PhD/PsyD Opportunities for a Current Undergrad Student

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Hello Everyone!!

So the part-time job I currently have sucks (working at a kids entertainment place) and I really wanna quit. If I do decide to quit I am really interested in working (or volunteering) in the field somehow. Do you think it is weird or unprofessional to ask someone in the field (like a counselor or psychologist) if I could work or volunteer filing paperwork or organizing papers? If so, what possible jobs or volunteer opportunities can I obtain to get some experience while getting to see what the mental health field look like. Also what would be ways to get experience in research other than in my undergraduate program (just in case I don't get into the honors program to do research under the honors professor)?

Thanks alot
PsychMajorUndergrad18

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[473912]

Hello Everyone!!

So the part-time job I currently have sucks (working at a kids entertainment place) and I really wanna quit. If I do decide to quit I am really interested in working (or volunteering) in the field somehow. Do you think it is weird or unprofessional to ask someone in the field (like a counselor or psychologist) if I could work or volunteer filing paperwork or organizing papers? If so, what possible jobs or volunteer opportunities can I obtain to get some experience while getting to see what the mental health field look like. Also what would be ways to get experience in research other than in my undergraduate program (just in case I don't get into the honors program to do research under the honors professor)?

Thanks alot
PsychMajorUndergrad18

Unfortunately, I've found the opportunities for undergrad psych are very scarce. Best option if you want to go to grad school is finding a research assistant position, but in my experience, they're the hardest to get into. You might also find a position as a psych tech at a facility, but they might require a BA already (depending on state), but although rare, they aren't as rare as RA positions. You also might volunteer at AA or work at a suicide or crisis hotline. That's... about it if you want to work in the field as an undergrad. I highly doubt any Psych doc would allow you to work with them. Wouldn't want to risk HIPAA or have to pay someone unnecessarily.

They're out there, but you have to work for them. Good luck!

 

[deleted656923]

Hello Everyone!!

So the part-time job I currently have sucks (working at a kids entertainment place) and I really wanna quit. If I do decide to quit I am really interested in working (or volunteering) in the field somehow. Do you think it is weird or unprofessional to ask someone in the field (like a counselor or psychologist) if I could work or volunteer filing paperwork or organizing papers? If so, what possible jobs or volunteer opportunities can I obtain to get some experience while getting to see what the mental health field look like. Also what would be ways to get experience in research other than in my undergraduate program (just in case I don't get into the honors program to do research under the honors professor)?

Thanks alot
PsychMajorUndergrad18

I share your pain, man. For the past several months, I've been working at Toys-R-Us because I haven't been able to find any other jobs wanting to hire me as a post-grad with a Bachelor's in psychology. "Soul-Crushing" is the perfect phrase to describe my work experience at Toys.

 

[kestrelcry]

Community mental health might be a place to look. Agencies that have group homes are frequently short of folks to work shifts. These positions are called a plethora of things: Residential Counselor, Recovery Coach, etc. Basically, they make food, do paperwork, hand out meds, hang out with the clients, and sometimes lead groups. They are generally poorly paid and can have really ****ty schedules, since group homes need folks there 24-7. You're often working with low functioning adults or adolescents who have had a lot going on in their lives, which can be challenging demographics, but also really rewarding, if it's your cup of tea. They usually don't require a degree and some places have 'on-call' or 'per diem' positions where they put you on the list of folks to call if they need someone to cover. Because there's a lot of turnover in these positions, if you are on-call and almost always say yes when they call you and are enthusiastic and good at your job, getting hired is often an option. I worked my way up to case manager working with chronically mentally ill adults within a year of becoming an on-call residential counselor. Granted, I had a BA, which was required for case management. It ain't glamorous work by any stretch of the imagination, but it can be a good way to find out if mental health is a field in which you are really interested. Community mental health is really working in the trenches, so to speak. I'd recommend googling community mental health for your area, and if they don't have an open positions website, try calling.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Community mental health and various state agencies are an option, as kestrelcry mentioned; some will require a bachelor's degree, although other positions may only ask for a HS diploma.

I don't think there'd be anything weird with asking to volunteer in an office, just realize that this type of experience probably won't do a whole lot to boost your application other than to give you some additional familiarity with the real-world practice of mental health.

As for research experience, you could see if any of those same offices are conducting research (fairly rare). Other options are state and federal government agencies, other nearby universities, and larger medical centers. Sometimes the jobs will be posted, although it may not hurt just to email faculty and see if they might be able to find something for you to do.

 

[deleted343839]

Do you think it is weird or unprofessional to ask someone in the field (like a counselor or psychologist) if I could work or volunteer filing paperwork or organizing papers? If so, what possible jobs or volunteer opportunities can I obtain to get some experience while getting to see what the mental health field look like.

It's not weird, but you might not get a lot of bites looking for paid employment like that. You might be able to volunteer for a community agency or hospital and get some ideas about careers or opportunities in mental health. Don't limit yourself to mental health-specific agencies though. Depending on your interests you might be able to get some useful experience working in medical care, geriatrics, social services, etc. For instance, I worked for a general hospital before grad school and though I only got to do a little work related to psych, I helped collect and analyze a lot of data and learned a tremendous amount about the healthcare system. That experience served me better than, say, a clerical type job in a mental health setting.

 

[abiturient]

Hello Everyone!!

So the part-time job I currently have sucks (working at a kids entertainment place) and I really wanna quit. If I do decide to quit I am really interested in working (or volunteering) in the field somehow. Do you think it is weird or unprofessional to ask someone in the field (like a counselor or psychologist) if I could work or volunteer filing paperwork or organizing papers? If so, what possible jobs or volunteer opportunities can I obtain to get some experience while getting to see what the mental health field look like. Also what would be ways to get experience in research other than in my undergraduate program (just in case I don't get into the honors program to do research under the honors professor)?

Thanks alot
PsychMajorUndergrad18

I addition to what was mentioned above, I would also look into some social service agencies (shelters, crisis centers/hotlines, etc). Many of them do not require Masters degree to work with clients on some basic level. As a junior, I got an internship at a domestic violence center and then stayed there working part-time. I had to deal with some not so pleasant stuff, but the best part was that I could have counseling sessions with clients one-on-one. Of course, those weren't any sort of therapy, but mostly case management, letting them vent, career and college advice, advocating, helping find permanent housing, etc. But it was a great experience especially considering I didn't even have a BA. I was offered a full-time job there, but I declined since I am going onto PhD.
Good luck!