R. Eric Landrum, PhDDepartment of PsychologyBoise State University

Prince George’s Community CollegeLargo, MDOctober 18, 2012

1. People, Skills, and Money2. Preparation: Your Undergraduate

Career3. The Launch: Applying to Graduate

School4. The Launch: Workplace Readiness

How people react when you tell them you are a psychology major:

Over 1.65 million students received their bachelor’s degree

20.9 million students enrolled in 4,495 colleges and universities in the U.S.

The national graduation rate at 4-year universities was 57%

How will YOU stand out from the crowd?

Associates = 6,582 Women = 5,311 (80.7%)

Men = 1,271

Associates = 6,582 Women = 5,311 (80.7%)

Men = 1,271

Bachelors = 97,216 Women = 74,941 (77.1%)

Men = 22,275

Associates = 6,582 Women = 5,311 (80.7%)

Men = 1,271

Bachelors = 97,216 Women = 74,941 (77.1%)

Men = 22,275

Masters = 23,752 Women = 18,955 (79.8%)

Men = 4,797

Associates = 6,582 Women = 5,311 (80.7%)

Men = 1,271

Bachelors = 97,216 Women = 74,941 (77.1%)

Men = 22,275

Masters = 23,752 Women = 18,955 (79.8%)

Men = 4,797

Doctorate = 5,540 Women = 4,062 (73.3%)

Men = 1,478

Reading with comprehension and the ability to identify major points

Speaking and writing in a clear, organized, and persuasive manner

Writing in a particular style Listening attentively Taking accurate notes Mastering efficient memory

strategies Developing critical thinking skills Submitting assignments on time

and in an acceptable form Behaving in a responsible,

punctual, mature, and respectful manner

Managing stress and conflict successfully

Organizing the physical environment to maximize efficiency

Observing and evaluating the attitudes and behaviors of role models

Maintaining an accurate planner or calendar

Working as a productive member of a team

Interacting successfully with a wide variety of people

Seeking feedback about performance and using it to improve future performance

Accepting responsibility for your own behavior and attitudes

Utilizing technology

There are a variety of estimates available. These are average STARTING SALARIES for psychology graduates: American Economic Association (2007):

$31,631 CBSalary.com (2008): $35,085

EducationalAttainment

Average Annual Earnings1

Median Lifetime Earnings2

Doctoral degree $ 99,697 $ 3,252,000

Professional degree $ 125,019 $ 3,648,000

Master’s degree $ 70,856 $ 2,671,000

Bachelor’s degree $ 58,613 $ 2,268,000

Associate’s degree $ 39,506 $ 1,727,000

Some college $ 32,555 $ 1,547,000

High school graduate or GED $ 21,007 $ 1,304,000

Less than 9th grade $ 21,056 $ 973,000

1U.S. Census Bureau (2009) Current Population Survey2Carnevale, Rose, and Cheah (2011)

What is a research assistantship? It is an opportunity for undergraduate students to assist a faculty member (or members) in a program of research. When you serve as an RA, you’ll actually be involved in doing the research rather than reading about it.

Administer research sessions with student participants

Score and/or code the collected data (SPSS)

Conduct literature searches using resources like PsycINFO and Social Sciences Citation Index

Work with the faculty member to develop new research ideas

Attend lab meetings Use word processing, spreadsheet, and

scheduling software Work on poster or oral presentations

for local or regional conferences, prepare materials

Collaborate with faculty member to submit work to an appropriate journal

Acquisition of skills not easily gained in the classroom

Contribute to the advancement of the science of psychology

Become familiar with general research techniques

Opportunity to practice written and oral communication skills

Cultivation of a mentoring relationship with faculty; helpful for letters of recommendation

Do your homework on the instructor prior to contact (e.g., PsycINFO author search)

Contact the instructor using his/her preferred method (office hours, email)

Discuss the level of commitment expected (hours/week, number of semesters)

Discuss up front any plans for conference posters, papers, and order of authorship

Serving as a teaching assistant is usually much less involved and time-consuming than being a research assistant. Usually, a teaching assistant helps a faculty member for one semester in the administration of a specific course, such as General Psychology or Statistical Methods.

