Week 1: Getting Started...

By maclink on October 12, 2011 3:42 PM | 0 Comments


"I discovered that I did not actually find these assignments to be 'work'--the assignments I was doing were actually things I would use in real life"


Welcome to the Careers in Psychology Course!


Overview:

This course is NOT a review course on various career options (which I have found is most people's expectation). This course helps you DECIDE what it is you want to do with your life and you will prepare the materials you need for the many career possibilities after graduation. This course is focused on DOING more than on receiving information (though don't worry, you will receive a ton of information!). This course provides you the tools and opportunity for self-reflection to make important life decisions, helps you get work done that you need to get done anyway, provides you access to the information necessary to do that work, and you will receive individualized feedback from me on the documents you'll need to use for job placement or graduate school application. 


This course is intense. There is a lot of work to be done, in a short amount of time. Further, there is a lot of self-reflection that can be anxiety producing and uncomfortable for some. 


Types of Assignments:


 In 8 weeks, you will have completed for yourself 18 assignments from 4 basic categories:


Course Information: 3 assignments--Getting Started (this blog post you are reading now, and the activities outlined at the end of this post); Psychology Info (where you will learn about the major, department, and discipline as a whole); and the Reflection (summary of your experience and course evaluation).


Self-Exploration: 5 assignments--Who are you? (two questionnaires to evaluate goals and personality traits); Digital Identities (a guided exploration of your digital footprint); What Kind of Life? (a guided exploration of your life and goals); Timeline (and outline of all tasks you need to complete before graduation); and Professional Interview (you will interview a professional who has the job you want to ultimately have as a career).


Graduate Programs: 5 assignments-Vita (the academic resume); GRE (taking a practice graduate placement exam); 10 programs (you will research and decide on 10 graduate programs you could apply to); 3 references (you will reflect and decide on 3 faculty references you could use as your references for entrance into graduate school); Personal Statement (you will write the entrance essay required for graduate applications).


Jobs: 6 assignments--Career Services (exploring the information and resources available at career services); Resume (employment resume); 10 jobs (you will research and decide on 10 jobs you could apply for with your BA in Psychology); Cover Letter (you will write a cover letter for one of those jobs); Real Jobs (you will evaluate actual jobs that our own Psych Dept alumni have); 3 references (you will reflect and decide on 3 references to use for employment purposes). 


Even if you are pretty certain about which track you are going to take, you still need to do all the assignments. I regularly have students ask to opt out of a particular assignment because they "know" they don't need it. Sorry :) not going to happen. I have seen students stumble on a job that changed what they thought they were going to do, and I have had many students take a practice GRE exam and get a great score which encouraged them to think about graduate school when they hadn't before. 


That said, you can and should tailor assignments to your interests (so if you want to go to a physical therapy grad program, your grad school assignments should be geared toward that).


Required Materials:


There are three required books for this course. Some assignments will direct you to read a particular chapter, but mostly, these are reference books that you will refer to as you need them throughout the course. Some people feel irritated that we don't 'use' the books very much in this course. Most students feel like they get a great deal of information from the books even when they aren't directly used in an assignment.


Kuther & Morgan's Careers In Psychology: Opportunities in a Changing World (referred to as K&M)


APA's Getting In: A Step by Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology (referred to as APA)


Landrum's Finding Jobs with a Psychology Bachelor's Degree (referred to as L)


All of the course material is here on this site (NOT eLearning). You DO NOT need to register for this blog site or login to do ANY assignment. Each blog post provides you with the information, instructions and links necessary to do the assignments. You may still need to review information on the "Resources" tab for additional information, and occasionally might find it helpful to google for additional information.


Some assignments have some additional information under the heading Explore! these are optional (though helpful) resources for you to consider.  


Some blog posts have an FAQ at the bottom to help clarify points that seem to always crop up. Another reason to make sure you are reading each blog post carefully PRIOR to starting that work.


Turning in Your Work, Grading & Feedback


In order to alleviate the natural anxiety that this course often elicits, the grade you earn will be based on the number of assignments you complete. Complete them all, and you'll get an A. This is designed so that you can focus on the process and content of the assignments without worrying about the grade. You will get individualized feedback on your vita, resume, GRE assignment, personal statement, and cover letter. If your assignment is poor or incomplete you will not get credit for it and I will ask you to redo it. 


You should expect that those assignments that require reflection or explanation of an activity should be around 300-500 words. Other assignments that are of a specific document (like a resume) don't have a word limit, but should be complete.  You will turn your assignments in hard copy to me during class time.


Time Management:


Many of the assignments are time consuming, requiring planning time, writing time, and thinking time. I recommend that you read through ALL of the assignments NOW so you know what is required and when they are due so that there are no surprises. Due dates are always Thursday at class time. Most weeks you have MULTIPLE blog posts, activities, and assignments due. I have carefully spread them out so that more intensive weeks have fewer assignments to do. However, do not be surprised by this --check these assignment dates NOW. You can always turn stuff in early! 


Q&A


Asking questions is a CRITICAL part of this course; it is literally one of the main ways that I dispense information to you. You WILL miss important content if you don't ask the questions you have during class time. There is really no such thing as not having a question. If you are being serious about this course you should have many questions as you work through each assignment. 


What To Do For This Week:


Familiarize yourself with the blog, and the resources tab (nearly all of the links on the course resources tab are dispersed into the various blog posts..however, I also have them listed there in case there is a topic you are looking for and you're not sure what post it might be in). 


Read and do the work in the Who Are You? and Psychology Major/Department/Discipline Posts.


All Week 1 materials are due by Thursday class time.


