Career and Resource suggestions or advice.

[Jazz Dubois]

Hello,
I am currently an undergraduate student exploring my career options. I have a minor in educational studies and know that I want to work with children. I have struggled with trying to find a career that suits my interests and abilities. I want to challenge myself to continue my education and have been exploring options such as School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Education, and Counseling. I want to be sure to make the right choice when deciding on a program and a career because I am already in debt and cannot afford a program that doesn't make me happy in the end. I know a big part of clinical psychology is research and I have been battling with that Idea. While I would love to learn more about it I am afraid that the workload will be too much to bear and the cost too much to afford. I would love some advice, resources, or personal experiences to help me on my journey. I am not afraid of hard work but want to make sure I choose the best option to be self fulfilled and make a difference. I have been strongly considering a career in School Psychology but wonder if a doctoral Ph.D. program might be a better option that expands my career opportunities. I would love some personal experiences from professionals that work in the mental health care field. I have also been considering going straight into the workforce first before deciding on a graduate program and wonder if that would save or cost me money in the long run. I am very passionate about Developmental Psychology and would greatly appreciate any advice or resources regarding this subject from professionals or students going through the same type of inquiries.

Thank you in advance!

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[deleted343839]

Since you don't have a well formed idea of what you would like for a career (and that's okay!), I suggest that you look for more opportunities that provide exposure to the type of work that you think might interest you. If you have any leaning toward clinical psychology, working in a research setting would be great. But since you're still in college, now is also a good time to explore applied, "real world" settings. Consider working part-time or volunteering in settings where you can learn more about what it's like day to day to provide educational or health services to children.

I can say that most of the experiences that sparked my interest in my field were the result of direct observation in a paid job. I learned about a lot of things I didn't know existed from my coursework alone. I think as a field we tend to undervalue extracurriculars (at least relative to medicine), but they can be really valuable for helping shape your interests.

 

[Temperance]

In case you're not already aware of it, Mitch's Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology offers an overview of clinical psychology, school psychology, and mental health counseling that might be useful.