Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Clinical Psychologists
Reina, a Clinical Psychologist, advises undergraduate students interested in the field to begin with "menial tasks" like "entering data" in research labs to gain experience. Further opportunities include undergraduate thesis work, poster presentations, and clinical setting work to confirm interest before committing to the lengthy graduate school process.
Career Exploration, Entry-Level, Data Analysis, Volunteer Experience, Research Experience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Reina Factor
Clinical Psychologist
UCLA and Spectrum Psych LA
Emory University 2012
Virginia Tech PhD Clinical Psychology
Psychology
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Medical
Honors Student, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Volunteer in labs to gain experience and familiarize yourself with research tasks.
2. Consider an undergraduate honors thesis or poster presentations to showcase your research skills.
3. Seek post-baccalaureate work experience in labs or clinical settings to confirm your career interest before committing to graduate school.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field for an undergraduate college student to consider?
As an undergraduate, you can volunteer in labs. They are almost always looking for people to help out. Often, you have to start with entering data, a menial task, but it is so important because that is where everybody starts.
You get used to doing that, so that's something you can do as an undergraduate. If you want to grow from there, there are often options to do poster presentations. I did an honors thesis in undergrad.
During your post-baccalaureate experience, you can work in a lab or a clinical setting to make sure it's something you want to do. Grad school is a long-term commitment. It's a long road, so it's good to have those experiences beforehand to decide if this is something you really want to pursue.