It's Okay to Quit Your Job
If you've made it all the way through elementary school, high school, college, a Master's degree, and a clinical fellowship to become an SLP, I bet it's safe to say you're not a quitter.
However, many of us feel that if we resign from a position, we'll be viewed in those terms. The value of stick-to-it-iveness and the judgement that quitters never prosper is so ingrained in us that we often feel guilty for even considering quitting a job.
'd like to challenge our field to re-direct this notion. You can quit a job that isn't right for you. We need to be more okay with quitting toxic environments and even quitting relationships that don't fill us up, whether personal or professional. It's better to quit a position than to quit on yourself or your interpersonal relationships.
Too often, we inadvertently choose quitting social engagement with friends, quitting recreational activities for ourselves, quitting our intellectual curiosities, quitting healthy lifestyles and more, all so we can dedicate what bandwidth we have to not quitting a job. Being an SLP is a part of your life, not the definition of it.
I'm sure by now you've heard the expression that you can't pour from an empty cup. It's time to think about how that applies to you personally as an SLP and to our field at large. We pour and pour, but unlike other therapy professions such as psychology or social work, many of us did not receive instruction in our graduate programs about how to recognize when we need to be refilled or a colleague does. We need to start doing more self-reflection about this.
Try asking yourself these questions:
Is your current position right for you?
What fuels you and re-energizes you in your personal life?
What inspires you in your line of work?
Is your work environment toxic in any way?
What coping skills do you use for stressful situations?
What activities do you do regularly to relax?
Have you taken time recently to evaluate your short-term and long-term happiness goals?
Have you taken time recently to evaluate your short-term and long-term career goals?
How does your current position fit into those goals?
Is it time to take a break?
Is it time to try a new SLP setting or specialty?
Is it time to try a new field or endeavor altogether?
There are resources available to help with all of these questions.
First, I want you to know that it's more than okay for therapists to have therapists; it should be promoted. In the mental health professions, this is encouraged as part of the curriculum. In our field, acknowledging the emotional stress of the profession has been neglected or minimized for too long. An ongoing issue I see is that when SLPs reach out for empathy and support on social media, other SLPs minimize these colleagues' emotions or try to make the issues about themselves. This does not create a healthy environment emotionally, educationally, or professionally. Social media can be a great tool and I will post some links to some Facebook resources below, but these do not replace being able to speak to a trained counselor who knows how to be empathetic and supportive.
Secondly, please know that you can change specialties within our field. It may seem a daunting or intimidating task, especially if you've been in one setting for a long time, but it is possible. Sometimes, the way you envisioned spending your career is no longer the right for you. That's okay. Perhaps it was never all it was cut out to be. Perhaps you've changed over the years and so have your interests. Perhaps your priorities and life circumstances have evolved in unexpected ways. Whatever the case may be, don't beat yourself up about re-evaluating the plans you made before. Change is fine. Change can be great. There are resources on this Expand Your SCOPE site to aid you in changing within SLP specialties. I also recently created the new Facebook group - "The Career-Minded SLP" - for SLPs do discuss resources like resumes, cover, letters, and negotiation. (There's even a template SLP resignation letter in there). Use these tools to see that you're not alone, this is doable, and there are supports in place.
Lastly, some people realize that this field is no longer a fit for them. This is okay too! There is a growing network of support systems on social media for SLPs in this position or those who want to explore this idea. Check out the "Alternative Careers to SLP" Facebook group by Bethany A. Riebock. She's a great resource who has transitioned out of the field herself from SLP, to Director of Rehab, and now working in the tech industry!
I recently did a survey asking SLPs about their career trajectories. Of the 150 respondents, less than a quarter said they'd only worked in one setting and almost 50% said they'd worked in 3 or more settings. I want to hear from you. How has your SLP career evolved over the years? Your stories help show others the possibilities. Let me know in the comments section.
