Stupid!

After 20 minutes of researching clinical respecialization programs online, I have decided it is absolutely Stupid that I should need to go to more school to get a good job. Stupid.

My job search this morning told me there are plenty of jobs available for people who have PhD's in psychology (as I do) but these jobs are for those who have those degrees in CLINICAL psychology. There must be 100 different organizations looking for clinical psychologists right now according to the job postings at the APA Moniter.

I thought it would be worth considering what I'd have to do to become a clinical psychologist so that my job prospects would be wider:

1) Pay to apply to a clinical respecialization program (these are set up for PhDs in psych who don't have a clinical specialization)

2) get accepted

3) MOVE to a far away state w/o employment, housing, etc

4) Pay $40-60K in tuition for 2 years of coursework, maybe 3

5) apply to do a year long internship

6) get accepted to an accredited internship

7) do the year long internship (finally get paid!)

8) apply for licensure, sit for the board exam

9) get license, begin practice

That's a lot of god dammed hoops to jump through and time spent racking up more student debt so that I will finally have a decent job ... oh by the time I am FORTY!

Did I mention I don't even really want to provide therapy for the mentally ill? That I ruled it out a long time ago for very sound reasons that still apply now?

Needless to say, I think unemployment sucks.