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what is the workload like? what did you say during you interview with your current employer? Any regrets choosing this profession?
19 years old interested in the fields listed in the hashtags.
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Annah’s Answer
Hi Denise, I really like all these questions. OK- workload, interview, regrets! I am going to speak as an art therapist / psychotherapist only. I have worked mainly in public and community health settings. What this means is that (as with anything) the workload will vary depending on the agency's expectations. Some places have what they term, "productivity" goals. This means you meet with a certain number of clients or log a minimum number of contact hours. Mental health is a business like any other. And the productivity may depend upon how your job is funded. I am currently funded through various grants- I do not diagnose or have productivity goals. What is tricky for mental health professionals is that the work also includes an emotional toll; it takes a lot of practice and focus to be fully present and attuned with clients. Therapists may be prone to burn out and vicarious trauma. But there are ways to build in coping for yourself and find positions that prioritize self-care. Unfortunately, in my opinion the future of Western mental healthcare seems to be more interested in making money than the patients or therapists' wellbeing. It has become increasingly more focused on medicating symptoms than truly meeting client needs from a more holistic perspective. There are not enough positions available for experienced and licensed mental health therapists and the system has become quite bureaucratic. Additionally, even with an MA (master's degree) the salaries are low. Often graduating therapists find themselves making slightly over minimum wage while saddled with thousands of student debt. For this (and other) reason, many early grads establish private practices instead. If this is what you know you want, it can be fulfilling and lucrative- and while you may not find yourself wealthy, you will be more in charge of most aspects of your work. As with anything, there are pros and cons that I will not get into. And now for some good stuff- I loved being a student; my program was extremely experiential. In terms of work, I like being in a helping role. I enjoy learning about people and listening to their stories. It is a career that will consistently provide opportunities for personal growth and learning. It is a privilege to meet with people and have them share the most intimate details of their lives. Getting back to workload though, the biggest amount of documentation for me was forensic-related. Any time you work for or with the government there will be extra documentation that will take time. But in time, you figure out how to be efficient and organized- you find your flow. Regrets? Absolutely. Being a therapist is more than sitting on a soft couch, listening earnestly and occasionally providing empathy and feedback. It is a skill that is honed every hour of every day. It takes a high level of self-awareness and an understanding about theory and best practice. I knew I wanted to study art therapy specifically, and for me working creatively makes the work more dynamic. I do have regrets, but I have come to realize no profession is perfect. I realize this is a pat response, but also true. When choosing what you want to pursue, keep asking these kinds of questions! Sometimes our perception of a job is very different from the reality. While not everyone in life gets to do everything they want, you can begin right now to see what might be a close enough fit based on your interests, personality, and financial expectations and limitations. As for job interviews, in community mental health you will likely be asked about experience with marginalized communities, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and patients in crisis. You might be asked to give examples of when you de-escalated a situation or managed a particularly challenging situation. You might be asked about certain therapeutic techniques or modalities and your experience diagnosing. Some questions will be specific to the location and population you might be working with. I typically know when a position is a good fit for me, and it starts at the interview. My advice is to always remember you are also interviewing them! You are getting to know your potential work mates and getting a feel for the work culture. Have a few questions to ask in your back pocket. Be honest and know there will always be a learning curve. Becoming a great therapist takes a lifetime. The academic piece is just the beginning! I wish you well in your own journey, wherever it takes you! Have faith in yourself above all else!
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hello Denise,
The workload and experiences in each profession you mentioned can vary significantly. Here's a brief overview of each field and some insights based on typical career paths:
Psychiatry
Workload: Psychiatrists often have a demanding schedule, with long hours and a significant amount of paperwork. They may work in hospitals, private practice, or clinics, and their work includes patient consultations, therapy sessions, and sometimes emergency care.
Interview Tips:
- Emphasize your passion for mental health and helping people.
- Highlight any relevant experience, such as volunteer work, internships, or coursework.
