I spent about 20 years working in human services in various capacities at various places. Crap pay, crap working conditions, deteriorating benefits, mostly requiring a 4 year degree. “No one goes into this field to get rich!” Or pay bills, apparently.
After consistently being top in the state in all measured metrics when working my cases, being chosen to consult with (for no extra pay) the corporate software developers to refine their overpriced crap product and make it usable, and just trying to maintain impossible expectations, I eventually had a full on breakdown. I requested emergency leave, expecting to use the 10 weeks of leave I had banked. My supervisor reported that I quit instead. I somehow successfully applied for SSDI (I had initially applied hoping for denial to reinforce an EEOC complaint I had filed against my former employer).
About 2 years ago, my world imploded. I panicked and went back to work in human services for another state, being unqualified for much else. The job quickly spiraled into the same crap I had dealt with previously. I quit, and the next day I was hired by a private non-profit. Longer drive, lower pay, promises didn't pan out. I eventually put in notice when my partner got a job offer (different field that values experience) making 4x my rate but needing help due to medical limitations. I offered to go part time until they replaced me, but wound up walking when they opted to not interview for my replacement and put me on schedule to drive to 5 different towns per week for my new “part time” position.
Over the course of my career, I never made more than my mother made in the 80s as a pipe inspector without a degree. My daughter, with no degree, works entry level at a major retailer earning as much as I ever have. I regularly saw people working on master's degrees so they could get a $5 raise. Some people with those masters degrees regularly asked me pretty basic questions about human services type stuff, but they still “ranked” and were paid higher than me because of those magic, mystical letters. My student loan doubled (I took it for 2 years of school) before I had it forgiven. I am so glad to see people figuring out how rigged the system is before they sell their souls to it. For me, it was a really hard lesson to learn.