FAQs:


Do I really need all of these books? Yes. You will refer to them specifically for a few assignments, but will refer to them generally for many more. Most students report that these books are ones they do not sell back. They are good resources for you even if we don't cover everything in them.


Wait. What do I go to eLearning for? You will only go to eLearning to check that your scores are getting posted (1 for doing it, 0 for not), and at the end of the course, the course evaluation will be there too. That's it. Everything else is here, and our discussion group is on FB. 


Will all of these posts be so damn long? Yes :)  I have to give you the information you need somehow. These are definitely not some simple instructions that you can skip. You must read these posts.


Why on God's green earth is this course only worth 1 credit? The workload for this course is heavy and intense. Every course I teach many people wish it was worth 3 credits and was a full semester long. I don't disagree. However, this type of course is considered "non-content" (which is ridiculous, but there ya go), and non-content courses are only allowed to be 1 credit long, and 8 weeks long. Maybe some day in the future I will be able to convince the powers that be that this course is integral to a student's understanding and participation in the discipline, but for now, there ya go. You will work hard and you will get A LOT out of this class. 



Week 1: Who Are you?

By maclink on October 19, 2011 6:35 PM | 27 Comments

"This course pushed me to learn. It got me out of my comfort zone and gave me a head start on the rest of my college career and beyond."

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is something most people have heard over and over again their whole childhood...this mantra ramps up in college and becomes a frequently asked question as you approach graduation. 

It is completely, utterly, and absolutely normal to not have a good idea (or any idea) of what you want to "do".  It's also actually helpful to have an understanding of what you DON'T want to do, too. Part of what this class will do is help you come to some of those decisions, or at least narrow down some options.

As a psychology major you need to start thinking about at least two main categories of employment (because making this broad distinction early on can guide the whole rest of your thinking and planning). 

Clinical Careers---"Clinical" means to observe, and treat disorders, problems, or disease in people. Do you want to engage in some way in a 'helping' profession, working with clients or patients in some way? Do you see yourself as a therapist or counselor, regardless of the setting (school, group home, clinic, hospital, prison, private practice, etc, etc). Then a clinically oriented career is what you want.

Non-Clinical Careers--pretty much everything else! This does not mean you don't work with people..as a professor, I am in a non-clinical career, and the people I interact with are students. As a legal consultant, I work with people (attorneys, defendants, judges, juries, police officers) but not in the capacity of treatment. A non-clinical career could still be very much psychological in orientation (like a psychology instructor at a community college, or a professor at a university; using psychological techniques and principles like in IO psychology, or in a research capacity); or it could seem completely outside of psychology (but where you are still using your degree (business/management, law, criminal justice, etc, etc).

First, I'd like you to fill out this questionnaire, located here.

Next, go to www.talentoday.com. You can login in by clicking on the facebook, twitter, or linkedin buttons (if you already have one of those accounts). Otherwise, you can create an account. Take the test..it's fairly long (about 20 minutes). Review your results (both your graphs and the narratives provided).

Next, bring a copy of your questionnaire filled out, and a summary of your experience taking the test and reviewing your results (you do not need to send me your results from the talentoday site) to class.

All Week 1 materials are due by Thursday class time.

Explore!
The Buy Nothing Year, article and blog

Week 1: The Psychology Major, Department, & Discipline

By maclink on October 27, 2011 12:05 AM | 22 Comments


"When I first heard I had to take this course I had originally thought that it was going to be a class basically telling us all the jobs we could get with a psychology degree. I did not expect it to be a class on teaching us how to go get those jobs nor did I think that it would also be helping me figure out just what career I actually want."

Even though you likely already are a psychology major, there may be a lot you don't know about the major, the department, and the psychology discipline as a whole.  This assignment will give you a few sources of insight into all of these things.

Please read K&M's Chapter 1; APA Chapter 3

Please browse the department website. This is a resource that a lot of people forget about! There is course information, information about what research faculty members do, links to Psychology Club and other resources, as well as graduate program information for our department. http://www.uni.edu/psych/

Review the content here: Psychology: Science in Action 

Check out the Facebook group: University of Northern Iowa Psychology Alumni -

Check out this excellent page: Careers in Psych

After reviewing all of this information, please write up a summary of what you learned, anything that surprised you, and bring to class.

All Week 1 materials are due by Thursday class time.

FAQs:

Aren't you kind of killing us with all of these assignments right away? Yes. I'm sorry! But these assignments really aren't that time consuming, and to make sure that you have enough time to do more comprehensive assignments, we really need to stack up the easier ones up front. 

Explore!

Info about Psych Areas

6 Important College Experiences

Time Management

College Success

What Therapists Want You To Know

Possible Minors (this is not an exhaustive list..you can minor in something just because you like it! and you can minor in something that will ultimately help you in your future endeavors):

Educational Studies Minor

Criminology Minor

Sociology Minor

Spanish Minor

Biology Minor

Family Studies Minor

Gender & Women Studies Minor

Political Science Minor

Honors in Psychology

You can graduate with Honors in Psychology if you have at least a 3.5 GPA and complete an Honors Project. Basically, an honors project is a research study that you design, carry-out, and write-up in your senior year with the help of one primary faculty member. You will learn how to design an original study, write an IRB proposal, collect and analyze your own data, write a real research paper, and present your work to others. This is a great way to stand out when you apply to grad school! Please see this website for more specifics: http://www.uni.edu/csbs/psych/psychology-department-honors-program

 The most typical timeline for doing a project like this is:

 Fall of Junior Year - work with a professor on their research. Get to know the professor well, and learn how to conduct a study by helping with an ongoing project.

