Interim between undergrad & grad - job questions

[Hopefulhokie]

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I just graduated in December and am currently applying to doctoral programs for Fall 2011. Now that I've graduated, I need money in order to fully support myself (e.g., rent, utilities, phone/car/dog expenses, etc.) and save up some money for grad school. But I also worked ridiculously hard throughout undergrad (only received one B ever, research, presentations, etc.) and was really looking forward to using this time to relax (play violin, read, play videogames, get back in shape, visit friends) as well.
I applied to a Case Manager position and was wondering if you guys think it's a good job for the interim (~7 months). It's 40 hours a week, salaried, and about an hour and fifteen minutes away (so I'd be commuting a little over 2 hours a day). Has anyone ever had this type of job? How stressful is it? Should I just work at the local Olive Garden instead? Does it really matter either way? I'm leaning towards getting a closer secretarial or restaurant job so I could easily take time off to attend interviews, but if I don't get into grad school, it might look like i'm not devoted to the field. What do you guys think?

Also, if I were to start learning a language during my time off, which one do you think would be most valuable to learn in terms of being a future clinical psychologist? I'm thinking Spanish because of the massive influx of immigrants, but I'd also be interested in hearing what you guys think as well.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I'll leave the first part to people who have done it more recently, though I do think your question about a language is a good one. I think some of it depends where you are going for study, where you want to live, and what languages are feasible for you to learn. Spanish is probably the safest bet, though it probably won't differentiate you that much. Conversely, if you learn a less common language and train/live in an area with that population, you will be quite in demand.

 

[Shatani]

i was a residential counselor at an RTF for kids during the year off between undergrad and grad school. the only stressful thing about the job was the 'office politics' aspect of things. i loved the kids, loved working with them and made a few good friends during that time. it wasnt overly stressful for me. im not sure if that differs too much from being a case manager. mine didnt pay particularly well, but that was okay because i was living with my mom for that time period....

for me, i would learn spanish. partly because im already primed for it, and partly because any job description ive seen where bilingualism is a plus, they seem to be looking for spanish. and whose to say you cant learn other languages in the future?

 

[arsesta]

learn Spanish! a better idea is to spend the next few months (after interviews) in a South American country, and this will save you $ while you learn Spanish and earn $ by teaching English. After you get into grad school, you will probably have to apply to externships or practicum sites (usually in hospitals) and your ability to speak even basic Spanish will give you an edge. I'm bilingual in Chinese, and it helps a little bit. I wish I knew Spanish!!!

As for the case manager position, it depends on what population you will be working with. Severely and persistently mentally ill? children/complex families? medical populations? After college, I worked as a Counselor/Case manager/advocate for immigrant domestic violence victims. I don't think it helped me to get into graduate school (PhD in clinical psych) because my research interests at the time weren't related to inter-personal violence or trauma. However, I believe the fieldwork set me apart from other grad students who came straight from ugrad by giving me some real world experiences. I also believe that it strengthened my love for clinical work and advocacy. The work was hard, emotionally (because you're listening to abuse all the time and seeing the effects in the clients) and physically (because I was working 50+ hrs/wk and running around the city, going to welfare office, court, shelter, etc). It was my choice to put in extra hours because I cared a lot about the women.

With interviewing for grad school and trying to integrate self-care into your routine, this may not be the best option. If I were you, I'd wait tables, babysit or pet sit until after interviews. Once you have an idea if you're getting in or not, then re-consider a CM position. Social service agencies are always looking for bright, passionate young people, so I don't think you'd have a terribly hard time landing a job.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[Student4Life0]

Try to get yourself a waitressing job. It is probably the best hourly money that you could make at this level. Right now, I am too busy with coursework/practicum to work, so I live on loans. To make up for this, I plan to go back to waitressing for 3 months over the summer, before going off to school.

 

[CecilJacobson]

learn Spanish! a better idea is to spend the next few months (after interviews) in a South American country, and this will save you $ while you learn Spanish and earn $ by teaching English.

This is not possible. You cannot and will not work teaching English in Central or South America and come out positive financially. Trust me, I'm currently doing exactly what's described by arsesta. If you are looking to make money, find a job close to your family. Avoid spending time and money on commuting and rent.

