Sep 8             Active Engagement in the University Life             B Intro             Interest Inventory

                      Psycholo gy Curriculum & Advising Tips              B 1 & 2

Sep 15           Accessing University Resources: Field Trip to                                                                                                Career Services                                               

Sep 22           Employment & Grad School Selection Criteria    NSM 18-23     Quiz 1

                      Assessing Your Career Interests                         B 239 - 279

Sep 29           Preparing for Your Life’s Work: Courses,                       NSM 23-33     Advising Check List                               Research, Experience, & Extracurriculars                                             

Oct 6             Baccalaureate-Level Career Options                               NSM1             Quiz 2

                      Graduate-Degree Career Paths                                       B 4      

Oct 13           Fall Break; no class

Oct 20           Entrance Examinations                                                    NMS 33-40     Career Plan

                                                                                                            Article                

Oct 27           Researching Positions and Selecting Schools                   NSM 4                        Quiz 3

                                                                                                            B 5      

Nov 3            Applications and CVs/Resumes                          NSM 5                        Informational

                                                                                                             B 333-352          Interview

Nov 10          Personal Statements & Letters of Recommendation         article               CV or Resume

Nov 17          Interviewing Strategies & Practice                                   NSM 6                        Interview  Responses

                                                                                                            B 6                              

Nov 24          Interview Day                                                                 B 7                   Mock Interview

Dec 1             More on Interviews                                                        NSM 7                        Quiz 4

                      Making Final Decisions

Dec 8             Let Your Life Speak                                                       B 14                 Attendance              Documentation

Guidelines for the Brief Assignments:

All papers are to be typed double-spaced with one-inch margins. The papers are designed to be brief and focused; they should never exceed 1.5 pages in length (with the exception of your Career Plan). Please place your name, section time, and title of the assignment at the top of your paper.

For the Interest Inventory, complete the Strong Interest Interview at home in a quiet and comfortable place.  Be sure to fill in the information complete the Return it to class on the scheduled day.  No formal paper is required if you complete and return the SII on schedule.

For the Advising Check List, complete the checklist boxes that apply to you and list two or three concrete questions about you, your courses, and your career plans that you should ask your advisor(s).  Please avoid general questions (e.g., How do I obtain a well-paying job?  How should I prepare for the GREs?) in favor of specific questions about your unique situation.

For the Career Plan, select one career path, either baccalaureate-level or graduate-degree, in or outside of psychology.  Then, in numbered order, please describe or list the following elements.

1.    Your desired career

2.    Undergraduate psychology courses you will need but that you have not yet taken

3.    Undergraduate experiences (e.g., research, lab experiences, field experience, teaching assistantship, extracurriculars) you would like to acquire in the future

4.    Courses and experiences outside of the psychology major you will need to secure

5.    General timeline (semester by semester) by which you will accomplish these.

For the Informational Interview, you are to interview a professional in a field of your interest. Please do not interview a family member for this assignment. The interview may be in person or by telephone. The paper will summarize, in two paragraphs, the interview , specifying the date of the interview, the name of the interviewee, the person’s position/profession, employment setting, and ending with a few observations on what you learned about your field of interest. Questions you may ask include:

How did you decide to go into your current field?

What, exactly, is the title of your position?

What training and credentials are needed for this job?

How did you get this job?

Where did you go to school?

What are the typical job duties or tasks of this position?

What is a typical day at work like for you?

What do you deal with on a daily basis that would otherwise be unusual?

What are the best features of your job?  What are the worst?

What are some of the pressures and stre ssors you face in your job?

What opportunities are there for acquiring new skills and learning from your co-workers?

What is the probable salary range for this occupation?

What is the most valuable piece of advice you can give?

What skills did you acquire through experience that you didn’t learn in school?

Are you still challenged and stimulated by your job?

What was your biggest misconception about your profession?

What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier?

What do you think the future holds for this field?

For the CV or Resume, you will prepare one or the other (or both, if you like).  The CV will be prepared according to one of the two formats presented in the Insider’s Guide.  The resume will be constructed during one of the resume preparation classes conducted by the Office of Career Services.

For the Interview Responses, you will be assigned in class three questions frequently asked during interviews.  Your paper will present the ques tions and your responses to them. You will be asked at least two of the three questions on Interview Day.

For the Mock Interview, you will be assigned an interviewer for a 15-minute job or graduate interview during Inte rview Day. A formal paper is not required if you complete the mock interview as part of class. If you miss class that day, then you need to complete a videotaped mock interview at the Office of Career Services or prepare a formal paper.  

For the Attendance Documentation, you will describe the two academically related department or university events you attended this semester.  The events must be academic in nature; social events and club meetings do not count toward this requirement.  Nor may you count an event that you are required to attend for another course. For each event, please list its name, the date, the presenter(s), and the general thrust of the presentation.  Following is a sampling of approved events:

What’s News in Medicine, Science, and Technology

Panel Discussions by Medical Alumni Council

Study Abroad Forum/Fair

Harry Mullin Memorial Lecture

Psi Chi Induction Dinner (invited address)

Psychology Department’s Brown Bag Series

Women’s Studies Forum

Law School Fair (including attendance at a presentation)

Annual Henry George Lecture

Feminist Fair (including attendance at a presentation)

Kids Judge Neuroscience

Recruiting/Career Expos (visit booths and attend at least one presentation)

Criminal Justice Fall Dinner (with invite d address)

Multicultural Diversity Conference

Readings sponsored by an academic department