 Spring of Junior Year - continue working with a professor (or start working with a new professor to learn about another type of research). Decide which professor you'd like to be the Chair of your project, ask if he/she will supervise you, and pick a topic you'd like to study for your project. Meet with Dr. Lefler, the Honors Coordinator, to discuss the rules and requirements. Fill out a Declaration Form.

 Summer between Junior and Senior Year - write the Introduction/Literature Review section of your paper, the Methods section of your paper, and the IRB proposal with the help of your Chair.

 Fall of Senior Year - continue writing your paper based on feedback from your Chair, and secure IRB approval for your study. Collect your data. Your Chair should be working with you every step of the way.

 Spring of Senior Year - analyze your data and write the final draft of your research paper. Schedule a "defense" of your paper with your committee (the Chair and two other professors), and present your research at a conference. Notify Dr. Lefler before Finals week that you have completed all requirements, and fill out the Completion Form.

Week 2: Advisor Meeting

By maclink on November 7, 2011 11:10 AM | 8 Comments

"This class helped alleviate a lot of stress that I had about my future."

Most students seriously underuse their advisor. They only go to them when they 'have' to. You are really missing out. Your advisor can be very helpful to you in planning and making decisions about your major, getting advice about graduate school and jobs, helping ease stress through providing you information and other resources, and gasp! sometimes become a great professional contact, or even, friend.

I would like you to find out who your advisor is (if you don't know) and meet with him or her. You can talk about course scheduling, scheduling to make a particular graduation date, research or teaching assistant opportunities, or whatever you feel comfortable with. The point is to make this contact for a reason *other than* just getting a signature for something. Your advisor can be an important source of information for you, and ultimately, can be a possibility for a letter of reference. But not if they don't know who you are :) If you don't like your advisor or connect better with someone else, you can ask Jan in the department office to switch you to someone else. 

Please write up a reflection of your meeting with your advisor and bring to class.

All Week 2 materials are due by Thursday class time.

Explore!

http://www.wikihow.com/Email-a-Professor


Week 2: Digital Identities

By maclink on November 9, 2011 9:05 PM | 1 Comment

"At the beginning of the course I did not have a clear understanding of what all I had to do before I graduated. It definitely opened my eyes to all the possibilities for a career in psychology."

A very important part of our lives these days is our presence and how we interact in the digital world. As you approach entering the 'real world' it is time to evaluate how you appear to others who may not know you. This is especially true for people your age who have been surrounded by digital media since birth.

There are many sources of information about you 'out there,' some that might be under your control (like your own twitter or facebook account), or others that may not be under your control (like all those awful baby pictures your mom posted on her fb account or your friend's pics of you), as well as publicly available information about you that is out there that you might not be aware of.

So let's search.

First, google yourself. Yep, type your name into google and see what comes up. Use your regular day to day name, your full given name, and whatever variations. Browse through the first three pages and see if there is anything surprising or concerning to you. Next, and importantly, do those searches again, but select 'images' instead of the default 'web'. Scroll down awhile and see if there is anything surprising or concerning.

Next, run a criminal background check on yourself. 

https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/DefaultFrame

click on 'start a case search here'

then under 'trial court' click on 'case search'

Put your last name and your first name into the appropriate fields. click on search.

If there are any matches for your name or a similar name, a list will come up. You can click on the blue links to see more information about that particular case. 

Click on 'criminal charges/disposition' to see information about the case (if it is a criminal case). Feel free to click on any of the other headings that are in brackets, those are free to look at. Notice also if someone has your same name, and see what they have done. It can be very important to let prospective employers know that someone else with your name is a creep (and request that people who run background checks on you to make sure to use your middle name and verify birthdate).

Next, check the sex offender registry for your name: http://www.iowasexoffender.com/ (click on search and follow directions).

If you are not on the registry (which of course most of you are not), this again is to be aware if someone with your name has a charge. If you are on the registry, it is important to monitor your record for accuracy.

Next, check the white pages (www.whitepages.com). Are you surprised by the information available about you there?

Next, review your facebook account (if you have one). Evaluate your privacy settings. Really, unless you are a public figure, or an aspiring blogger or entertainer, there is really no reason that your facebook account be publicly accessible. View your account, and your newsfeed with the eye of an employer. What is the first impression?

What about your other social media presence? Twitter? Instagram? Pinterest? etc, etc?

Here are some articles with relevant information:

Google Yourself -

Ungoogle Yourself

Background Checks 

Managing Your Digital Identity - http://www.reppler.com/

After doing all of this, modify your facebook account as necessary; or create a new one (or delete your old one! or don't create one at all!). Verify that your voicemail greeting, texting signature and email signature are all appropriate. You SHOULD have a voicemail greeting set up (there is nothing more unprofessional and frustrating than to return someone's call, and it says, the subscriber you have reached does not have a mailbox set up). Also consider that not everyone in the world has the same musical taste as you. I find it very disconcerting to sit there and listen for sometimes as long as 30 seconds to a music ringtone or voicemail greeting from some genre of music that i hate. What a bad first impression that you can control! Consider changing your actual email address to something professional and appropriate (no-brainer, your name!)...some email addresses can be hard to remember (smithak5420), or inappropriate (sexkitten). 

Next, create a professional social networking account on Linkedin  www.linkedin.com (if you don't already have one)...feel free to search me and add me as a professional contact. This is essentially a professional social networking site where you display your professional qualifications. It's sort of an online, interactive resume. It can be very helpful when job seeking.

8 Mistakes on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is Boring--In a Good Way

Bring a summary of your experience doing this assignment to class.

All Week 2 materials are due by Thursday class time.

