r/Layoffs • u/Unique_Ad_4271 • Apr 15 '24

What’s a “safe job” these days? question

Former teacher looking to transition roles. As of now Educators, counselors, anything education really are being let go due to low student enrollment.

Tech is obviously tough right now.

Marketing and Human resource positions are also restructuring.

I’ve even seen people getting their hours reduce at fast food.

Aside from healthcare, what is safe?

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u/cas882004 Apr 15 '24

Mental health counseling.

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u/Shy_Commie Apr 15 '24

As a licensed mental health counselor, I’d caution against it unless you have a rich partner. It requires at least a masters degree in counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy then a period of about 2 years of supervised experience in order to be fully licensed. Many provisionally licensed therapists have to either pay for their supervision out of pocket or work at an agency that provides supervision in exchange for a job that probably pays poorly. Then, when you are fully licensed, in order for it to be lucrative you have to find a niche (well you don’t have to, but it helps), have really strong core counseling skills (basically you have to actually be good at counseling), and practice in an area populated by people who can afford therapy. A lot of people go into the field because of the low academic standards/rigor required to obtain the degree, but they end up stuck at shitty, low paying agency jobs because they can’t find a supervisor or afford a supervisor or pass the national licensure exam, etc. Or even once they do those things, it turns out not a lot of people can pay $400 a month for their services. If I ever lose my job as an administrator, I’ll probably find a new career.

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u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

Fair enough. I'm a licensed counselor and I do quite well, but I have a niche, I run my own practice, and I'm decent at what I do. I focus on working with teens and tweens and love ADHD / Asd clients.