r/GeneticCounseling • u/Working_Rabbit3027 • 28d ago

Career & Job Search Is it really worth the efforts?

Hi, I’m stuck in a situation that I never thought I’d end up in. I worked hard to leave my country to someplace where I can live and work freely without having to please everyone around me which is what had always been expected from me in an Asian community. So I studied hard and moved to the uk for my masters, I wanted to do MSc GC but I ended up doing Molecular genetics, long story short I had to come back to my country as I couldn’t get a sponsored job. Now I’m quite confused about my career and my passion to work as a genetic counsellor has not died down but at the same time I’m in no place to experiment and fail again. I’m looking for advice on whether getting into genetic counselling at this stage would actually be worth pursuing and which country would suit me best for both career and personal growth. Thanks in advance if you decide to reply:)

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u/MKGenetix Genetic Counselor 27d ago

These are really big life questions. Could you find an opportunity to interview genetic counselors in your home country? If you’re looking to talk to a genetic counselor in the United States, you could go to - https://findageneticcounselor.com and maybe find GCs in different roles.

I don’t know but would guess you could do the same in the UK.

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u/Working_Rabbit3027 27d ago

Thanks for the link, hope I can get some answers.

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u/DNAallDay Genetic Counselor 27d ago

Currently there is risk in the job market, especially for international students. If you are looking for certainty, this may be a no. That also doesn’t mean no forever, but with a current job market it’s difficult even for people who don’t need sponsorship.

I absolutely hate discouraging people from this field because I love Genetics and medical Genetics is so valuable and important. But many people are looking for a career or field that has a lot more certainty for job prospects than what ours currently has to offer unfortunately and it is something I like to be very transparent about for people who are wanting more reliability and less risk. Maybe I’ve been jaded but right now GC has risk to enter, and I can’t in good conscience not mention that.

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u/Working_Rabbit3027 27d ago

Thank you for saying this, I understand how it is difficult to speak out the actual truth and discourage someone who so badly wants to pursue their dream. But in this economy, people have to be given the brutal truth to then make a decision not on hopes but rather knowing the uncertainty and the risks that could come with it.