Explore!

http://www.policeone.com/advice/articles/7282842-5-great-ways-to-destroy-your-police-career-on-social-media/

Dos and Don'ts on Social Media 

Week 2: What Kind of Life

By maclink on November 9, 2011 9:09 PM | 0 Comments

"I thought being in this course was a great experience and really helped show me the tools I need in order to figure out what to do after graduation."

First, watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dcNtNDg2p4

then read this and this: Follow Your Passion?

Read L's Chapter 1 & 2

Next, I want you to reflect on what kind of life you want to have. Below are some questions to get you started in thinking about this. 

What kind of life do you want to have? How do you see the balance between employment and personal time? How important is money to you? What pace of work do you like (fast, slow, etc)? Do you want a regular work day (8-5)? How much supervision do you need/like? How much autonomy? How much flexibility with work schedule? What kind of interactions do you like (people-if so, what kind, adults, children, older adults, etc, computers, paperwork, colleagues, etc)? What kind of work environment (office, out and about, etc)? What about the rest of your non-work life? How much time do you want to have for family? Travel? Hobbies? Friends? Do you want to start your own family? If you have some specific ideas of the type of job you want, go ahead and write about that too, but this really is about thinking about the pace of your life.

Bring your reflection, and your thoughts about this assignment to class.

Explore!

Fan the Fire

Why Women Still Can't Have it All

Staying is Settling

40 hour Work Week

How Young People Can Get Rich Slowly

Paying off your student loans

The Buy Nothing Year

Teach the Art of Being Human

Spend Money on Experiences not Things

7 Ways to Save $4000 per Year

Lacking Ambition 

Work-Life Balance 

Live the Life You Want 

Week 3: Vita

By maclink on November 9, 2011 9:19 PM | 0 Comments

"I went in as a poor lost soul with absolutely no idea what I was trying to do. Not only did I not know what exactly it was I was trying to do, but also I had no idea how to figure it out. Now, at the end of the semester, I can happily say I have things figured out, well, for the most part."

Read this: Vita
A vita is an academic resume that documents your academic achievements. It is different from a resume.   

In the real world, only graduate students and academics (professors and those working in research settings) maintain and use a vita. 

However, I have you do a vita because it is an excellent way to see gaps in your academic accomplishments and focus you on other activities that you might want to pursue regardless of whether you will ever go on to graduate school. Do not worry if it is sparse, or your are unsure of what to put where. The first step to figuring out what gaps you have in your academic achievement is to document what your achievements are. I will provide you individualized feedback on your vita. But please do some preparation for the assignment on your own by reviewing the resources and put together the best vita you can (including good formatting and spell checking).

I never had a vita when I was in college (or my MA program), because I did not have very good advising! But I have mocked up what my vita would have looked at as a Senior in college, and as a MA student. I was not such a great student, so there are somethings that you will have to put on your vita that I did not...I have put some of those suggestions in red in the samples below.

more vita info

Bring a draft of your vita to class.

Explore!


Vitas & Resumes --differences and similiarities

Week 3: GRE

By maclink on November 9, 2011 9:28 PM | 0 Comments

"If there was any one thing that I liked the most about this course, it was that no matter what degree or career you were pursuing, this course was designed to accommodate all of them, not just psychology."

Read APA Ch 4

The GRE is an exam that is required by many (though not all) psychology graduate programs (MA and PhD). This test does not test your knowledge of psychology. It tests your basic knowledge and skills in verbal, quantitative (math), and writing. It is similar to the ACT or SAT. It covers math (geometry, algebra), language arts (vocabulary, reading comprehension), and a writing sample. This test is used by psychology departments to determine in part admission to their programs. However, the GRE is also used for graduate programs in many, many other disciplines besides psychology. 

Some graduate programs require specialized exams (medical school: MCAT; business school: GMAT; law school: LSAT) instead of the GRE. Some programs require the GRE, and a GRE subject test (psychology, history, etc). This is a separate test from the regular GRE and in psychology at least, not very many programs require it. 

Why don't psychology graduate programs care so much about your base knowledge in psychology? Because graduate school is about  intense critical thinking. The subject matter, honestly, is secondary. The graduate program you attend will teach you all they want you to know in terms of content. What they can't do is teach you how to think. Get a good thinker, and you can teach them anything. 

If you know you want to go to business school, law school, medical school, whatever, do this assignment for THAT test, not the GRE.

Obviously, given the cost and stress of the GRE, you shouldn't take it if you don't need to! And like I mentioned above, many programs don't require it (MSW-masters of social work; many PsyD, many MA in psychology programs, and some PhD).

However, taking a practice GRE test can do a lot to help you determine which types and which specific programs you should apply to because a major consideration for acceptance is your score on the GRE, so knowing your score (or  having a baseline prior to studying for the real one) is very helpful for planning purposes.

So, take a practice GRE (or appropriate entrance exam for the area you are going into). 

Here is some information about the test.
http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare

here is a link to a study prep guide, and one practice test (paper form), including how to score it when you are done: 
http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/practice_book_GRE_pb_revised_general_test.pdf

here is a link to study prep and a practice test, computer form 
http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/powerprep2

If you want a score, make sure to take the computer, TIMED version of the test. Make sure to simulate real test taking circumstances (the instructions give you info on how long to give yourself, etc). 

ALL of your professors took the GRE. All of them took the old GRE (it changed about five years ago). This changed the scoring system too. So most of us are best at advising based on the old scoring system. You may want to know what your score is in the old system in case someone asks (like an advisor, and some grad programs still list their cutoffs in the old scoring system). So when you get your score, go here to convert it to the old version: GRE score conversion (new to old) -

Write up a reflection of your experience, include your score, bring to class.

