CHOOSING A CAREER IN PSYCHOLOGY or RELATED FIELDS &

1. CHOOSING A CAREER IN PSYCHOLOGY or RELATED FIELDS & PREPARING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL or Post-BACCELAUREATE JOBS

2. This presentation is one view. Speak to many people, and utilize many references in deciding your future. No single person or source can provide all the information you need!

3. Things that can help you choose a Career • Choosing a career that will be satisfying takes time and effort. • Pay attention to speakers in this class & read text to see what sounds interesting. • Surf career & grad school web sites, but be wearyof those recommending “for-profit” grad schools. • Go through career & grad school books available in Psychology Advising Office (A209) • Check our department website <www.psy.fsu.edu> for additional information under “undergraduate” and “career and graduate school.”

4. Interview people in careers of possible interest. Speakers in class might provide names of recent graduates, if you ask. • Get research experience in professors’ labs to see what is interesting (i.e., Do DIS) • Read books and scientific articles within areas of possible interest. Psych Info is good source of articles as are your course text books that list references at the end of chapters. • Career counselors can suggest professions you might not have considered. But only you can decide what career will work best for you.

5. Ask yourself questions (& answer them): • What is my general orientation? (service vs. business; more interested in observable behavior vs. what others think) • What topics do I enjoy learning about in and out of school? • Do I want to work with children, families, adults your own age, or seniors? Do volunteer work to find out. • How important is income?

6. How important is flexibility in hours to me? • Am I capable of very long hours of hard work? • Can I sit at a desk for a long period? • Do I have hobbies I love that I can turn into a career? • Am I going to get depressed listening to problems of others?

7. When to Apply to Grad School When you apply depends on the kind of program to which you are applying--Ph.D. vs Masters. In either case, you need to start considering schools & working on applications 2-4 months before applications are due Ph.D. Programs For some highly competitive Ph.D. programs, such as Clinical Psychology, you need to apply almost 1 year prior to admission date. For example, if you want to start Fall, 2015, you generally need to submit applications November or December of Fall 2014. Deadlines vary across schools.

8. Master’s Degree Programs For most Master’s Programs, deadlines are later. Some programs allow you to submit applicationsin April or May to start in the Fall of that year. But many have deadlines in Jan. or Feb. Deadlines vary across schools.

9. GRE Virtually all grad schools require general GRE (quant, verbal, analytic); some also require subject area (psych). Other professions require similar exams (MCAT, LSAT) Studying for these exams is crucial!!! I recommend taking GRE 6 months prior to when application due. This is to allow for possibility you need to take it 2nd time to improve scores.

10. Go to: http://www.ets.org/gre to get information & free test prep materials. See scoring comparison to prior version. For percentile scores of new version: http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table1a.pdf

11. Points of Clarification re: Degrees • Practicing degree (PD) or Terminal Degree (TD): • A. Degree that you need to work independently (i.e., without requirement of supervision). • Ex: in most states, you can provide therapeutic services with a Master’s in Clinical or Counseling Psychology, but you cannot get licensed or practice on your own without a Ph.D. in those 2 fields. But with a Masters in Clinical Social Work or Mental Health Counseling, you can get licensed & practice on your own. • B. Even after obtaining the PD, still need additional experience before you can get licensed as practitioner.

12. 2. There is more than one route to specific kind of career. • If interested in providing counseling/therapy,could choose clinical psychology (Psy.D or Ph.D), counseling psychology, school psychology, clinical social work,mental health counseling, psychiatry, etc. • b) If you want to work in business to improve employeeperformance, you can get degree in instructionaldesign, industrial/organizational psych,performance management, MBA, Masters in human resource management.

13. Examples of Professional Degrees (see also list of Psychology: Sample Careers/Jobs) Masters in Social Work (MSW) (case work or clinical SW) MSW is practicing degree (PD) Masters or Ed Specialist in School Psychology (PD) Masters in Performance Management (PD) Masters in Instructional Design (PD) Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology (generally need Ph.D., but Masters can be enough) Masters in “Experimental” Psychology (Specialties: Neuroscience, Social, Personality, Developmental, Child, Cognitive, etc.) (generally not PD)

14. Examples of Professional Degrees (continued) • Masters in Clinical Psychology (PD only in few states)* • Masters in Counseling Psychology (PD only in a few states)* • Masters in Mental Health Counseling (PD)* • Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy (PD) • Masters in Pastoral Counseling (PD) • *Degrees from some clinical psych & counseling psych programs will allow one to become licensed as LMHC

15. Note: If you have PD in non-psychology field, cannot call oneself a “psychologist.” For psychologists, must advertise by type of degree.

