20something profile: Stephanie

This post was written by Stephanie, who wants to provide counseling for families and children:

Hello all! I’m here to share my 20something journey thus far. My name is Stephanie Graham. I graduated in December 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a psychologist. When I was young, I wanted to be a psychologist because it was seemed to be a very appealing and professional career, plus I heard they make good money. 😉 When I grew older, I realized I loved helping people and had a natural ability in listening to others. Ask any of my friends, and they will tell you that I have a very reliable set of ears and give pretty insightful advice.

I am in the process of applying to graduate schools to obtain my Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. Afterwards, I intend to get my Ph.D. in Counseling and hopefully open my own practice one day. I have a very strong passion for families and youth and promoting a healthy family unit. I want to provide counseling for families and children. Currently, I volunteer at Family Central, a nonprofit organization that offers family support and educational services. The volunteering experience can be very rewarding and educational.

After reading Meg Jay’s The Defining Decade, I’ve been recently inspired to also provide counseling in the future to young adults that need guidance for living a 20something life. Being 20something, in all honesty, can be difficult. One aspect I have been having trouble with is finding employment in my field after graduation. I have applied to numerous entry-level jobs in mental health and social services with no luck yet. It seems that even the entry-level job listings require previous experience, which seems contradictory to me.

For now, I just continue to apply to job postings with the hopes I will get lucky soon. Internships and volunteer work are very beneficial nowadays in getting the experience most jobs require. It’s very disheartening to have difficulties finding a job even after obtaining a degree. But as much as I’d love to be getting paid rather than volunteering, I have remind myself that it’s for my own good and a successful future.

My advice to other 20somethings who are starting a career in this economy is to be patient. Also, it will be helpful to be flexible and open-minded when it comes to volunteer and job opportunities. It might take a while to land an awesome job, so don’t give up. Nothing good in life comes easy.

Check me out on my new blog site StephiiG, www.stephiig.wordpress.com. Join me on my journey to self-discovery, becoming comfortable as a writer, and striving to make sense of my twenties. I love to write about love, life, and everything in between.