This paper reflects insights from an interview with Nikki (fictional name), who has a counselling degree but works as a front desk administrator. The interview with Nikki will help explore alternative paths for traditional counselling jobs and provide a comprehensive understanding of how to use counselling training in the future in diverse fields like sales and marketing, human resources, and teaching. Nikki works for a faith-based medical clinic. Her roles are maintaining the organization of care providers’ schedules and directing patients in crisis to the doctor for urgent care. Her title as a front desk admin is intriguing since it shows one of the vast ways of applying counselling skills in non-counsellor jobs.
Interview Questions and Answers
Me: Which school did you pursue a counselling degree in, and what made you pursue it?
Nikki: I attendedWheaton College, Chicago, where I majored in family and marriage counselling. I pursued the major because I am passionate about easing peoples’ pain, and the counselling degree can help me help people.
Me: Why did you decide to work as a front desk administrator instead of finding a job as a direct clinical counsellor, and was the decision informed by the work challenges in your previous work? Have you ever worked as a clinical counsellor before?
Nikki: Well, after graduating with a master’s in marriage and family therapy, I worked in an intensive outpatient IOP program in Illinois for four years, dealing with counselling teenagers after being discharged from hospitals for suicidal attempts or drug abuse. The IOP program was unique because we involved the entire family unit in the healing process, which made the work very intense, working in evening shifts with vigorous schedules that were difficult to keep up with, so I chose to find a career that I could move in my pace. Again, my supervisor in the IOP program was very unsupportive and contributed to my work burnout because she made me feel like I was in the wrong career or not good enough. Another challenge that contributed to moving to a Christian workplace as a front desk admin is the faith conflict I experienced in Chicago. There was no room for Christian counselling or counselling led by the Holy Spirit to address a client’s root problem. For example, dealing with teenagers in identity crisis made me struggle spiritually because I was forced to offer clinical intervention other than pastoral ministry to speak against it. After moving to Colorado, I decided to work for the faith-based medical clinic as a front desk administrator because the job is not as intense, and it offers me a way to help people and time to practice Christianity. For instance, one of my primary roles is directing patients in crisis for urgent medical attention. In such a circumstance, I apply my counselling skills to respond appropriately to such distress calls.
Me: What skills can you use from a master’s in marriage and family therapy to contribute to your current role?
Nikki: As the head of the front desk team, I provide support to workers experiencing personal and career stress. Additionally, I use counselling theories such as humanistic and behavioural theories, communication and critical thinking skills, and crisis intervention strategies to promote optimal client outcomes in the workplace. For example, one day, a patient called the front desk, and she was experiencing a severe anxiety attack, which I addressed using anxiety intervention techniques.
Me: What challenges do you face at work?
Nikki: In my previous work, I used to work with a significant number of individuals and families every week, which meant I made a lot of money. As a front desk administrator who is a single mother, fewer responsibilities mean less to be paid for, and you will likely experience financial constraints. Additionally, I often feel demotivated and experience a lot of internal conflicts because I practice less than I am capable of. I spent significant financial time and money resources to pursue a marriage and family therapy degree and master’s, and I do not practice the career. However, counselling young girls in my church mentorship program makes up for the internal conflicts. Moreover, communicating effectively with people from diverse cultures is a challenge.
Me: Why don’t you quit and find a satisfying job in a counselling context?
Nikki: I value a clinical counselling career, but I love the Denver community here in Colorado. I am proud of our excellent work for the under-resourced families here.
Me: Would you recommend counselling graduates to go for well-paying jobs or job satisfaction?
Nikki: Well, I advise them to go for job satisfaction, which they can identify by listing the objectives they want to accomplish and how the path they want to choose will help them achieve the goals and maintain self-congruency. Upon confusion, they can practice counselling fields while figuring out what path to take, ask for advice from their supervisors, and ask God to discern their next steps.
Me: What advice would you give counselling students and graduates considering working in non-counselling careers?
Nikki: Have an honest conversation with yourself about whether you are in a good spot spiritually and financially, explore diverse opportunities with an open mind, and apply your transferable counselling expertise creatively to pursue jobs outside the traditional clinical environment.
A Description of the process Nikki went Through to Pursue a Non-counseling career
The primary factors that influenced Nikki’s current position are personal, professional, and spiritual factors. In her previous work in the intensive outpatient IOP program in Chicago, she experienced a lot of job stress; therefore, she opted for a career that would provide her with a work-life balance and adequate time to practice Christianity. Her current position at a Christian facility provides her with a healthy environment that aligns with her Christian beliefs and is congruent in general; the process involves self-awareness, clarity, and congruency.
How to Go About a Career Counseling Process with a Counseling Graduate Who Wants to Practice in Non- counselling Contexts
The initial step is assessing the graduate’s needs and expectations using tools like the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) to offer individually tailored guidance (Dugger, 2015). In addition to MBTI, I would take them through the Strong Inventory, Holland’s career theory, to determine her top 3 career choices. This theory will help assess one’s interests and preferences, highlighting if the graduate is aligned and congruent with the current position (Dugger, 2015). The next step is exploring options to educate them about the available market trends and jobs, followed by developing a plan. A plan will help develop realistic objectives and assemble the necessary resources to accomplish the objectives (Fabio & Bernaud, 2018). This step will also facilitate monitoring and adjusting the progress of a preferred field and psychologically prepare one for transition. The final step is placement and applying counselling expertise in the non-counselling job.
Takeaways/ Lessons/Personal Reflection Learned from the Interview
The interview with Nikki was informative as it highlighted alternative career paths for counselling students and graduates, portraying the significance of flexibility, openness, and adaptability when navigating the diverse job markets (Patton & McMahon, 2021). I would consider pursuing a non-counselling job despite graduating with a counselling degree because one can apply counselling knowledge in other fields in many ways. For instance, I can work as an HR personnel and apply my counselling communication skills to address the needs of each employee to help them address job stress. On the other hand, I will apply critical takeaways from the interview by ensuring I develop good relations with my coworkers and supervisors, as it fosters a healthy work environment and cooperation. Moreover, as a future patient advocate, I will enrol in continued educational units (CEUs ) to improve my cultural competence and humility and promote small community programs that give back to society.
Conclusion
The most appropriate way to help counselling graduates who want to practice in non-counselling fields is to learn, grow, be flexible, and apply counselling skills in other fields. While exploring other alternatives to traditional counselling careers, they should consider updating their skills and knowledge to facilitate flexibility by participating in workshops and enrolling in CUEs about career counselling theories, tools, and trends. Under severe career confusion, the graduates can seek help and guidance from career counsellors and people in a similar situation but at a spiritually and financially better place to help address the situation while still reflecting on personal career goals.
References
Dugger, S. M. (2015). Foundations of career counselling: A case-based approach. Pearson.
Fabio, A. D., & Bernaud, J. (2018). Narrative interventions in post-modern guidance and career counselling: A review of case studies and innovative qualitative approaches. Springer.
Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (2021). Introducing career development and systems theory. Career Development and Systems Theory, pp. 3–33. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004466210_001
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