- Discuss your long-term commitment to the field and your desire to make a positive impact.
Regrets: Common regrets might include the emotional toll of dealing with severe mental health cases and the long educational path required to become a licensed psychiatrist.
Dental Assistant
Workload: Dental assistants usually have a stable work schedule with regular hours. Their tasks include assisting dentists during procedures, preparing examination rooms, and managing patient records.
Interview Tips:
- Demonstrate your attention to detail and ability to work well in a team.
- Mention any relevant certifications or training.
- Show your understanding of dental hygiene and patient care.
Regrets: Some may find the role repetitive or wish for more career advancement opportunities. However, many appreciate the consistent schedule and direct patient interaction.
Nurse Anesthetist
Workload: Nurse anesthetists often work in high-stress environments like surgical units, requiring long hours and on-call shifts. Their responsibilities include administering anesthesia, monitoring patients, and working closely with surgeons.
Interview Tips:
- Stress your strong foundation in nursing and any experience in critical care.
- Highlight your ability to remain calm under pressure and make quick decisions.
- Discuss your understanding of the rigorous training and certification process.
Regrets: The high-stress nature of the job and the responsibility of patient outcomes can be daunting. However, the role is highly respected and well-compensated.
Ethnic Studies
Workload: This academic field involves research, teaching, and often community engagement. Professors in ethnic studies may have flexible schedules but can spend a lot of time on research, writing, and preparing lectures.
Interview Tips:
- Showcase your passion for cultural diversity, social justice, and education.
- Discuss your research interests and any relevant projects or publications.
- Highlight your teaching experience or any involvement in community programs.
Regrets: Academia can be competitive, and securing tenure-track positions may be challenging. Some may find the publish-or-perish culture stressful.
Career Counseling
Workload: Career counselors typically work regular office hours, with responsibilities including advising students or clients on career paths, conducting assessments, and facilitating workshops.
Interview Tips:
- Emphasize your communication skills and ability to empathize with clients.
- Highlight any experience in counseling, coaching, or education.
- Discuss your knowledge of career development theories and job market trends.
Regrets: The job can be emotionally draining, especially when clients face significant challenges. However, many find it rewarding to help others achieve their career goals.
General Interview Advice
For all these fields, during your interview, you might want to:
- Clearly articulate why you are passionate about the field.
- Provide specific examples of relevant experiences and how they have prepared you for the role.
- Express your long-term career goals and how this position aligns with them.
- Show your enthusiasm and willingness to learn and grow within the profession.
Best wishes!
The workload and experiences in each profession you mentioned can vary significantly. Here's a brief overview of each field and some insights based on typical career paths:
Psychiatry
Workload: Psychiatrists often have a demanding schedule, with long hours and a significant amount of paperwork. They may work in hospitals, private practice, or clinics, and their work includes patient consultations, therapy sessions, and sometimes emergency care.
Interview Tips:
- Emphasize your passion for mental health and helping people.
- Highlight any relevant experience, such as volunteer work, internships, or coursework.
- Discuss your long-term commitment to the field and your desire to make a positive impact.
Regrets: Common regrets might include the emotional toll of dealing with severe mental health cases and the long educational path required to become a licensed psychiatrist.
Dental Assistant
Workload: Dental assistants usually have a stable work schedule with regular hours. Their tasks include assisting dentists during procedures, preparing examination rooms, and managing patient records.
Interview Tips:
- Demonstrate your attention to detail and ability to work well in a team.
- Mention any relevant certifications or training.
- Show your understanding of dental hygiene and patient care.
Regrets: Some may find the role repetitive or wish for more career advancement opportunities. However, many appreciate the consistent schedule and direct patient interaction.
Nurse Anesthetist
Workload: Nurse anesthetists often work in high-stress environments like surgical units, requiring long hours and on-call shifts. Their responsibilities include administering anesthesia, monitoring patients, and working closely with surgeons.