Attend class and take notes so that students have a resource available when they miss class

Hold office hours where you answer class-related questions

Help to proctor exams, help to grade exams and/or term papers

Hold general review sessions prior to tests

Help the instructor in the general administration of the course

Practical, on-the-job experience Development of professional and personal

confidence, responsibility, and maturity Understanding of the realities of the work

world and acquire human relations skills Opportunity to examine a career choice

closely and make professional contacts Opportunity to test the ideas learned in

the classroom out in the field

Opportunity to make contacts with potential employers

Enhancement of classroom experiences Learning what careers NOT to pursue Development of skills that are difficult to

learn and practice in the classroom College credit in some but not all

circumstances Possible earnings to help offset college

expenses

Psi Chi , the International Honor Society in Psychology (http://www.psichi.org), was founded in 1929 for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and for the advancement of psychology.

Psi Chi membership is conferred on students who have met minimum qualifications.

Psi Beta for students enrolled in community colleges (http://psibeta.org/site/)

You can gain more information and knowledge about the discipline through the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) and the Association for Psychological Science (www.psychologicalscience.org).

Check out student affiliate opportunities.

Get involved in activities in your own department. Your department may sponsor guest speakers, or faculty members may participate in some sort of colloquium series (“brown bags”).

As a student, you want your faculty to be supportive of your efforts—you need to be supportive of the faculty. Attending such presentations also gives you a chance to hear about faculty research, which might interest you and lead to an opportunity to serve as a research assistant.

In the latest year available (2009/2010), 97,216 undergraduates in the U.S. received their bachelor’s degree in psychology.

About 20-25% have an interest in graduate school, and apply at some point.

What can you do to help stand out from the crowd?

Contact programs to request an application, departmental information, and financial aid information (if necessary).

Prepare the materials required by most applications (in addition to the application fee):

Letter of intent/autobiographical statement/personal statement

Letters of recommendation Transcripts/grades GRE scores forwarded directly from the

Educational Testing Service (ETS) Curriculum vita or resume and a cover letter Personal interview (in some cases for some

programs)

The data in the following table was compiled by the APA Research Office based on admissions in 2001-2002.

This data was gleaned by APA from the Graduate Study in Psychology 2003 volume.

The classic top 3 predictors of graduate school admission are: GRE GPA Letters of Recommendation

More recently, these have been added to the list: Research experience Autobiographical statement

Master's DoctoralCriteria M SD M SD

Letters of recommendation 2.74 .49 2.82 .42Personal statement/goals 2.63 .55 2.81 .41GPA 2.75 .43 2.74 .45Interview 2.30 .76 2.62 .60Research experience 2.04 .74 2.54 .65GRE scores 2.36 .66 2.50 .55Clinically related public service 1.94 .70 1.91 .69Work experience 1.91 .65 1.87 .68Extracurricular activity 1.46 .54 1.41 .55

Means are calculated using 1 = low importance, 2 = medium importance, and 3 = high importance.

Norcross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2005). Graduate study in psychology: 1971 to 2004. American Psychologist, 60, 959-975.

When you ask a faculty member or other professional for a letter of recommendation, ask for a strong letter of recommendation.

Most faculty members would rather not write a letter than write a weak letter of recommendation.

The best letters are long, and tell stories about multiple contributions.

Who should you ask for letters? Those who (a) have worked closely with you, (b) have known you long enough to know you fairly well, (c) have some expertise, (d) are senior and well-known, if possible (e.g., department chair), (e) have a positive opinion of you and your abilities, and (f) have a warm and supportive personal style.

Be prepared to offer answers to the following: When is the first letter due date? What classes did you have with me, with

semesters and grades? Can you provide an updated CV/resume? Have you completed all necessary

forms/online URL links? Can you provide your personal statement

when it’s ready?