Spanish has been really useful for me. Remember that familiarity with a language is a nice gesture, but for practicality- you need proficiency.

Keep us posted on the job search?

-C.J.

 

[arsesta]

Alright I might have over-generalized. I know for a fact (as I have personal experience) that teaching English abroad (in some regions of the world) can be quite lucrative, but I did it in Asia (Taiwan & Beijing) where there is a super high demand for English teachers. However, one can live quite inexpensively in South/Central America, and who wouldn't want to run off to another country for 6 months? I wish I did it before grad school, and this is the kind of real world experience that a Clinical Psych PhD program can't give you. Plus once you're connected to a grad program, it's hard to leave for a few months so that's why I urged her to go and experience the world as opposed to working at a Starbucks or waiting tables before she starts grad school.

This is not possible. You cannot and will not work teaching English in Central or South America and come out positive financially. Trust me, I'm currently doing exactly what's described by arsesta. If you are looking to make money, find a job close to your family. Avoid spending time and money on commuting and rent.

Spanish has been really useful for me. Remember that familiarity with a language is a nice gesture, but for practicality- you need proficiency.

Keep us posted on the job search?

-C.J.

 

[Hopefulhokie]

learn Spanish! a better idea is to spend the next few months (after interviews) in a South American country, and this will save you $ while you learn Spanish and earn $ by teaching English. After you get into grad school, you will probably have to apply to externships or practicum sites (usually in hospitals) and your ability to speak even basic Spanish will give you an edge. I'm bilingual in Chinese, and it helps a little bit. I wish I knew Spanish!!!

As for the case manager position, it depends on what population you will be working with. Severely and persistently mentally ill? children/complex families? medical populations? After college, I worked as a Counselor/Case manager/advocate for immigrant domestic violence victims. I don't think it helped me to get into graduate school (PhD in clinical psych) because my research interests at the time weren't related to inter-personal violence or trauma. However, I believe the fieldwork set me apart from other grad students who came straight from ugrad by giving me some real world experiences. I also believe that it strengthened my love for clinical work and advocacy. The work was hard, emotionally (because you're listening to abuse all the time and seeing the effects in the clients) and physically (because I was working 50+ hrs/wk and running around the city, going to welfare office, court, shelter, etc). It was my choice to put in extra hours because I cared a lot about the women.

With interviewing for grad school and trying to integrate self-care into your routine, this may not be the best option. If I were you, I'd wait tables, babysit or pet sit until after interviews. Once you have an idea if you're getting in or not, then re-consider a CM position. Social service agencies are always looking for bright, passionate young people, so I don't think you'd have a terribly hard time landing a job.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

I applied to work with adults who are diagnosed with serious mental disorders and/or substance use disorders OR with SED children/adolescents as a child/family case manager. Don't really know much about it, but I think i'll be involved in the coordination/linkage of services, in addition to doing some crisis intervention and psychoeducational type stuff.

 

[arsesta]

I applied to work with adults who are diagnosed with serious mental disorders and/or substance use disorders OR with SED children/adolescents as a child/family case manager. Don't really know much about it, but I think i'll be involved in the coordination/linkage of services, in addition to doing some crisis intervention and psychoeducational type stuff.

That's great!! This will give you tons of hands on experience that other grad students coming straight from ugrad won't have. It might be a steep learning curve and can get frustrating, but you will learn so much about injustices in our mh/social services system!!!

 

[Hopefulhokie]

That's great!! This will give you tons of hands on experience that other grad students coming straight from ugrad won't have. It might be a steep learning curve and can get frustrating, but you will learn so much about injustices in our mh/social services system!!!

Haha, sounds super frustrating, but hopefully I'll get an interview at the very least and at least give it a shot.

I thought about living abroad for a while, but I'm locked into my lease at a really nice house with roommates, so it's not really an option. I took 4 semesters of Spanish when I was in high school, so Spanish would probably be the easiest and most useful.

