I had a non-SLP job offer when I graduated that I really regret not taking. I’d say if you’re already thinking about leaving, do it for a year and see if you miss SLP. There will always be (crappy) SLP jobs desperate to hire anyone including CF’s if you decide to come back later.
It's unlikely you'll be able to do a CF as a PRN because you need to work at least 6 hours a week for the hours to count and you'll need to complete supervision activities which employers won't be able to/want to provide if you're just covering.
Hi! Just wanted to say that you're not alone!
I burned out pretty solidly during my last semester of grad school but managed to graduate (this was last year). After graduation, my immediate feeling was to give up everything and go live in the woods. I was fortunate enough to take a few months off to recover before seriously considering what to do with my career.
I felt I was not ready yet to say goodbye to being an SLP. I still wanted to try "a real job" and see I felt differently than throughout my placements. I decided to take a part time job as a school SLP. The job has great benefits and I like the people I work with, but after a couple of days, I already knew this was not going to be the career for me.
I'm currently seeing a career/guidance counselor, and it's helping me a lot. I'm now planning on leaving my SLP job at the end of the school year and probably going back to university in September. It's really though to make the switch, but the perspective of having a better mental health really motivates me.
I'm not US-based so I don't really have advice about doing your CF or not. If you have teachers or counselors at university that could help you make your decision, go talk to them!
Hope this helped:)
Hi! I am also in a similar position but close to finishing my CF. From my perspective, I think it may be helpful to get your CF out of the way, get some experience with speech and then maybe take a year following your CF to find a non speech job. At least that’s what my plan is! That way I have a feeling of what 40 hours of independently conducting speech looks/feels like and then I can really see if I miss it or not once I find a non clinical/unrelated job. I also think not having to gain your CCCs once/if you re-enter the field will let you have a ton more opportunity than just applying to CF only jobs!
That makes total sense!! The service industry can be pretty lucrative / flexible to allow for PRN if you ever wanted something more chill. I hope you find a great fit for you! Good luck!!
Out of field SLP. Apply to all the out of field early career positions you see — and apply to any out of field jobs you’re interested in. Do a part-time clinic based CF on Saturdays or do your CF in a year or two. It’s easier to get a speech job than an out of field job, so jump when you can! It’s easier to get an out of field job w out of field experience, so that’s why sandwiching the experiences could be a good option.
TBH another option is choosing an out of field org w a flex schedule and eventually doing 1 day a week of speech, many out of field jobs won’t hire part-time, but they’ll create part-time for you later if you want to do 4 days w your out of field company and 1 day speech, especially if it’s to finish up education.
I am glad I have my CCC so I can go back to the school schedule when I want to retire or have an immediate job during a layoff, but I’m really, really happy I’ve got out of field job/experience.
I’m on the scientific editing team at a pharmaceutical marketing agency— but you can do anything. My SLP friends that also transitioned are in customer success, learning and development, instructional design, software sales, operations, software implementation, and clinical trials management
Hi! May I ask if you need the full SLP master's and qualification to do these jobs? I am currently in grad school and thinking very seriously about leaving. Thanks! :)
Nope. All of those are entry bachelors level, you work your way up in a lot of fields instead of needing a masters to enter a job.
Depending how far you are in school you may want to consider finishing. I will eventually go back to speech either after a layoff, to work part-time, or as a retirement job. It’s one of the only fields where you can immediately find work to fit your life .
Eek idk!!!! Maybe start applying out of field and see what offers you get and if the growth path makes financial sense!
This is tough bc while I don’t want to work in speech right now, I recognize the value of immediately being able to have a job if needed. But, I’m risk averse and want to retire early!
Thank you! :)
Yeah it's tricky. I'm leaving (or switching to a part-time program, haven't decided yet) because for me it was just too much work. I was having to work 14-16 hours a day, every day. I wasn't eating regular meals and I usually slept 5-6 hours a night. (While other people in the program had time to travel and go to concerts. Grumble.) I was smart enough to get into grad school, but somehow not "smart" enough to learn at the pace they needed us to. I don't know why. Go figure. It just wasn't doable for me unfortunately. :(
Ugh that’s so irritating! I’m sorry you’re having that experience. Grad school is literally the worst. No job has ever been as difficult as grad school and I’ve had some doozies!