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is administered via computer at authorized test centers located throughout the nation.

It is an adaptive test. High GRE scores can help offset a low

GPA; the reverse is NOT true.

Verbal reasoning: no more antonyms or analogies; more complex reasoning items

Quantitative reasoning: more real-life scenarios and more word problems

On-screen calculator available New scoring scale for verbal and

quantitative scores: 130-170 in one-point increments (previously 200-800 in ten point increments)

New GRE will take about 4 hours to complete (up from 3 hours)

Master’s Degree Programs Doctoral Programs

Percent Required

Average Minimum

Score

Median Score

Percent Required

Average Minimum

Score

Median Score

GRE-V 81% 488 520 96% 517 577GRE-Q 81% 497 586 96% 528 642

GRE-Analytic

55% 4.63 79% 4.04 4.80

GRE Subject (Psychology)

22% 578 40% 561 645

MAT 12% 5%Overall

Undergrad GPA

89% 2.96 3.40 98% 3.06 3.56

Last 2 yrs GPA

73% 3.00 3.52 74% 3.10 3.66

Psychology GPA

66% 3.02 3.48 70% 3.13 3.69

Master’s GPA

73% 3.27 3.76

Source: APA Center for Workforce Studies, 2010 Graduate Study in Psychology (May 2010)

Your grades matter. Undergraduate GPA is the single-most (statistically) significant predictor of graduate school GPA.

Every “C” hurts your academic future.

Make sure you follow all of the directions.

Basically what you are being asked for: (a) statement of your interests in psychology, (b) goals and ambitions, and (c) how the program to which you are applying can help you to achieve your goals.

Follow the instructions exactly!

Curriculum vitae literally means “academic life.” Your vitae chronicles your accomplishments, whereas the resume is a brief introduction to your skills, abilities, and employment history.

Be sure to follow student examples, and not faculty examples of how to prepare a CV.

Listening skills Ability to work with others

as part of a work team Getting along with others Desire and ability to learn Willingness to learn new,

important skills Focus on customers/clients Interpersonal relationship

skills Adaptability to changing

situations Ability to suggest solutions

to problem

Problem solving skills Ethical decision making Critical thinking Ability to see the big

picture Flexibility/shifting gears Being able to identify

problems Working smarter to

improve productivity Timely decision making Time management Problem-definition skills Personality

Make the first impression count. A good resume may get you to the next stage; a poor resume may stop you from going anywhere.

Be concise—try to limit yourself to one printed page. Much more than that is too much.

Make sure others proofread your resume before you show it to potential employers (Utilize the Career Center!).

Keep your resume current. Make sure it has your current phone number, e-mail address, etc.

At this level, it’s all about match and fit.

Dress for the interview and for the job.

Express your interest in the job and the company based on the homework you did prior to the interview.

Speak positively of former employers or colleagues, no matter what.

Thank the employer for the interview, and follow up with a written (ink, paper, envelope, stamp) thank-you note.

Social networking WARNING “Volleyball” analogy

What do you hope to be doing five or ten years from now?

How has your education prepared you for your career?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What did you learn as an undergraduate that you think will be helpful on this job?

Tell me something I should know about you.

Seek opportunities where you can develop real-world experiences and apply course concepts.

Join campus organizations and activities that promote collaboration, competition, and leadership.

No later than your junior year, starting working with your Career Center.

Establish realistic expectations about the workplace by avoiding an ‘entitlement mentality.’

Develop a strong work ethic; create meaning in your life; find value in what you do.

Most Frequent ↓ Reasons for Discipline

1 Lack of work ethic/commitment

2 Unethical behavior

3 Failure to follow instructions

4 Ineffective in teams

5 Failure to take initiative

6 Missing assignments/deadlines

7 Unable to communicate effectively—verbally

8 Inappropriate use of technology

9 Being late for work

10 Unable to communicate effectively—writing

Note. Items in BOLD are also reasons for termination of new hires. Gardner (2007)