Having been a speech-language pathologist for several years now, I get asked all the time by people considering pursuing the profession, if it’s a good idea. For that reason, I have decided to take an honest look at whether or not it is a good idea to become an SLP.
Benefits of Becoming an SLP
- Good salary
- Good work schedule
- The ability to pivot in your career
- Longevity
However, as enticing as that might seem, there are definitely some aspects of the job that you may want to consider.
1. Progress of your patient may be slow
Our clients make huge leaps in progress, huge to them, but maybe less so to the therapist. Although the changes may add up and be significant over time, to the therapist they may seem incrementally small. An SLP has to be methodical and patient and willing to make small but important gains. 
2. You have to enjoy talking a lot
The nature of the job requires that an SLP should be very talkative by nature. An SLP spends a great portion of their day talking. I did not realize that until recently when I was working with a computer-based tutorial and I realized how quiet it was. The quiet was a stark contrast to the normally “chatty” environment. That moment made me reflect on my early years as an SLP and I recall being absolutely exhausted from talking at the end of a workday.
3. You have to enjoy working one-on-one
Although we do work in groups from time to time, the majority of our work is done in one-on-one settings. At most you may work in small groups of three or less, however, you are directly evaluated for the progress you are making and it is especially salient in one-on-one or small group settings.
4. You have to be creative
As an SLP, you spend a great deal of time adapting materials to match the ability of your patient. We are constantly making crafts and modifying them, and the true genius of SLPs is the ability to meet the level of the child and then raise the bar enough to allow for success.
5. You have to love the science of communication and language
SLPs have to geek out on language and words. There is a great deal of thinking about language and how it is derived. This includes wordplay, word interaction, word meaning and more. You have to understand how language is acquired, and the bottom line is you either love it or you don’t.
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