Interview Tips:
- Stress your strong foundation in nursing and any experience in critical care.
- Highlight your ability to remain calm under pressure and make quick decisions.
- Discuss your understanding of the rigorous training and certification process.
Regrets: The high-stress nature of the job and the responsibility of patient outcomes can be daunting. However, the role is highly respected and well-compensated.
Ethnic Studies
Workload: This academic field involves research, teaching, and often community engagement. Professors in ethnic studies may have flexible schedules but can spend a lot of time on research, writing, and preparing lectures.
Interview Tips:
- Showcase your passion for cultural diversity, social justice, and education.
- Discuss your research interests and any relevant projects or publications.
- Highlight your teaching experience or any involvement in community programs.
Regrets: Academia can be competitive, and securing tenure-track positions may be challenging. Some may find the publish-or-perish culture stressful.
Career Counseling
Workload: Career counselors typically work regular office hours, with responsibilities including advising students or clients on career paths, conducting assessments, and facilitating workshops.
Interview Tips:
- Emphasize your communication skills and ability to empathize with clients.
- Highlight any experience in counseling, coaching, or education.
- Discuss your knowledge of career development theories and job market trends.
Regrets: The job can be emotionally draining, especially when clients face significant challenges. However, many find it rewarding to help others achieve their career goals.
General Interview Advice
For all these fields, during your interview, you might want to:
- Clearly articulate why you are passionate about the field.
- Provide specific examples of relevant experiences and how they have prepared you for the role.
- Express your long-term career goals and how this position aligns with them.
- Show your enthusiasm and willingness to learn and grow within the profession.
Best wishes!
Updated
Tiara’s Answer
Hi Denise
I've been a dental assistant since 2016. I am a Expanded Functions Dental assistant, so we are licensed to do restorative work as well as the regular dental assistant duties. Not all states utilize EFDA so if your state does it is a great opportunity to start a life long career.
The hours are consistent, and the work load is manageable. Some offices will train you if you don't have a formal dental assisting program education. If you find an office willing to train also inquire to see of they will pay for your radiology license.
Pros: All around good job, you will continuously learn, most companies offer Continuing education for free, you get to be hands on if you like that, there is always something to do (you wont be bored), you'll meet lots of different people, you do some of the same procedures over and over again so it's easy to learn (even though your doing the same things each doctor works differently) , DA's are in high demands so if you don't want to commit to a company you can go through a temp agency and still have consistent work.
Cons: stressful if you don't have good time management, or if your doctor is difficult to work with, if your in a really busy office and they're understaffed you can experience burn out.
Interview tips: Be yourself, show them that your willing to learn, be a team player, have good time management skills, and a positive attitude
The only regret I have is not doing the program right out of high school, I wasted 2 years at college to not even like what i went to school for.
In this field you can experience burn out (If the office is understaffed) You may have to float around to find the doctor that you work well with but as long as you keep in mind that your role is to make the doctors life easier you will enjoy what you do.
Look for Sterilization tech jobs a dental office (they hire with little to no experience and you can work your way up from there
or Find a DA or EFDA program that will provide you with training.
I've been a dental assistant since 2016. I am a Expanded Functions Dental assistant, so we are licensed to do restorative work as well as the regular dental assistant duties. Not all states utilize EFDA so if your state does it is a great opportunity to start a life long career.
The hours are consistent, and the work load is manageable. Some offices will train you if you don't have a formal dental assisting program education. If you find an office willing to train also inquire to see of they will pay for your radiology license.
Pros: All around good job, you will continuously learn, most companies offer Continuing education for free, you get to be hands on if you like that, there is always something to do (you wont be bored), you'll meet lots of different people, you do some of the same procedures over and over again so it's easy to learn (even though your doing the same things each doctor works differently) , DA's are in high demands so if you don't want to commit to a company you can go through a temp agency and still have consistent work.
Cons: stressful if you don't have good time management, or if your doctor is difficult to work with, if your in a really busy office and they're understaffed you can experience burn out.