Explore!

Ways to study vocabulary: 

www.freerice.com

http://www.fastcompany.com/3027797/vocabularycom-launches-positively-addictive-app-for-aspiring-wordsmiths 

Graduate Exam Prep Sites

ETS (the publisher of most graduate entrance exams)

Magoosh 

Princeton Review

Benchprep

Week 3: 10 Graduate Programs

By maclink on January 3, 2016 1:32 PM | 0 Comments


"We learned about many things that I did not expect to learn about, and these learning experiences made me feel more confident and prepared as I move forward with graduation and searching for internships and jobs."


Read K&M Ch 13 & 14; APA Ch 5


For this assignment you will start searching for graduate programs. This is a fairly time consuming task. I know that not all of you are planning on graduate school, but this is an important activity for all so that you fully understand all of your career options. Searching for graduate programs can be intimidating...google is probably not your friend for this one, because it is very difficult to evaluate quality of the program when something just pops up on google. First, review these links to get you started.


APA Guide on Graduate Education

APA Database

    login kimmaclin@gmail.com

    password: zild7noyzy

Why Get a PhD? -

Applying to Graduate School -


What are some other ways to find schools? You can review the facebook alumni group. A previous class asked the alums there opinions about how to find programs, and you'll see some of their responses there. Another way, is to ask your advisor or research professor what programs they recommend. You can also find out what school a favorite professor (or any author of any journal article you like) went to; the school that they graduated from is usually listed in the faculty profiles on department webpages. Their university affiliation will be listed underneath their name on the title page of a journal article. You can go to that university's webpage and navigate to the psych dept. You can then start to browse what graduate programs they have. As you do this, you will start to get a sense of the different types of grad programs (and skimming through your textbook for this class is going to be helpful too) and what is interesting to you, and importantly, what is NOT interesting to you. 


You may also want to browse and consider non-psych grad programs like Masters in Social Work and Masters in Mental Health Counseling. 


This assignment is to benefit you. If you are interested in law enforcement, medical school, law school, or whatever, choose 10 programs that fit that interest.

 

Here are some links to get you started:


Psychology and Related Grad Programs (information and advice)


APA Accredited Programs in Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology -

Universities by State -

Graduate Progams in Psychology and Law  -

 Best Psychology Graduate Programs-US News and World Report  -

Best Graduate Programs (all categories) - US News and World Report -

Graduate Programs in Social Work

Graduate Programs in Mental Health Counseling -

College Scorecard

Marriage and Family Therapy Programs 

Make a list of 10 graduate programs. Provide the name of the school, the name of the program, and the degree that the program is for. 


Explore!


Post by Kelly Wilson.
Welcome to Graduate School
The Illustrated Guide to a PhD
How Not To Suck at Graduate School 
Welcome to Graduate School 
Finding an academic job
Advice on Priorities in Academia 

Graduate School References:

Buskist, W., & Burke, C. (2007). Preparing for graduate school in psychology: 101 questions and answers (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Darley, J. M., Zanna, M. P., & Roediger, H. L., III (2004). The compleat academic: A career guide (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

Davis, S. F., Giordano, P. J., & Licht, C. A. (2009). Your career in psychology: Putting your graduate degree to work. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.

Johnson, W. B., & Huwe, J. M. (2002). Getting mentored in graduate school. Washington, DC: APA.

Kracen, A. C., & Wallace, I. J. (2008). Applying to graduate school in psychology: Advice from successful students and prominent psychologists. Washington, DC: APA.

Kuther, T. L. (2008). Surviving graduate school in psychology: A pocket mentor. Washington, DC: APA.

 Prinstein, M. J., & Patterson, M. D. (2003). The portable mentor: Expert guide to a successful career in psychology. New York: Kluwer Academic.

 Walfish, S., & Hess, A. K. (Eds.) (2001). Succeeding in graduate school: The career guide for psychology students. Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

Week 4: References for Grad School

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:01 PM | 0 Comments

"I am glad that this is a required course for psychology majors. I think that it helps us with our professionalism and preparedness."

For this assignment you will provide the names, titles/positions of 3 people you think will be your references for graduate school (which will go on your vita). References can be advisors, professors who know you well, professors you have TAd or RAd for, supervisors in academically oriented work settings. Normally, you do not put references on a vita without express permission from the person. However, given that this is an assignment, you made do so. Keep in mind, that a goal for you is that by the end of this course that you have confirmed one reference for your vita (you have for real asked them and they have for real said yes).

How do you confirm references? In other words, how do you ask people to be a reference? For an academic reference (for your vita, and for applying to graduate school), the requesting process is a little more involved. To ask a professor to be a reference, you can imagine that they should have an idea of who you are :) So the first step really is to start to cultivate relationships with professors (which is precisely why I have you meet with professors and professionals as requirements for this course; to start to establish those relationships). Your 'weakest' of your 3 references for graduate school might be a professor who likes you, and you received an A in their course. Your other two references though should be more indepth relationships, like someone you did research with, was a teaching assistant for, etc. 

Once you know who you are going to ask, you should request an in-person meeting with them. In that meeting you can discuss your interest in graduate school, the  types of programs you are going to apply for, and your ultimate goals. Then you can ask them. If they say yes, you can follow up that meeting with the materials they will need to write your letters which might be specialized forms from each school, and at the least, addresses, and deadlines. 

