FAQs Answered by
Dr. Drew Appleby
What skills can I develop as a psychology major that will prepare me to enter and succeed in the 21st Century workplace?
You do not have to go into a clinical practitioner (or other “psychology-sounding”) job, or graduate school to make use of the employer-valued skills you developed in order to succeed in any job. Click on the link below to read the article by Dr. Appleby and colleagues!
How can serving as an officer in a student club or organization such as Psi Chi help me to develop an abundant portfolio of career-related skills?
Many students join Psi Chi because they think it will look good on their resumes. While this may be true, employers will be far more impressed if the resume shows exactly what they did as an officer, committee member, or participant in activities or projects. Click on the article link below to learn more.
How can serving as an undergraduate teaching assistant enable me to develop the skills I will need to succeed in either graduate school or the workforce?
Click the article link below to learn more about being an undergraduate teaching assistant and how it can help you develop the knowledge, skills, and characteristics (KSCs) to help you in your future career.
Did you know that just because a job pays well and is prestigious does not necessarily mean that it will be “a good fit” for you?
“Having a good job is one of the most important factors in life because it occupies an enormous amount of people’s time and self-identity”
If you agree with that statement, read this blog to engage in some serious self-reflection about what you believe is the purpose of the work you will perform when you are employed and how this purpose will determine the meaning and satisfaction you derive from the work you do.
How can I request a strong letter of recommendation for graduate school or a job from one of my teachers?
The first step in this process is to ask me the following question: "Can you write me a strong letter of recommendation for a job or a graduate school application?" I can write anyone a letter of recommendation, but I unfortunately I cannot write everyone a strong letter of recommendation. Click the link to learn more!
How can my skills, degree, experiences, and brand prepare me to land a job that is a good fit for me?
Using the skills you’ve learned in your psychology curriculum is crucial to your success. By understanding these assets, you can describe your knowledge and skills, understand the value employers place on them, and explain the connection between the major and the job. Get started by clicking the link below to access the resources created by Dr. Appleby and his colleagues Amanda Macchi, Stacey Spencer, and Paul Hettich!
Are you a procrastinator? If so, what is a good first step in a strategy to overcome this damaging habit?
Procrastination is one of the most damaging characteristics that students display because it robs them of good grades and prevents them from maintaining productive and healthy relationships with their teachers, families and friends. Click the link below to learn more!
What are the “soft skills” you will need to succeed in your future occupation?
"Soft skills" are the attributes that help workers adapt to new jobs, overcome obstacles, develop productive relationships with their co-workers and supervisors, and thrive in the workplace. Click the link to learn more!
What can I do to "fix" potentially problematic grades on my transcript?
What can you do to help your college transcript portray you as a uniquely desirable job candidate or graduate school applicant? Click the article link below to learn more about what employers and graduate admissions committees are looking for in your transcript and how to fix any potential issues.
Why is it so important for me to understand that my freshman year in college will NOT be 13th grade?
According to the most recent data from American College Testing, 31% of all freshmen enrolled in American colleges and universities drop out before their sophomore year. Learn more about what to expect as you transition to college so you can be successful by clicking on the link below!
How can I maximize the blessings and minimize the curses of being a psychology major?
Psychology majors are both blessed and cursed. Their first blessing is their ability to prepare themselves for a remarkably wide variety of careers because the psychology curriculum provides so many of opportunities to develop the seven crucial sustainable job-related skills. The first curse is that the prospect of making a decision from such a massive set of career choices is a daunting task for many psychology majors. Click the article link below to learn more!
How can I prepare for a career in sport psychology?
Sport psychology is a unique field that involves a wide range of professional opportunities. In order to learn more about sport psychology, or any field for that matter, several critical steps are required. Click the article link below to learn more!
How can I use my college education to develop the skills that employers value?
The three purposes of this article are to: (1) Make you aware of seven basic skill categories. (2) Help you identify the specific skills within each of these categories. (3) Provide you with career-development advice about how to use both the curricular and extracurricular components of your undergraduate education to develop and/or strengthen these skills. Click the link below to learn more!
What are common mistakes students make when applying to graduate school?
There are "kisses of death" in applying to graduate school. That is to say, if you make certain mistakes on your application, you can be assured that you will be receiving many more rejection than acceptance letters. Luckily for applicants, research has been conducted to determine exactly what the kisses of death are. Click the article link below to learn more!
Can you help me to understand what a mentor is and how I can choose the one who will be the best “fit” for me?
Over two millennia ago, Socrates said "Know thyself." This advice is as valid today as it was in Socrates' time, and it is particularly relevant to proteges in search of mentors. "Know thyself." Who do you want to become, how must you change to become that person, and how can you use your college experience to bring about these changes? A well-chosen mentor can help you answer these questions. Click the article link below to learn more!
What are graduate school admissions committees looking for?
Interested in learning what characteristics 143 graduate programs in clinical, experimental, and industrial/organizational psychology want to see? Click the article link below to learn the top 10 requested characteristics that psychology graduate programs value in their applicants.
Are there any online sources that can help me to prepare for the graduate school application process and then succeed in graduate school once I am admitted?
Absolutely! See these resources put together by Dr. Appleby and Dr. Appleby for the APA Student Psychology Network.
Can you help me identify the skills employers are interested in and understand why they are so important?
Two distinct curricula exist within a college student's undergraduate experience. The obvious one—the overt curriculum—consists of the classes listed on the student's transcript and the knowledge the student acquires in these classes (i.e., specific facts, concepts, and theories). The less obvious—but more important curriculum—is the covert curriculum, which is composed of the skills and characteristics the student develops as a result of successfully completing the overt curriculum. Click the article link below to learn more!
Can you provide me with examples of a strong Cover Letter and Resume that I can use as models to create my own?
Absolutely, click the links below to access a sample resume and cover letter!
What is Biggest Shortcoming of the Psych Major Curriculum?
Dr. Drew C. Appleby joins the PsychEverywhere Podcast to discuss reasons why colleges and universities sometimes fail to give explicit careers training to psychology majors who seek to enter the workplace without going to graduate school. Listeners of this episode will be able to identify: numerous career opportunities for psych majors; knowledge, skills, and characteristics psych majors possess that employers value; and tips for obtaining new skills for the workplace.
Is Psychology a Good Undergraduate Major to Prepare for Medical School?
In this article, Dr. Appleby reviews the importance of choosing the right undergraduate degree for medical school, provides a list of nine undergraduate majors (including psychology!) that can help you prepare for medical school, and includes helpful tips about how to decide on a major or program.
An Eye on the Workplace: Achieving a Career With a Bachelor's in Psychology
Let Psi Chi’s latest digital anthology guide your transition from college to career! Eighteen psychology career experts contributed to this eBook, which includes 30 articles of our best advice published in Eye on Psi Chi magazine. Psi Chi members can purchase the eBook for $4.95 with a member login ($19.95 for non-members).