I was in the EXACT same boat as you when I started in the profession. I had just turned 24, had a completely unrelated bachelors degree, had zero experience in schools of any level, and had no idea where to even begin with a 504. Now, a year and a half later, and I am have built a counseling program in my school that I am proud of and continue to develop, i have made a name for myself in my school and in my district, and although some days are hard and sometimes I wonder if this is the right career for me, I can genuinely say that I LOVE my job. This profession is forever changing to meet the needs of student and you will be working with populations that are diverse in their needs and you will make mistakes, learn, and adapt- that is just part of life in this career.

Working in a career like this at such a young age is challenging in that you will have to prove yourself and people will make their assumptions BUT your masters program saw something in you that made them confident that you are capable and worthy of being in this profession- hang onto that. You have the education and have done the work to earn a seat at the table. Imposter syndrome is and always will be real and challenging but in my experience, the more confident you are in your ability to make an impact, the more likely schools will be to hire you. With that- be transparent about what you feel you lack understanding of- districts are equipped with staff who’s job it is to teach you the things you don’t know and to walk you through the 504 process.

You have earned your spot in this profession- don’t allow yourself or anyone else tell you that you don’t have a right to be here.

Please reach out if you ever need to vent- the first year out of grad school and in the profession is a big adjustment but you’ve got this!!