I also recommend that you provide them with an "information sheet" that summarizes you. Some faculty have their own questionnaires or other specific information that they want you to provide. But this will be a good start. Provide: 1) your name 2) year in school 3) the types of programs that you are applying for 4) your psych gpa 5) your cumulative gpa 6) your SAT or ACT core 7) your gre score if you know it 8) the courses you have taken with that reference and the grades you got in those courses 9) information on any special projects or papers that you did in any of their classes that could job their memory or otherwise help them provide detail in their letter 10) how long you have known that reference and in what capacity (student, TA, RA, advisor, etc) 11) any specific information you want the reference to highlight or address.  This is important, because no matter how well a professor knows you, they may not have all this information at the ready, and may not readily remember all of this important stuff...so help a sista/brutha out and refresh their memory :)

Keep in mind also, that letter writers are often asked specifically about the following traits:

Persistence: individuals are good at overcoming challenges, finishing what they start, turning plans into actions.

Achievement Orientation: individuals who are low on achievement orientation are not highly motivated to succeed and do just enough to get by. Conversely, individuals who are achievement oriented, work hard, do more than what is expected of them, set high standards for themselves and others, set hard but achievable goals.

Time Management: good time managers are good at meeting deadlines, accomplish their work on time, get tasks done right away, do things according to plan, like to plan ahead, follow a schedule. Individuals who are poor at time management do not plan ahead, find it difficult to get down to work, need a push to get started, waste time, postpone decisions, have difficulty starting tasks, are often late to work, put off unpleasant tasks.

Resilience: resilient individuals are good at overcoming challenges, can stand criticism, welcome feedback, handle stress well, readily overcome setbacks. Conversely, stress-prone individuals are easily discouraged, get stressed out easily.

Honesty/Integrity: Individuals who are low on integrity misrepresent the facts, break promises. Honest individuals try to follow the rules, adhere to high ethical standards, are trustworthy. 

Diligence: diligent individuals are always prepared, pay attention to details, demand quality, are careful to avoid making mistakes, are exacting in their work. Individuals who are not diligent neglect their duties, do things in a half-way manner, frequently forget to do things, do the opposite of what is asked.

Knowledge of Intended Specialty of Study: There are always differences between applicants regarding their current knowledge of what the specific graduate program to which they are applying to actually entails. 

Degree of Interest in Specialty of Study: Applicants also vary on the degree to which they currently have well defined interests in the specific graduate program to which they are applying. 

All of the above factors will be rated by the recommender on the following scale, choosing one category for you:

top 1-2% of all students I have known

top 5% of all students I have known

top 10% of all students I have known

top 25% of all students I have known

top 50% of all students I have known

bottom 50% of all students I have known

no opportunity to observe and/or no basis for evaluation

The last question is often the following:

What is your overall evaluation of the candidate's probability of success in graduate school?

Will definitely complete the PhD and is likely to be a star in his or her field

Will definitely complete the PhD

Masters easily, at least 50-50 chance of completing the PhD

Good probability of Masters, may end there

Not graduate school material


As you can see, this is why it is so important for you to really get to know faculty members. These evaluations are specific and require extensive knowledge of you as a student. The factors being evaluated should also give you an idea of what programs are looking for. Note that it is more about your ability to learn, than your specific knowledge in the field (which only had 1 question). 

For this assignment, provide me with your 3 references and an information sheet for ONE of those references. IF you have one confirmed (someone you have asked and they have said yes, indicate that in the assignment). The assignment is NOT to run around asking people to be your references. It is to think about who COULD be your references, and why, and to start the process of securing those references.

Bring this to class.

Explore!

Recommendation Letters for Grad School 

Sources of Letters of Rec 


Week 4: Personal Statement

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:04 PM | 0 Comments

"It may have been scary at times but this class has done so much to help me get prepared for graduate school and the application process. Before taking this class, I honestly had little confidence in getting into a graduate program, but now I feel that I have the right tools and information to submit quality applications and have much more confidence that I will be accepted into a graduate program."

Read APA Ch 6

This is an essay you are often required to write to apply for graduate school. Even if you are not planning on going on to graduate school, this is still good practice, and you are required to do it. Personal statements are notoriously difficult, and uncomfortable to write. You may find it helpful to look up a school you are interested in (from your list in an earlier assignment), go to their webpages and find out what the requirements are for writing the personal statement. Some schools have specific questions to address. Others do not. The personal statement communicates your interest in the program, your skills, abilities, academic experiences, and personal characteristics that demonstrate that you can be successful at the graduate level. You will also include (usually in a concluding paragraph) some indication of who you want to work with in that program. 
Some tips:
DO NOT waste time telling them how great their program is--they already think so.  It comes across as brown-nosy, and worse, wastes valuable space where you can and should be talking about YOU. 
Talking about personal experiences helpfully illustrate a point, or make you memorable. But remember, you want to be memorable-good, not memorable-weird.
DO NOT highlight or overly emphasize weaknesses, unless you really think you have some 'splainin' to do. You partied too hard freshman and sophomore year and that's why your gpa isn't great? Don't include it. You were in a major car accident and had to withdraw from courses, prioritize, grow up and work hard? Include that. 
DO NOT sell yourself short by using weak adjectives or being self-deprecating. Remember our first assignment? What do those adjectives say about you? How can you use them to highlight your skills and abilities?

Really, PLEASE, banish the following phrases from your writing: I believe, I feel, and I think. They are weak phrases. Be bold, say I AM.

You may find this link helpful: http://www.uni.edu/~gotera/gradapp/stmtpurpose.htm  it's not about psychology personal statements, but much of it applies.

and here

Your personal statement should be about 500 words. If you think you will be applying to mental health counseling programs or social work programs, they will typically have specific questions for your to answer, and so you should choose one of those schools and use their questions as the basis for this assignment. If you are applying to business school, law school, medical school, follow the essay instructions for one of those and submit that.

Explore!