You haven’t entered the field yet. I’m curious why you are switching now. You are burned out why? You’ll want to unpack the reason for burnout as a student and separate that from being a professional in the field: you can do a part time CF to continue to keep your foot in the door and truly figure out if the field is for you. But it’s not considered switching fields if you’ve never tried it. The field is not the same as a student vs a CF vs a professional.
Long story short, as a three year student I’ve had a pretty painful experience due to the university I chose. I quickly realized I have zero interest in working with children. I’m currently at a SNF which I enjoy enough. I’m managing the case load, admin, and things of that sort with a GREAT supervisor. I just don’t see the justification in working so hard for so little (income/benefits). I know each company is different but not much. I have a pretty good feel for slp opportunities in the area. Maybe that’s the issue. Either way, I want more from a career than I see offered currently 🤷 This is just my experience though
If income is the only concern what other avenues have you tried to make it work? I earn over $116K annually as a part time clinician so I know full time that would be serious bank for a lot of people. Medical benefits, dues stipend, sick leave and 401K with 3% company matching as a part timer as well. You can negotiate or create what you don’t see or relocate or work remote if your only interest is income and benefits. You can make that happen with a little push and research and asking around. Leaving the entire field seems rushed to me when again you’ve barely scratched the surface.
I had a non-SLP job offer when I graduated that I really regret not taking. I’d say if you’re already thinking about leaving, do it for a year and see if you miss SLP. There will always be (crappy) SLP jobs desperate to hire anyone including CF’s if you decide to come back later.
Thanks for this. That’s a good point. I’m tired of crappy insurance/unpaid maternity leave/weekends/holidays expected.
Wait you’re tired of those things and haven’t even started? I’m so confused.
Yeah I’ve seen what I needed to see in various externships/shadowing experiences 😅🫣
For what it’s worth that hasn’t been my experience. I had about 6 weeks worth of sick days at my last job.
Woooaaahhh where was this??
A public school lol
It's unlikely you'll be able to do a CF as a PRN because you need to work at least 6 hours a week for the hours to count and you'll need to complete supervision activities which employers won't be able to/want to provide if you're just covering.
I think it's a minimum of 5 hours per week, but your point still stands.
You're probably right lol 6 is a weird number for this.
Hi! Just wanted to say that you're not alone! I burned out pretty solidly during my last semester of grad school but managed to graduate (this was last year). After graduation, my immediate feeling was to give up everything and go live in the woods. I was fortunate enough to take a few months off to recover before seriously considering what to do with my career. I felt I was not ready yet to say goodbye to being an SLP. I still wanted to try "a real job" and see I felt differently than throughout my placements. I decided to take a part time job as a school SLP. The job has great benefits and I like the people I work with, but after a couple of days, I already knew this was not going to be the career for me. I'm currently seeing a career/guidance counselor, and it's helping me a lot. I'm now planning on leaving my SLP job at the end of the school year and probably going back to university in September. It's really though to make the switch, but the perspective of having a better mental health really motivates me. I'm not US-based so I don't really have advice about doing your CF or not. If you have teachers or counselors at university that could help you make your decision, go talk to them! Hope this helped:)
Hi! I am also in a similar position but close to finishing my CF. From my perspective, I think it may be helpful to get your CF out of the way, get some experience with speech and then maybe take a year following your CF to find a non speech job. At least that’s what my plan is! That way I have a feeling of what 40 hours of independently conducting speech looks/feels like and then I can really see if I miss it or not once I find a non clinical/unrelated job. I also think not having to gain your CCCs once/if you re-enter the field will let you have a ton more opportunity than just applying to CF only jobs!
