masters. I used to think I needed a PhD, but a few years in, it does not make a different really.
5. Were you in a college program? Yes
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? My mom was sick my last semester in college. I did not go to grad school immediately after college. My focus at that time was to obtain a masters in neuroscience out of state, but I stayed home instead to work and help my family. It was at the acute rehab hospital where I found out what a rehab counselor was.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field? I shadowed a clinical psychologist as well as several social workers/counselors
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? In college, I was president of the psychology club.
9. Was there a particular subject that you struggled with during your school years? I always leaned toward the helping profession classes without trouble. When it came to statistics and research methods (part of any psych/counseling program), I found it difficult in college, but eventually did well. Fast forward a few years to taking it in grad school and it was much harder.
10. What skills did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11. Was the career choice you have now the same from the beginning of your journey? No - When I was in high school, I wanted to be a music major. Then in college, I wanted to do coginitive research. Following exposure from all my job expereinces, I thought about nursing, physician assisant before i landed in rehab counseling.
12. Do you recommend looking at other careers similar to the one that I have picked? Yes. The helping profession is WIDE. Definitely look at counselor vs. social work. You can do amazing things in both with college and grad degrees.
13. What important skills did you learn when first entering your career? Learn to be flexible. No job description shows the entire scope. Be flexible, be trainable, and learn to know that you're never done learning about the job.
Hope this helps! :)