Week 5: Faculty Meeting

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:05 PM | 0 Comments

"I was not expecting this class to be so informative or to learn so much."

Please meet with one more faculty member (not your adviser). Talk about anything you want, grad school, jobs, vitas, RAing and TAing opportunities, anything. This is about getting comfortable about having these important professional interactions, and working to secure additional references. 

Bring a reflection of this experience to class. 

Week 5: Career Services

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:05 PM | 0 Comments
"Something else that meant a lot to me with this class was the fact that it demonstrated that going to grad school isn't the only option."

Read L's Chapter 10

Now to transition into exploring options for getting a job with your BA.
Go to the Career Services website http://www.uni.edu/careerservices/  
in particular click on 'employability' there are many links on that page that you should read, review, and participate in. Browse extensively. Take the careers quizzes, etc. 
review these links for some additional info:

"I Won't Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here's Why" -

"Grammatically Challenged"

Amy Cuddy-Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

More on Cuddy

Public Speaking

https://www.facebook.com/groups/100788650025280/ check out a question I posed the group about people who have non-psych jobs, but where they feel/know they use their degree everyday

Bring a reflection on this assignment to class.

Explore!

Week 5: Resume & References for Jobs

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:06 PM | 0 Comments

"This class has made me more nervous, but more importantly excited for the future ahead of me!"

Read L's Chapter 9

Unlike vitas which can (and should) be boring in terms of format, resumes should be eye catching, professional, and document your work experiences (paid and unpaid), volunteer, internships, and community service, as well as skills (languages, software, certifications). They should only be 1 page long. There is some debate on whether you should include literally all work experience, or whether you can omit some if it is not related to the job you are applying for. If you truly have space considerations, you can delete non-relevant employment; but I'd encourage you to maintain a complete lifetime resume that has all of your work history on it. Edit this as necessary for specific applications.

Even when people carefully craft their resumes, there are still common errors I see. Here are some of them:
Each section should have the entries listed in reverse chronological order (most recent things first).
Each job should include your title, the business name, city, state, and duties, and dates of employment
Even though the assignment says only 1 page, I still regularly get resumes that are, um, longer than one page! Gotta get it down to one page. One way is to use .5 inch margins all the way around, and effectively use formatting. Trust me. Even if you have had a lot of employment, it's possible (and necessary).

So create or update your resume.

Next, you will provide the names, titles/positions of 3 people you think will be your references for jobs.  It is possible that some of these people will overlap with someone on your vita and that is okay. References can be supervisors in work settings (managers/bosses/supervisors). References should not be family members, relatives, or personal friends. Normally, you do not put references on a resume without express permission from the person. However, given that this is an assignment, you made do so.  However, if putting the references on your resume makes it be longer than one page, then simply put 'references available upon request' at the bottom, centered (and for the purposes of this assignment, include these three references in the email, not on the resume in this case). 

Keep in mind, that a goal for you is that by the end of this course that you have confirmed one reference for your resume. How do you confirm references? In other words, how do you ask people to be a reference? For a job, it might be a bit easier. If you are a server, cashier, or other type of employee, you usually can get ask your supervisor, manager, or boss, if it is ok to put them on your resume. 

For this assignment, provide me with your 3 references. IF you have one confirmed (someone you have asked and they have said yes, indicate that in the assignment). The assignment is NOT to run around asking people to be your references. It is to think about who COULD be your references, and why, and to start the process of securing those references.


Create or update your resume. 

Bring your resume and 3 refs to class.

Explore!

(and check out the links in the vita assignment too)
The career services page also has resume tips
Google 'graphic design resumes'--given their discipline area they have a much wider range of 'acceptable' resume styles than we do in psychology...but you still might find some cool ideas

Week 6: 10 Jobs & Cover Letter

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:07 PM | 0 Comments

"This 
course has done so much more for me than I ever thought was possible."

Read L's Chapter 8

Browse and find 10 job prospects that you could reasonably apply for (ASSUME you have your BA; or that you are applying the semester that you graduate). DO NOT list jobs that you do not have the qualifications for (beyond the assumption that you have your BA). Check the course resources tab for locations to start hunting for jobs.


APS Employment Network -

PsycCareers (APA) -

Jobs with the State of Iowa -

Jobs with the Federal Government -

Employment at Lutheran Services in Iowa (click on employment opportunities on right) -

Four Oaks- employment and volunteer opportunities -

Jobs at UNI -

www.monster.com -

National Criminal Justice Association - 

Department of Corrections 1 2  4 5 6

You should include the job title, job location, and a brief description of why you believe you qualify. Bring to class.

Next, choose ONE of these jobs you selected and write a professional cover letter as if you were applying for that job. Bring to class.

Explore!

What You Need to Ask at Every Interview

Jobs That Pay You to Travel

What the Fuck Am I Going to Do After College? 14 Ways to Avoid Dying in a Cubicle

UNI Career Services -

Linda Walsh's resource pages -

"I Won't Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here's Why" -

"Grammatically Challenged"

UNI Career Fair 


Week 7: Psych Alumni Jobs

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:08 PM | 0 Comments

"I thought I had just about everything figured out with what I needed to accomplish by the time I graduated and what I wanted to do with my life and the steps to get there. I was surprised by how much I had overlooked or never even thought was of."

For this assignment, I want you to browse real UNI Psychology Alumni Jobs (links at the bottom of this post; check also the FB Alumni page; and you can click on the speaker series links on the course resources page). These are real, live students, who went through the same program as you, and have the same degree that you will have. Please write up a reflection on this experience and bring to class.

Explore!