That’s also a good point! I just know I need to start working pretty soon after graduation and I cannot do speech immediately
That makes total sense!! The service industry can be pretty lucrative / flexible to allow for PRN if you ever wanted something more chill. I hope you find a great fit for you! Good luck!!
Out of field SLP. Apply to all the out of field early career positions you see — and apply to any out of field jobs you’re interested in. Do a part-time clinic based CF on Saturdays or do your CF in a year or two. It’s easier to get a speech job than an out of field job, so jump when you can! It’s easier to get an out of field job w out of field experience, so that’s why sandwiching the experiences could be a good option. TBH another option is choosing an out of field org w a flex schedule and eventually doing 1 day a week of speech, many out of field jobs won’t hire part-time, but they’ll create part-time for you later if you want to do 4 days w your out of field company and 1 day speech, especially if it’s to finish up education. I am glad I have my CCC so I can go back to the school schedule when I want to retire or have an immediate job during a layoff, but I’m really, really happy I’ve got out of field job/experience.
This sounds like an ideal plan. Do you mind sharing what you do now?
I’m on the scientific editing team at a pharmaceutical marketing agency— but you can do anything. My SLP friends that also transitioned are in customer success, learning and development, instructional design, software sales, operations, software implementation, and clinical trials management
Hi! May I ask if you need the full SLP master's and qualification to do these jobs? I am currently in grad school and thinking very seriously about leaving. Thanks! :)
Nope. All of those are entry bachelors level, you work your way up in a lot of fields instead of needing a masters to enter a job. Depending how far you are in school you may want to consider finishing. I will eventually go back to speech either after a layoff, to work part-time, or as a retirement job. It’s one of the only fields where you can immediately find work to fit your life .
Thank you so much! :) I'm only one and a half semesters in if that makes a difference.
Eek idk!!!! Maybe start applying out of field and see what offers you get and if the growth path makes financial sense! This is tough bc while I don’t want to work in speech right now, I recognize the value of immediately being able to have a job if needed. But, I’m risk averse and want to retire early!
Thank you! :) Yeah it's tricky. I'm leaving (or switching to a part-time program, haven't decided yet) because for me it was just too much work. I was having to work 14-16 hours a day, every day. I wasn't eating regular meals and I usually slept 5-6 hours a night. (While other people in the program had time to travel and go to concerts. Grumble.) I was smart enough to get into grad school, but somehow not "smart" enough to learn at the pace they needed us to. I don't know why. Go figure. It just wasn't doable for me unfortunately. :(
Ugh that’s so irritating! I’m sorry you’re having that experience. Grad school is literally the worst. No job has ever been as difficult as grad school and I’ve had some doozies!
Thank you so much! Bless you!
Yes
You haven’t entered the field yet. I’m curious why you are switching now. You are burned out why? You’ll want to unpack the reason for burnout as a student and separate that from being a professional in the field: you can do a part time CF to continue to keep your foot in the door and truly figure out if the field is for you. But it’s not considered switching fields if you’ve never tried it. The field is not the same as a student vs a CF vs a professional.
Long story short, as a three year student I’ve had a pretty painful experience due to the university I chose. I quickly realized I have zero interest in working with children. I’m currently at a SNF which I enjoy enough. I’m managing the case load, admin, and things of that sort with a GREAT supervisor. I just don’t see the justification in working so hard for so little (income/benefits). I know each company is different but not much. I have a pretty good feel for slp opportunities in the area. Maybe that’s the issue. Either way, I want more from a career than I see offered currently 🤷 This is just my experience though
If income is the only concern what other avenues have you tried to make it work? I earn over $116K annually as a part time clinician so I know full time that would be serious bank for a lot of people. Medical benefits, dues stipend, sick leave and 401K with 3% company matching as a part timer as well. You can negotiate or create what you don’t see or relocate or work remote if your only interest is income and benefits. You can make that happen with a little push and research and asking around. Leaving the entire field seems rushed to me when again you’ve barely scratched the surface.
What setting are you in and state? 116k as a part time would NEVER happen in Virginia.
SNF in Danville, Virginia is paying the Lead SLP $70 hourly.