It Ain't Easy Being Out-of-field
In the last streaming lecture I watched, the professor made a comment that he thought most or even all of us (i.e. me and my classmates) are already practitioners in our field of study. I am not, and hearing this kind of dampened my mood that evening. I knew going into the program that it was intended more for professionals seeking in-career development, rather than fresh undergrads or people seeking a career change (that's me). Doing the coursework is challenging for me, because I do not have the real-world experience in helping communities, designing and implementing public programs, etc. that my classmates have. Also, I go to work and do stuff that it entirely unrelated to my coursework. There is no overlap. Sometimes I wonder if I would have more free time if I had a job that related to my coursework, and so I could effectively "do homework" on the job: research related to current projects, speaking informally with colleagues about class assignments and topics. Working full-time and going to school part-time is very disruptive for the rest of your life. I try to confine homework to week nights so that my weekends are free to spend quality time with my wife, run errands, do chores, etc. But this is problematic because sometimes, quite frankly, these things cannot wait until Saturday or Sunday. I do not even have children and I still feel overwhelmed sometimes. I would recommend to anyone considering enrolling in a program like the one I am in to start seeking a job within your chosen field of study. If you cannot (because of qualifications, like having a specialized degree!), then try to network in that career community in other ways – go to conferences, volunteer in that sector, keep current on events and trends in the field, etc. I have my tickets booked to attend the Community Development Society this year. I am hoping this will be an opportunity to start getting a "leg in" to a career in community development. We'll see.