APS Student Caucus -

Psi Chi -

Council for Accreditation of Counseling Programs -

American Psychological Association -

Association for Psychological Science -

National Association of Social Workers -

 UNI Psychology Department Alumni Workplaces

UNI Psychology Dept Alumni Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/100788650025280/

BEAUTY: http://bbeautytoday.wix.com/beauty
Real Moms of Eastern Iowa Blog: http://www.stlukescrblogs.com/

Teocalli Treatment Options http://www.teocallitreatmentoptions.com/default.html

gravitytank http://vimeo.com/36145246

Clearbrook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6ZK3qmgSmU&feature=youtu.be

PDRI http://www.pdri.com/

State University of Florida Board of Governors http://www.flbog.edu/

Leo A. Hoffmann Center http://www.hoffmanncenter.org/ -

Rochester Community College http://www.rctc.edu/

Kenyon College http://www.kenyon.edu/directories/campus-directory/biography/katherine-corker/

Children and Families of Iowa http://www.cfiowa.org/

Integrity Living Options http://www.integrityliving.com/

MedCenter Rehab http://medcenterrehab.com/

The Ohio State University Newark http://newark.osu.edu

The University of Dubuque http://www.dbq.edu/

Northwestern Mental Health Center http://www.nwmhc.org/

Pech, Hughes, & McDonald, PC http://www.phmlawoffice.com

Central Minnesota Mental Health Center http://www.cmmhc.org/

Teocallin Treatment Options http://www.teocallitreatmentoptions.com/

Trial Behavior Consulting http://www.trialbehavior.com/

Prairie Pride School District http://www.prairiepride.org/

Hawkeye Community College http://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/

John Deere http://www.deere.com/globalhome/deerecom/global_home.page

Murray, Wilson, Rose Counseling and Behavioral Services http://www.mwrcounseling.com/

Winter Therapy Services http://www.wintertherapyservices.com/

Rockwell Collins http://rockwellcollins.com/

Forcier Law Office http://www.cedarvalleylawyers.com/

Williams Interactive https://www.sginteractive.com/

Iowa City School District http://www.iowacityschools.org/pages/ICCSD

Eldora State Training School for Boys http://dhs.iowa.gov/mhds/mental-health/in-patient/juvenile-facilities/eldora

Memorial Hospital http://www.mhchester.com/physicians_scott_hinze.html

NASPA http://www.naspa.org/

EMBARC http://www.embarciowa.org/

Starmont Community School District http://www.starmont.k12.ia.us/

Chevron http://www.chevron.com/

Whole Foods http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

Hupp Electric Motors http://hupp-electric.com/

First Judicial District, Department of Corrections http://www.firstdcs.com/

Week 7: Professional Interview

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:09 PM | 0 Comments

"This course has challenged me to learn more about myself, the options I have when I graduate, and how to get there."

For this assignment,  I want you to conduct a professional interview (sometimes called an informational interview). This is NOT a mock interview that prepares you to be interviewed for jobs. (The career services website has some information on this type of interview, as well as the professional interview). The professional is a situation where YOU interview someone who is in a profession that you think you are interested in. Basically, an opportunity to ask them all sorts of questions about their schooling, and current job. You can interview a family member, or friend who has that career, you can interview a relevant faculty member (if you want to be a professor in that area), you can arrange a phone interview with connections on LinkedIn or on the facebook alumni page, or you can google around and email someone to arrange an interview. You should discuss with them what got them interested in their careers, what schooling they completed and what their day to day life is like. Write an essay about this experience and bring to class.

Explore!

Try googling 'a day in the life of...' (and put any type of job you are interested in)...you will find that you get interesting links that are about the day to day lives of people in that field



Week 8: Timeline

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:09 PM | 0 Comments

Image result for motivation to succeed

"This course was extremely eye opening for me because it helped me better understand the opportunities I have with my psychology degree as well as what direction I would like to follow with my degree."

Create a timeline for the tasks you want to complete from now until graduation. If you are graduating this year, your timeline may be weekly or monthly. If you are 'younger' your timeline might be monthly or semester-ly. You should include deadline driven tasks (scheduling the gre, gre test date, job fair, application for graduation), and other more general activities (decide on graduate programs, register for summer classes, etc). 

Bring to class.

Explore!

Avoid Procrastination

Week 8: Reflection

By maclink on January 3, 2016 2:10 PM | 0 Comments

"I didn't know how much work this class was actually going to be, but I am glad it was a required course because to be perfectly honest I wouldn't have taken it. I think it is very helpful in preparing students for the future. It did a good job preparing me."

You are almost there...

This reflection paper should probably be about 2-4 pages long and reflect your experience in the course. It's not really a course evaluation (though I suspect that by virtue of reflecting on your experience, you may also be evaluating the course)..but I really want you to focus on what you came in knowing (or not knowing), what you expected, what you got out of it, what you understand about what you need to do between now and graduation, some sort of expression of what you understand your career goals to be now that you've gone through this experience. In the event that you are still not sure, or, that now that you know of so many possibilities, it seems even harder to make a decision, feel free to review the Explore! links below for some other options that aren't strictly job related, and are not going to graduate school...You never know if one of these will set you on your road!

....sort of separate from that formal reflection, I would appreciate a brief blurb (separate or at the bottom of your reflection) where you give me any ideas for improvement of the course. Please do tell me what content needs more or less attention, any content that was completely missed that you think should be included, or any other ideas you have...

And congratulations, you did it!!

Bring to class.

Explore!

The Best Commencement Speeches Ever

Peace Corps 

Cr0ss Cultural Solutions 

Four Hour Work Week

Projects Abroad 

Americorps

Military Careers

Religious Service 

Life After College

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