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After having completed 4 years of undergraduate study, and now another 2 1/2 years of Master's level study, I am still in what I like to call "Education Limbo". A BA in psychology has left me with little to no experience or advancement in the field. As a result, I opted to continue my education and pursue a Master's degree in marital and family therapy. Although I have completed nearly all of the required coursework for the MS, there are still 900 hours of required internship time to complete - meaning that I am still without a Master's degree. The qualifications for many therapy or counseling positions almost certainly require a degree of higher education or a minimum number of years working in the field. My financial responsibilities do not permit me to take a pay-cut in order to enter the field properly. So, here I sit relying on the education I am pursuing in regards to my advanced degree.

How disappointing it is to not be working in the field. Each assignment I complete seems to require additional time, research, and tediousness because I do not have personal experiences or clients to bring to the table. I hunt for professionals in the field to mentor like a cat stalking prey. During my lunchtime, at my non-counseling job, I read article after article so that I can attempt to grasp the concepts presented. Yet, despite my trials and efforts, nobody will hire me with only a Bachelor's degree. I desperately want a fulfilling job in the area I have chosen but that cannot happen for me until I hold a Master's degree and/or become licensed.

At the age of 26, I feel as though I should be in a career, rather than working at a job. Friends and peers are venturing into actual careers and career fields. I, however, am in fund raising for an Institute of Psychiatry. Although the appeal of working in psychiatry certainly brought me into this position, the basis of the job has absolutely nothing to do with my aspirations or my personal beliefs. I cannot take on a larger course-load because I desperately need a full-time paycheck. And, I cannot help bring families and/or couples together until I complete the education requirements.

Alas - I am in Education Limbo.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Winchester.
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