Career change advice wanted!

[lenarenee]

If you're involved in Speech Language pathology - especially as an assistant, please tell me what you think of it for a 2nd career in middle age.

If you're involved in Applied Behavior Analysis, especially as a BCaBA, please tell me what you think of it for a 2nd career in middle age.

Also considering going into Elementary education, or Special education. Please talk to me!

Any other ideas I haven't mentioned.....feel free to speak up!

 

[TheGecko]

I was a Full-Charge Bookkeeper and after 25+ years decided I needed a change because I gotten to hate it. So I went back to school at age 48 to become a Web Designer and Developer. Today I’m a Senior Staff Accountant for a growing CPA firm. So what happened? I didn’t hate bookkeeping, I hated being bored, I hated the monotony of doing the same thing day in and day it and there is only so much Solitaire you can play. As a Staff Accountant, I have approximately 30 clients that I do tax accounting for on a regular basis, I handle Human Resources for them, Worker’s Comp Audits, payroll tax issues, etc. I oversee three other Staff Accountants, meet with clients as needed and order office supplies (our Office Manager decided to not come back after she had her baby). I’m never bored, every day is different and I haven’t played a single game of Solitaire.

 

[BattleGnome]

One of my college friends just graduated with a masters in speech pathology. Mostly she’s complaining about how COVID had changed the last part of her training. Now that things are opening up she’s complaining about how slow the people who are processing her license are.

I work with adults who have developmental disabilities (In a group home setting) and I occasionally work with a behavior analyst. My biggest complaints about my job are that I’m raising someone else’s adults and that learning is extremely slow. I’ve known one of my guys for 7 years and he’s working on the same goals he had when I met him, the biggest changes are he graduated school and bought a nintendo switch (but he just started a job 5 years after graduating so I’m hoping we see some positive stuff).

if you want a “trial run” of mental health work you can find a group home in your area to see if it can work out for you in the long run. Most days I come home more frustrated than I’d like but when the stars align it’s a super rewarding, fun day. The directions you’re looking at are more rigid than my job but from talking to the extended support teams (case managers, behavior analysts, guardians, even my manager…..) the burocracy parts are what make people consider leaving

 

[lenarenee]

One of my college friends just graduated with a masters in speech pathology. Mostly she’s complaining about how COVID had changed the last part of her training. Now that things are opening up she’s complaining about how slow the people who are processing her license are.

I work with adults who have developmental disabilities (In a group home setting) and I occasionally work with a behavior analyst. My biggest complaints about my job are that I’m raising someone else’s adults and that learning is extremely slow. I’ve known one of my guys for 7 years and he’s working on the same goals he had when I met him, the biggest changes are he graduated school and bought a nintendo switch (but he just started a job 5 years after graduating so I’m hoping we see some positive stuff).

if you want a “trial run” of mental health work you can find a group home in your area to see if it can work out for you in the long run. Most days I come home more frustrated than I’d like but when the stars align it’s a super rewarding, fun day. The directions you’re looking at are more rigid than my job but from talking to the extended support teams (case managers, behavior analysts, guardians, even my manager…..) the burocracy parts are what make people consider leaving

Is your job one that requires training or education? I've wondered about group home jobs; sounds like fun if the population is a right fight. What positions/ titles do this work? What is the pay?

 

[BattleGnome]

Is your job one that requires training or education? I've wondered about group home jobs; sounds like fun if the population is a right fight. What positions/ titles do this work? What is the pay?

the only requirement my job has is a high school diploma. If it’s not enough of a challenge for you there can be an option of stepping up to a management position or an administrative position (depending how the companies in your area work). The specific site you work at can also be it’s own challenge but we have some freedom to switch sites if things aren’t working out (not a perfect choice but gives you options if you’re serious about continuing the work)

I work for a non-profit and my pay is regulated by the state (michigan). Unfortunately that means pay isnt the best. I currently get hazard pay (COVID) that’s due to expire at the end of September and a summer bonus as an incentive for new hires/retaining staff. Our CFO has been fighting for raises but there’s only so much when we have to rely on grants.

Like every other job, you’d probably have a much different experience with a private company.