 

[lizzo76]

Here's my take on the first part of your question, as a 34-year-old. I think that you should take the best job that you can get. You may think well, it's only for a brief amount of time, and it really doesn't matter, since I'll be entering a PhD program and no one will ever need to know that I worked at the Olive Garden. (And I'm not knocking that work, but I don't think someone should do it if they have the opportunity to have a "better position" in their chosen field of study.) But, down the line you may regret your decision. First, what if you don't get into your PhD program for Fall 2011? And what about when you apply for TA positions, or internships, or anything else? If you have a chance to earn good experience in something related to your field, you should take it. It's also an opportunity to learn what you do and do not like about work related to psychology.

I took a couple years off between college and grad school, and gave up the opportunity for a residential counselor position because I didn't like the location. Instead, I took a totally different sort of job in a desirable city. Basically, after working out of the psychology field for even a year, I realized I had virtually no chance of getting into a Clinical Psychology PhD program without taking some time to first beef up my credentials - get new research experience and recommendations. Ultimately, I worked in a totally different field and got a masters in a totally different field. I know you expect to get into your program, but you never know. I just think that in general, it's not a good idea to leave your field if you can help it. I don't mean that you shouldn't take time to pursue outside interests, but I don't think that your outside interests include "waitressing at Olive Garden." Waitressing itself can be stressful and exhausting, even if you might make a lot in tips. A case manager position might be stressful in a different way, but realize this - working full-time in an entry-level position is NOT like being a full-time student. You will have more free time (even with a long commute) then you did as a student. Don't turn down a good opportunity because you are worried about not having enough time to relax.

Here's one other consideration, which may or may not be relevant for you... it really depends, but you might not even know for sure if it is relevant for you until you are in the position of waitressing or doing secretarial work. I went to a top liberal arts college, and had been a good student my whole life. After turning down that residential counselor position, I had a few months where I was still trying to get a good job, so I temped. I worked as a receptionist at an accounting firm. At the time, with no real exposure to the real world, I had never been treated so poorly in my life, and as a 22-year-old straight out of an elite school, it was a shock. I got yelled at because the coffee I made wasn't very good. I felt like yelling, "uh, sorry, they didn't teach me how to make coffee at [X school which was way better than any of the schools attended by the employees of the firm]." At age 34, I don't think I'm hot stuff, and even at 22, I didn't really think that, but I was just so used to people being impressed by the fact that I was a good student at a good school that it didn't occur to me that some people couldn't care less about that. All they cared about was my phone manner and my coffee-making skills. Maybe you've already waitressed a lot, so the experience would be nothing new. But if not, you could be in for a surprise. If people are suddenly treating you poorly, and assume you're uneducated because you're a waitress (as a lot of people do) it might be tough to take. I know I'm not the only one to have felt that way. In that case, the mindless "fun" job without lots of responsibility might not end up being a great choice. If you're used to getting a decent amount of respect and you suddenly aren't getting any, it can be a mental blow.

 

[IvoryTower2013]

I worked as a case manager for families of children with developmental disabilities for 2 years between undergrad and graduate school. I personally disliked my job very much--I found it to be very stressful and sometimes unpleasant (of course all jobs are sometimes this way), and I frequently wanted to go back to an office job I had held during summers, which was easier and cushier than visiting families' homes. I stuck it out because I thought it would be better to be working in a semi-related field before graduate school. I'm not sure whether this helped my application or not, but it was a beneficial experience for me nonetheless. I was exposed to various types of mental health workers (other staff members were social workers, licensed mental health workers, psychologists, marital counselors, etc), which helped me understand what their day to day work looked like, and really helped me rule out what I did NOT want to pursue in the future. In addition, the type of work I was doing ended up making me very suited for a particular research assistantship at my program, which was an unanticipated benefit.

I also studied in Spain before I worked, which was probably the best thing I've ever done. I certainly didn't make any money doing that, but I came back fluent (though I'd been studying Spanish for 10 years before I left) and have subsequently gotten to use my Spanish both in research and clinical work. It can definitely be an asset in this field, and the experience of studying in another country is just amazing.

Best of luck in choosing your path! It can seem overwhelming to try to pick the "best" way to go, but I think if you have clear goals of where you want to end up, you will be able to construct valuable experiences out of whichever job/experience you choose.