A Decade after Graduation

A Decade after Graduation

Since April is here, well, while I’m writing this article anyway, I suddenly remembered that this year marks a decade after my college graduation. A decade. I’ll let that phrase sink in for a moment.

Okay, now the phrase has settled better in my consciousness.

Kidding aside, it has been a complex journey. There are things I thought I would be doing after graduation that I haven’t gotten the opportunity to do or that I decided I no longer want to do, and there are also things I once told myself I didn’t want to do but mysteriously ended up being converted to career goals. So, below are five of my recent reflection points:

1. It’s okay to change directions.

In college, I was set on becoming a child psychologist. I had a detailed picture about my clinic, my child center if you will, where I get to spend more time with children and bask in their childlike wonder. My efforts were focused on learning as many techniques in helping children so that when the time comes that I become a licensed therapist, I would have an easier time running the clinic or center. Well, after handling my first case that involved a child client, I realized that being a child psychologist wasn’t for me. I spent weeks recovering from the information I received, and I was troubled in figuring out ways how I could overcome the cognitive dissonance. Ultimately, I followed my heart and decided not to pursue the said field.

2. The most important career lessons do not necessarily occur in your chosen field.

At first glance at my resume, some people would consider me a ‘job hopper’. The longest time I have spent (so far) in an organization is my current affiliation with an online healthcare company. Looking back, I do not regret my work experiences. I have been a recruiter, a guidance designate, a high school teacher, a sales officer, and a college instructor, but I would not change anything. Sure, there have been struggles I would have wanted to process differently, but their contribution to who I am today makes me feel proud about how I’ve grown through them which leads me to my next point…

3. You are allowed to leave.

Even before I practiced in the clinical setting, I heard stories of friends and acquaintances having second thoughts about leaving their workplace due to reasons like demotivation, toxic work environment, and low salary. Despite the subjective list of factors that may affect their decision, I always emphasize the importance of health and well-being. Healthy employees make healthy organizations, is one of my favorite responses in the discussion.  Also, there’s only so much we can handle (and control) when we’ve done our best based on our role, job description, and level of responsibility.

4. Psychology graduates are not exempted from mental distress.

I’ve had my fair share of lows. At some point in my career, I had to confront my previous beliefs about being ‘less prone’ to experiencing depressive symptoms and anxiety because I studied psychology. Confronting the truth in front of me was more difficult than I imagined, and it took me a while to admit that I needed professional help. Fast-forward to today, shifting my perspective and accepting assistance from a mental health professional has been an essential pillar of who I am as a psychologist.

5. Having a dream job and walking on the path that leads to that dream job are privileges and opportunities.

I am fortunate to have discovered my passion for psychology even before I knew it was a course. While some people struggle to survive, others often forget to notice their blessings. I am reminded to be deeply grateful that I know what I like to pursue and that I am still on the path that allows me to create my dream job.

After sharing some of my thoughts, I’m curious.

What does your decade(s) after graduation look like?

Do you have a question about mental health or psychology? Send an email to northluzonmonitor@gmail.com and your question might be discussed in the next article.