Interview tips: Be yourself, show them that your willing to learn, be a team player, have good time management skills, and a positive attitude
The only regret I have is not doing the program right out of high school, I wasted 2 years at college to not even like what i went to school for.
In this field you can experience burn out (If the office is understaffed) You may have to float around to find the doctor that you work well with but as long as you keep in mind that your role is to make the doctors life easier you will enjoy what you do.
Tiara recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Anzal’s Answer
Hi there!
So, I've been working as a dental assistant for the last two summers and I absolutely love the field of dentistry. It's a pretty unique experience getting to work so closely with the patients as well as the provider, while also learning such important oral hygiene skills. The official registered DA schools and programs are about 2 years long, however, it is not necessary to obtain these degrees to become a dental assistant. Many states allow for dental assistants to work under doctor's supervision. Some practices would want you to complete and ICE/Sterilization Certification as well as a X-Ray Certification to work there while others will train you on-site. I personally got trained on-site at both the offices I worked at and ended up acclimating to how they wanted me to work. I will say however, being a dental assistant is not for the weak. There are many offices out there who treat their DA's with the upmost respect and value the work they put in for the doctors. On the other hand, there are also many offices who throw all the major work onto the DA's and have no balance in team management. It's hard to see it on the outside, but I would recommend going in person for interviews if possible and checking out the environment of both the practice itself, as well as the employees who are working there.
In terms of the interview itself, I think the main thing is to really be yourself and be transparent about what makes you interested in going into that specific field as well as what you can bring to their team. I would recommend you really evaluate your past experiences and interests and run, sort of, a trial interview. The questions I got asked were about my past experiences and exposure to the field of dentistry as well as my future goals in this career path. I'm a college student myself, so I have some goals and expectations when it comes to the job I am taking. Be honest and confident!
You got this!
So, I've been working as a dental assistant for the last two summers and I absolutely love the field of dentistry. It's a pretty unique experience getting to work so closely with the patients as well as the provider, while also learning such important oral hygiene skills. The official registered DA schools and programs are about 2 years long, however, it is not necessary to obtain these degrees to become a dental assistant. Many states allow for dental assistants to work under doctor's supervision. Some practices would want you to complete and ICE/Sterilization Certification as well as a X-Ray Certification to work there while others will train you on-site. I personally got trained on-site at both the offices I worked at and ended up acclimating to how they wanted me to work. I will say however, being a dental assistant is not for the weak. There are many offices out there who treat their DA's with the upmost respect and value the work they put in for the doctors. On the other hand, there are also many offices who throw all the major work onto the DA's and have no balance in team management. It's hard to see it on the outside, but I would recommend going in person for interviews if possible and checking out the environment of both the practice itself, as well as the employees who are working there.
In terms of the interview itself, I think the main thing is to really be yourself and be transparent about what makes you interested in going into that specific field as well as what you can bring to their team. I would recommend you really evaluate your past experiences and interests and run, sort of, a trial interview. The questions I got asked were about my past experiences and exposure to the field of dentistry as well as my future goals in this career path. I'm a college student myself, so I have some goals and expectations when it comes to the job I am taking. Be honest and confident!
You got this!
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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Answers
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Dear Denise,
I've been honing my skills in Microsoft Visual Basic and .NET programming since 1972. Additionally, I've been practicing as a Dietitian-Nutritionist from 1988.
That is 30 years x 5,000 hours a year.
Will I BURNOUT? NOT WITH SUPPLEMENTATION and DIET WIZARD!
May God Richly Bless you,
JC.
I've been honing my skills in Microsoft Visual Basic and .NET programming since 1972. Additionally, I've been practicing as a Dietitian-Nutritionist from 1988.
That is 30 years x 5,000 hours a year.
Will I BURNOUT? NOT WITH SUPPLEMENTATION and DIET WIZARD!
May God Richly Bless you,
JC.