16. Examples of Professional Degrees continued • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (PD) (specialties: children/adolesc, adult, family, substance abuse, forensic, health psych, aging, mood disorders, schizophrenia, etc.) • Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology (PD) (w/specialties) • Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (PD) (w/specialties, but not severe pathology) • M.D. w/residency in Psychiatry (PD) (w/specialties) • Ph.D. in “Experimental” Psychology (neuroscience, cognitive, social, industrial-organizational, business, developmental, child, etc.) PD for research position

17. How to strengthen credentials for grad school • Get high GPA. • Minimum for acceptance to most Masters: 3.0. • For good Ph.D. programs, usually 3.5 or higher • Some schools look mainly at 2 years prior to application. • NOTE: High GPA not sufficient! • 2. Study for the GRE (or other entrance exams) • Old scale (range 200-800): Minimum: 500 V 500 Q. • For Ph.D. programs, unwritten minimum was ~1l50, & • often 1250, unless application exceptional. • New scale (range 130-170): competitive schools likely towant 60th percentile (~154/5) or above on Q & V (each). Masters probably looking for ~150 (mean) or above. • Too early to know for sure.

18. 3. Need 3 letters of recommendation, at least 2 of whichshould be very strong. Letters often need to be from faculty, although some programs accept letters from people that supervised you in applied settings (e.g., schools, crisis counseling, hospice, nursing homes, paid jobs IF relevant). Many applied programs require some “applied” letters (e.g., School Psych, Mental Health Counseling, ClinicalSocial Work, Counseling Psych). Not only to showthem you have what it takes, but to know for yourself ifyou have what it takes.

19. 4. How to get experiences to earn strong letters & prepare you for graduate study

20. DIS (PSY4920; PSY4911-4913) • Work in professor’s lab doing research forcourse credit (pass/fail)—3 credits = 7-12 hours/wk. • 2. Allows professor (or their grad students) to observe your work habits, reliability, & quality of your work so can write a strong letter. • 3. 6 hours total can count toward major in psych; 24 hours count toward graduation. Experience more important than credits. • 4. Depending on career goals, may want to do 2 or more semesters with 2 or more faculty • 5. Some students get into grad school w/out DIS, butGREATLY improve chances with DIS.

21. How to Seek out a DIS (4920) 1. Find a faculty member whose research is interesting: a. See psychology web site for people actively recruitingstudents. <www.psy.fsu.edu> (Undergraduate >> Research >> DIS opportunities). b. Read about faculty member’s research (Faculty & Staff>> Faculty Directory >> choose specific area). NOTE: Neuroscience faculty don’t advertise underDIS opportunities, so this is only way to learn about them.

22. 2. Email faculty member (or grad stud) for interview. -Don’t say: “I need to do DIS.” - Write couple sentences about yourself & send resume 3. Some DIS involve supervision by grad student.This can be just as good as long as professor will co-signletter of recommendation & you like the grad student. 4. Be sure to clarify expectations on both sides. 5. Start looking before registration for next semester. 6. Most (not all) require at least 3.0 GPA. Some ask for resume.

23. Honors DIS PSY4915 • For members of University Honors Programonly. • More responsibility and/or tasks than DIS. • Requires contract & written product (no specifications re: nature of product) by end of semester. • Max 6 hrs. of Honors DIS allowed. • Letter-graded (A, B, C, etc.)

24. Other Ways to Strengthen Your Credentials • Honors thesis (3.2 overall; 3.5 Psych) Strongly recommend Honor’s if want to apply to research-oriented program. Less important for careers not involving research. But still can be useful. Generally do DIS in lab prior to honor’s work. • If interested in applied work, volunteer or work with population of interest or potential interest.See list of volunteer activities (Undergraduate >> Career & Grad School >> Volunteer Opportunities). These vary in nature & time commitment.

25. Except for 211 Big Bend, hard to get contactwith “clinical” population. • Internships: Look for emails about possible internships and check with FSU Career Center • See web page: Undergraduate >> Career & Grad School >> Jobs, Internships, & Post-Baccalaureate Training ***** • Do NOT count on volunteer experiences for all letters. • Read all emails from Psych department & university!

26. Checking out Specific Grad Schools • Start looking early so there’s time to carefully consider various programs. • Different schools within same specialty may provide different training so read materials on program carefully. • The best programs for you are the ones that best fit your interests, philosophy, & career goals.

27. Check out web sites and books listed under Undergraduate >> Career & Grad School >>FurtherReading Look at books in Advising Office A209 PDB (e.g., APA listing of ALL psych grad schools in US) If you have questions not answered by web or written materials, contact graduate secretary of that department or head of specific program to which you are applying—not head of psych dept.

