R. Eric Landrum, PhD
Department of Psychology
Boise State University
Prince George’s Community College
Largo, MD
October 18, 2012
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People, Skills, and Money
Preparation: Your Undergraduate Career
The Launch: Applying to Graduate School
The Launch: Workplace Readiness
How people react when you tell them you
are a psychology major:
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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
Masters = 23,752
Women = 18,955 (79.8%)
Men = 4,797
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
Doctorate = 5,540
Women = 4,062 (73.3%)
Men = 1,478
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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
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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
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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
Educational
Attainment
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 Survey
Rose, and Cheah (2011)
2Carnevale,
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.
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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
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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
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Acquisition of skills not
easily gained in the
classroom
Contribute to the
advancement of the
science of psychology
Become familiar with
general research
techniques
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Opportunity to practice
written and oral
communication skills
Cultivation of a mentoring
relationship with faculty;
helpful for letters of
recommendation
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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.
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Attend class and take notes so that students
have a resource available when they miss class
Hold office hours where you answer classrelated 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
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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
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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
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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.
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Psi Chi membership is conferred on students who have
met minimum qualifications.
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Psi Beta for students enrolled in community colleges
(http://psibeta.org/site/)
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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.
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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”).
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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.
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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?
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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)
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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.
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The classic top 3 predictors of graduate school
admission are:
 GRE
 GPA
 Letters of Recommendation
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More recently, these have been added to the
list:
 Research experience
 Autobiographical statement
Criteria
Letters of recommendation
Personal statement/goals
GPA
Interview
Research experience
GRE scores
Clinically related public service
Work experience
Extracurricular activity
Master's
M
SD
2.74 .49
2.63 .55
2.75 .43
2.30 .76
2.04 .74
2.36 .66
1.94 .70
1.91 .65
1.46 .54
Doctoral
M SD
2.82 .42
2.81 .41
2.74 .45
2.62 .60
2.54 .65
2.50 .55
1.91 .69
1.87 .68
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.
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you ask a faculty member or
other professional for a letter of
recommendation, ask for a strong letter
of recommendation.
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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.
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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 wellknown, 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.
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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?
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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.
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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)
GRE-V
GRE-Q
GREAnalytic
GRE Subject
(Psychology)
MAT
Overall
Undergrad
GPA
Last 2 yrs
GPA
Psychology
GPA
Master’s
GPA
Master’s Degree Programs
Average
Percent
Median
Minimum
Required
Score
Score
81%
488
520
81%
497
586
Doctoral Programs
Average
Percent
Median
Minimum
Required
Score
Score
96%
517
577
96%
528
642
55%
4.63
79%
4.04
4.80
22%
578
40%
561
645
12%
5%
89%
2.96
3.40
98%
3.06
3.56
73%
3.00
3.52
74%
3.10
3.66
66%
3.02
3.48
70%
3.13
3.69
73%
3.27
3.76
Source: APA Center for Workforce Studies, 2010 Graduate Study in Psychology (May 2010)
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Your grades matter. Undergraduate GPA is the
single-most (statistically) significant predictor
of graduate school GPA.
Every “C” hurts your academic future.
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Make sure you follow all of the directions.
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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!
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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Thank the employer for the interview, and
follow up with a written (ink, paper, envelope,
stamp) thank-you note.
Social networking WARNING
“Volleyball” analogy
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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.
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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)