Prepping for "pp + adjunct teaching" path during internship

[brain hugger]

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I'll be starting internship in September but will have July and August free. I was wondering how to make best use of this summer and internship year, with the potential of pursuing a private practice + adjunct teaching path? My school is not in an area where my internship is (which is ultimately the place I'd like to settle down) so my school doesn't have any strong connections in the Boston area.

Do you recommend cold-calling psych dept (heads? secretaries?) about possible summer teaching positions and/or private practitioners in the area (to get a sense of how one even creates this kind of path here)?

Thanks!

 

[deleted343839]

I wouldn't cold call. If I understand you, you are interested in settling down in Boston, which is where your internship will be located -- is that right? If so, then your internship faculty will probably be your most valuable resource for networking with local professionals and finding jobs in the area. You can also join the state or local psychology association and network at meetings over the course of the year. There's no harm in sending your CV out to be considered for adjunct applicant pools, but it would be premature to do that now.

I would use your time this summer to wrap up any loose ends from school, learn about private practice from any supervisors or contacts you already have access to, and create a solid financial plan for yourself. I don't think there is much of a point in trying to learn about the Boston-area practice market before you're actually there.

 

[brain hugger]

Thanks for the quick and helpful response! 🙂

Also, I realized I hadn't mentioned that I've been in Boston for the past year (doing research here and finishing up my dissertation) so wanted to see if there was anything I can do to help transition from an academia/research path into private practice + teaching.

 

[Pragma]

Get your CV up to par with your teaching experience and have a teaching philosophy statement prepared. The best way to get adjunct courses is through connections.

You could cold call by sending your CV. Could yield a hit when someone is in a bind. But much better to use connections because chairs often fill these spots via word-of-mouth.