Rachel Murphy

I would say determination and being open to where life takes you, but always making sure that you're being authentic to yourself, has allowed me to be successful in my career. I'm definitely a hard worker, and I believe that caring about the work you do, leads to success naturally. I also think networking has been important - every recruitment I've gotten has come from people who saw my work ethic or remembered me. My previous supervisor, Justin Lucas, worked with me years ago as an employment specialist and gave me a chance when I was excited to grow in my profession. He's been a champion for me this whole time, serving as a reference and watching me grow in each role. Him hiring me started my career path into Vocational Rehabilitation.

The best career advice I ever received was to find educational institutions and employers who will invest in you, and grow within the opportunity provided. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had past employers invest in my education and it allowed me to become a top performing counselor, enhance programs I worked with and assist in training newer staff. Never pass up an opportunity.

My advice would be to let life lead you where you're meant to go. I thought I was going to be a clinical psychologist back in the day, and I fell in love with Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. Take opportunities even when they may not be what you always envisioned for your life. What seemed devastating to me at the time - not getting into a clinical psychology program - actually led me to find my true calling. I believe following where life is leading you and working hard will take you to where you'll naturally thrive. Through my years in Disability Services and Vocational Rehabilitation, I have worked in every area of the field, and it all started from being open to an unexpected opportunity.

The biggest challenge in vocational rehabilitation right now is the shortage of professionals entering the field. There's not a lot of rehab counselors going into the field, but there's still a high need for Rehabilitation Counselors. Because there's such a need and so many open positions, caseloads are high, which leads to burnout. Another challenge is getting people to know that Rehabilitation Counseling is something that's out there - it's kind of a niche field and is an extremely rewarding area to work in. Every single state has Vocational Rehabilitation, and we used to call it the 'hidden gem' of state benefits because if you have a disability, you might qualify, but it's not very well known. The opportunity here is in education and awareness - people need to know this resource exists, from high school all the way to any age.

Empathy is the most important value to me in both my work and personal life. I think empathy is crucial professionally because you spend a lot of time with the people you work with, having care for those around you leads to a positive work environment and relationship. An enjoyable workspace is impactful - you're spending 40 hours, if not more, and it's important to think of others in addition to yourself. In my personal life, empathy is equally important. I strive to ensure everyone is included and people are having fun. I always lead with empathy and I feel it's taken me very far in my career and relationships.