career change ?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice because I’m currently questioning my career path and trying to explore all possible options while my brain feels completely foggy.
I’m 22 years old and I’ve been working as a youth protection worker at Child Protective Services (DPJ) for the past year. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, and I sometimes feel like my career opportunities are fairly limited since I can’t join a professional order or practice independently.
Right now, I’m not feeling well in my job. I constantly feel mentally overloaded and I never truly disconnect from work. Looking back, I’m not even 100% sure that this field is the right fit for me.
For some context, my mother experienced a major depression when I was a teenager, and I feel like I’ve spent the last ten years worrying about other people, thinking for other people, and essentially becoming someone else’s caretaker. In my current job, because my cases are "my responsibility," I feel like I can never truly clock in and clock out.
People constantly tell me that I’m good at my job and that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Some days, I tell myself it’s not that bad and that I could push through it. But on the other hand, I wonder if the fact that I have to "push through" it means I’m simply not in the right place and that maybe this would be the right time to make a change. At the same time, everyone says that the first year of practice is the hardest, so maybe things will improve.
The aspects of my job that I genuinely enjoy are the schedule flexibility (because we sometimes work evenings and weekends, our managers allow us to manage our hours quite freely), the fact that every day is different and unpredictable, the autonomy, the action, and the crisis intervention aspect.
So now I’m wondering: Should I go back to school? Should I stay a little longer and reassess in a few months? Should I try another job within the same field?
For a long time, I wanted to become an investigator. Last year, I considered enrolling in a police techniques program, but because my boyfriend works for the provincial police and we had no certainty about where we would eventually live, I decided against it. I still think about it, but living in a remote region makes the idea of spending a year elsewhere for school much more complicated, especially since I only recently moved back here.
Another option that interests me is Laurentian University's online social work program. I think that if I pursued that path, I would eventually want to open a private practice.
I’ve also considered funeral services, occupational therapy, and gerontology. Throughout my life, people have told me that I’m good at communication. I enjoy being involved and doing concrete, hands-on work. In the past, I also worked at a crisis center. I absolutely loved the work itself, but I experienced psychological harassment from my supervisor, who is still employed there despite my complaint. Overall, I feel very confused.
What I’m realizing is that I want a career that makes me happy and allows me to grow, but I do not want my job to become the center of my life. When I picture my future, I want to become a mother. I want to have the energy to take care of my children and to remain a present partner. I want to continue being active and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
So, do you know of any online programs, career opportunities, or simply any perspectives that might help me reflect on all of this?
Thank you so much to anyone who takes a few minutes to share their thoughts. 🫶🏻