28. When deciding which grad schools to apply to, consider: 1. type of training (e.g., evidence-based vs. eclectic) 2. type of jobs their graduates have gotten. (contact schools directly if not clear) 3. financial assistance & cost of living in that location 4. I recommend against “for profit” schools. (.com) 5. admission requirements: be realistic but also optimistic

29. 6. geographical location of school (less important if do out of state internship and/or want academic position) 7. deadlines, application requirements 8. your “fit” with interests of faculty in program 9. ask DIS/4920 supervisor(s) for opinions w/in their area of expertise.

30. Contact professors of interest at potential grad schools to: 1. Find out if accepting students (generally for Ph.D programs with “apprenticeship” models.) 2. Let them know you are interested in their work. Can help you get accepted, but be respectful of their time—don’t write long emails and ask lots of questions.

31. How Many Schools Should You Apply To? • Depends on how competitive your credentials are. • Depends on how competitive the schools are. • In general, I’d say at least 10 for competitive Ph.D. • Programs, unless your credentials are exceptional. • Project 1000 for Hispanics and some other disadvantaged minorities might help with application costs to STEM programs

32. Filling out application materials • Avoid spelling or grammar errors in all materials & communications • Avoid leaving spaces blank • Avoid mistakes that show you didn’t follow instructions!!!!!!

33. Statement of Purpose • It isIMPORTANT. For some programs, may be most important part of application. • Proof many times and never rely on spell-check • Have several people read for clarity, content,grammar, spelling • Can ask DIS supervisor for general advice for applying to their particular area. • Can ask DIS supervisor to read, but … • make sure it’s in reasonable shape, & you followed their early advice

34. Can go to Career Center for feedback. • Highlight your individuality, but do NOT make it a self-disclosure of personal problems. See description on psych web site (Undergrad >> Career & Grad School >> Statement of Purpose)

35. Basically: 1. Describe professional goals. 2. Briefly explain how you got interested in the field. 3. Describe in detail what you did to prepare yourself. (OK to repeat & elaborate what’s in resume) BE HONEST!! 1. Don’t say you love research just because that is what you think they want to hear 2. Highlight your great experiences without misrepresenting what you did.

36. Interviewing • Many programs (particularly applied ones) encourage top applicants to come interview. • Dress professionally!! Dress in a waythat a fuddy-duddy grandparent would approve. • Women: avoid cleavage and tight fitting clothes • Suit is ideal for both men & women. • Career Center offers practice interviews.

37. Give thought to what you’ll say when asked questions, such as: • 1. Why you want a particular career. • 2. Why you think you would be good at this career. • 3. Why you applied to this particular school & how highly you rank this school personally. • 4. What you did to prepare yourself.

38. Interviewing (Continued) • Come prepared with questions to ask them, if they are not sufficiently addressed in presentations or materials. Shows you have thought about grad school. • Jobs that recent graduates have gotten • Collaboration & camaraderie among faculty • Collaboration & camaraderie among students • Typical time it takes to graduate • If clinical/counseling program, do they train in evidence-based treatments?

39. 6. If not arranged, ask to interview with current grads and perhaps get names of those who recently completed program. 7. Some questions addressed in program materials, but may still want clarification. Don’t ask something that is clear in materials (e.g., course sequence)

40. If Accepted to More than One Program • Celebrate!! • Use criteria discussed earlier to choose program

41. Differences between clinical and counseling psych: 1. Types of problems you are trained for: Clinical: deals w/ entire range of problems. Counseling: deals w/ problems of every day living e.g., child behavior problems, marital, depression, anxiety). Usually does not deal with severe pathology. 2. Relative emphasis on research: Clinical: big emphasis on conducting research & evaluating efficacy of treatments along w/ learning assessment and treatment of problems Counseling: less emphasis on research & evaluation (in colleges of education). Still includes research. 3. Individual programs differ.

42. Difference between Psy.D. versus Ph.D. in Clinical 1. Psy.D. generally involves little if any research training either how to do research or how to be a critical consumer of research. 2. Psy.D.: Most are “for profit” institutions, but some within universities. Ph.D. : generally within regular university 3. Psy.D. For profit more expensive—often VERY expensive, generally poorer training 4. Easier to get into Psy.D. “for profit” programs.

43. Recommendations regarding Psy.D. vs. Ph.D.: 1) Be sure programs in counseling or clinical are APA approved before you apply. 2) If apply to Psy.D. program, I recommend those within a university (e.g., Rutgers, Colo.)http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/clinical.aspx 3) Psy.D. degrees are not as well- recognized as Ph.D. Thus, may be less employable with Psy.D. in certain places. 4) Even if you don’t want to conduct research, you want to learn to be a consumer of research & to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. This is advantage of Ph.D.

44. Masters programs for therapist training: • Clinical Psych • Counseling Psych • Mental Health Counseling • Clinical Social Work • Marriage & Family • Art Therapy • Music Therapy • Rehabilitation Counseling • Look for: • Training in evidence-based treatments • Degree that will be widely recognized andreimbursed.