Having a major in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Child and Family Studies, I have much interest in family counseling. After much searching, I have stumbled upon many job opportunities that would allow me to follow through with a career (or at least temporary job) with my major. Some of the selections prefer or require a Master’s degree which I would need to obtain upon completion of my undergraduate degree. However, enough interest in these positions would give me enough determination to continue with my education and obtain a Master’s degree in either of my minors, or a different major.
The first job opportunity is one that favors a Master’s degree. However, this particular position requires a worker that is responsible for counseling mainly the elderly and their family in their communication and interaction with one another. The application and more information for this job can be found at the following site:
The second job opportunity involves working with families who have had individuals reside at Odyssey Hospice, Inc. Part of the work involved with this group would be tending to the patients at this facility, as well as helping their families to cope with the current situation. This position only requires a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or Counseling from a major university (which the University of Southern Mississippi is). More information on this particular position can be found at the following website:
Another job opportunity that I managed to find was that of a Family Services Worker at the Head Start Program in Jackson, Mississippi. The basis of this position is to help get children off to the right start in their education and keep them and their families in a nurturing environment by providing consistent counseling. A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree and a valid Mississippi Social Work License with two years experience in social work is required for work at this position. I would need to obtain my Mississippi Social Work License, but the reward from helping families would be enough to drive me to work towards that goal as well. A little more about this job is found at the following:
A final job opportunity that I was able to locate is working at either St. Dominic’s Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, or possibly at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison, Mississippi (this branch is also run by St. Dominic’s). The workers who are a part of this environment help reach out to individuals who are suffering from cancer and heart problems among other conditions. In order to be eligible for this job, a current Mississippi License and Mississippi degree in Social Work is required. At the following website, a full description of all the jobs offered and necessary are found:
I have found that all of the previous jobs are seeking people who have a passion for helping others, particularly those that are going through difficult times in their lives. Working for hospitals is more demanding, but at the same time it can be more rewarding. By simply showing my passion for wanting to reach out to people with those needs would be a cornerstone to proving that I am a good candidate for one of these jobs. If more schooling is necessary to be able to achieve such a goal, then I may have to continue with my education. However, in the end, all the hard work is worth the reward.
Of all the jobs that are mentioned, the one that I would want the most would be working with families and getting them started in the right direction in life. I grew up in a family where my path was not laid out before me, however I have made it this far in life (and in school). There are many people, particularly children, in this world who can amount to so much if they just know where to start and which direction to go. Being able to be the catalyst for such a future and watch and be with the parents of those children as they succeed is more of a reward than anything else I can fathom. A smile on a child’s and parent’s face makes all the schooling, time, pain, and obstacles worth the effort - I am very willing to make any sacrifices necessary.
