GradPSYCH - March 2012 - (Page 47)
board. As a student, she attended breakfasts sponsored by the Illinois Psychological Association, meeting training directors from several Chicago-area internships. “It’s helpful to get a real idea of what they do and to impress them by just going up and talking to them,” she says .• Volunteer. Join your graduate program’s student organization and volunteer for committee and service positions, recommends Sue C. Jacobs, PhD, director of training for the Oklahoma State University counseling psychology program. Beyond your own program, get active with the regional and national APAGS committees, and seek leadership positions after you’ve gained experience as an active member, Jacobs says. Also, sign up to staff hospitality suites at psychology conferences or help with continuing-education sessions. “Showing potential internship sites your leadership activities makes you a more competitive candidate because you may be seen as more professionally involved,” she says. In your wider community, volunteer by regularly visiting a nursing home, working with people at a homeless shelter or helping out with youth programs, Jacobs says. “Anything to get yourself more comfortable with people different from you is helpful,” she says. • Practice interviewing. Contact your university’s career center and sign up for job interview training, advises Shane Lopez, PhD, a senior scientist in residence with Gallup who contributed to “Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Match” (2004). Videotape mock interviews so you can practice how to respond with concise, informative answers, advises John Norcross, PhD, author of the 2012 book “The Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology.” Watching your interview helps you smooth out annoying verbal or non-verbal habits, such as beginning every answer with “Well…” or bouncing your leg nervously, Norcross says. You should also learn how to answer behavior-based questions that try to assess how well you’ve handled specific situations, Norcross says. A typical question is, “Tell me about an instance when someone asked you do something ethically wrong, how did you respond?” Answer those questions confidently by using the “three S’s”: “situation, skills and success”— by describing the situation or challenge you faced, identifying the skills you used to master the situation and ending on a positive, successful note, he says. • Give presentations. Most internship sites will ask applicants to present on a case that went well, or a case that didn’t, says Scott. The best preparation for these types of questions is relentless practice, she says. So, ask your practicum supervisors, clinical training director and your faculty advisers for an opportunity to present a case, Scott says. Bolster your presentation skills by volunteering to make presentations in class, she says. “Anytime you can speak before an audience is helpful,” Scott says. n
Professional Resources for Practice
Practical Ethics for Psychologists
A Positive Approach
Second edition
Samuel J. Knapp and Leon VandeCreek
2012. 312 pages. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-4338-1174-6 • Item # 4312019 List: $49.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $39.95
Multicultural Care
Lillian Comas-Díaz
A clinician’s Guide to cultural competence
2012. 336 pages. Hardcover. ISBN 978-1-4338-1068-8 • Item # 4317279 List: $59.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $49.95
Billing and Collecting for Your Mental Health Practice
effective Strategies and ethical Practice
Jeffrey E. Barnett and Steven Walfish
2012. 130 pages. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-4338-1017-6 • Item # 4317275 List: $39.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $34.95
Malpractice in Psychology
David L. Shapiro and Steven R. Smith
A Practical Resource for clinicians
2011. 202 pages. Hardcover. ISBN 978-1-4338-0895-1 • Item # 4317246 List: $59.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $49.95
FAD0084 www.apa.org/pubs/books • 800-374-2721
gradPSYCH • March 2012 • 47
http://www.apa.org/pubs/books
http://www.apa.org/pubs/books
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GradPSYCH - March 2012
GradPSYCH - March 2012
Contents
Psychology practicums reflect the field’s growth
How evidencebased is your trauma treatment?
Media Picks
Chair’s Corner
Odd Jobs
Research Roundup
Chart your own adventure
Matters to a Degree
Killer apps
The oil spill’s reverberations
A student of synchrony
Literature reviews made easy
Absentee advisers
What’s behind the internship match crisis?
Potential solutions
Steps to the match
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page
GradPSYCH - March 2012
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