Tag Archives: Professional Development

What’s It Like For a First-Timer to Attend APA Convention?

Denver

This Denver, Colorado skyline awaits 2016 Conventioneers.

APA Convention is a great way to connect with your peers and with established psychologists. There are so many opportunities for networking, learning, and growth . Convention will be in Denver, Colorado from August 4 through 7, 2016.

We want to help you get there by providing funding through five APAGS Convention Travel Awards, each worth $500 in reimbursement. Additionally, we offer registration fee waivers for all APAGS member first-authors at Convention (learn more in our FAQ). Other directorates in APA (such as Science), along with several divisions, also offer special funding opportunities.

The deadline to submit a poster or program proposal is Tuesday, December 1 at 5pm Eastern. Don’t miss your opportunity to present at Convention and get connected!

One of last year’s travel grant winners — a doctoral student at Auburn University — shared her experiences with me about the process of applying for funds to attend the APA Convention in Toronto.

Heather Dade: Why did you decide to apply for our Convention Travel Award? 

Anne Conroy: I was excited at the opportunity to attend sessions, devote time to my professional development, and explore new surroundings.  I was going to get the opportunity to assist with my first symposium, and I was going to view the posters of my colleagues and friends.

Heather: We’re happy you applied. Tell me what you first thought about Convention when you got to Toronto. 

Anne: My excitement was somewhat replaced by a feeling of anxiety. I was overwhelmed by the size of, well, everything: The Convention guide resembled a phone book, and there was a sea of psychologists spread in every direction who seemed to know what they were doing.  How was I going to get the most out of this experience?

Heather: What did help you get a handle on this Convention? 

Anne: Attending the APAGS orientation and connecting with other APAGS ambassadors helped me feel less overwhelmed and made the convention seem more manageable.  As the conference progressed, I started to see familiar faces in the vast sea of psychologists and psychologists-in-training, which gave me reassurance that I would not be forever lost in my attempts to navigate from session to session.  I enjoyed conversing with my fellow APAGS ambassadors, many of whom were also attending their first APA conference.  We bonded over our mutual bewilderment at the sheer magnitude of the conference, along with our desire to make the most of the experience.

APAGS Ambassadors play a warm up game during orientation in Toronto, August 2015 .

APAGS Ambassadors play a warm-up game during orientation in Toronto, August 2015 .

Heather: Anne, how did you figure out how to fill your time at Convention?

Anne: In determining my schedule, I decided to attend several of the APAGS sessions, with the hope that attending programs geared toward graduate students would give me useful pieces of information to apply upon returning home.  I attended a session entitled, “Set Goals, Say No, and Still Graduate,” where I was able to create a timeline for completing my dissertation proposal, broken down into small, digestible pieces.  I was thoroughly pleased when I left the session, as I had a workable, reasonable time frame to present to my adviser!  I plan on applying the strategies learned in that session to other academic pursuits, including data collection and dissertation defense.

Heather: Did you go to anything else at Convention that you liked? 

Anne: Another APAGS session that provided me with incredibly beneficial information was the Internship Workshop.  While I am still at least one year away from applying for internship, I found the information to be useful in dispelling my fears around internship essays, selection of sites, and the like.  I took copious amounts of notes regarding how to communicate my personal and professional identity to site directors, along with tips regarding scheduling interviews and how to avoid being overwhelmed by the process.  I was so impressed with the APAGS programming at the convention that I encouraged other members from my program to attend APAGS sessions.

Heather: What would you say to another student who was considering applying?

Anne: I received numerous benefits beyond the monetary prize, including gaining valuable pieces of information that will serve me well as I continue my education and gaining contacts to whom I can reach out with questions.   I encourage all who are interested in applying to do so for next year’s convention.  You won’t regret it!

Getting a Tenure Track Position

While there are many jobs that psychologists can do well after graduation, tenure track professorships are among the positions that many students aspire to. Getting a tenure track faculty position right out of your doctoral program is not easy, but it can be done. Here, five new assistant professors in counseling psychology share tips on what they believe helped them be successful during the job application process last year. These (now) assistant professors were asked, “What made you competitive for a tenure track job?”

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Obtaining Clinical Experience Through an Undergraduate Applied Experience

If you are interested in applying to graduate school, obtaining clinical experience may be beneficial in creating a memorable graduate application, as well as preparing you for future graduate studies. Discussing your clinical experience both in your graduate applications and in interviews may provide the important hook that makes you stand out to admissions committees. Many universities offer variations of an “Applied Experience” or “Undergraduate Practicum.” This experience also allows you the opportunity to learn more about the population you are interested in working with and apply psychological principles in a multitude of settings or human services agencies.  It is important to realize that although doing an applied experience is a great opportunity to be exposed to specific populations experiencing a variety of psychological symptomatology, your role during an undergraduate applied experience or practicum is far different than that of the role you may expect in graduate school or as a clinician.

Steps to Obtaining an Applied Experience
1. Check your university’s course catalog that there is a practicum for course credit.
2. Identify your local human services agencies (referral agencies can be found on your County’s Human Services web page) and if applicable, faculty clinics.
3. Review the agencies and call the ones that serve the clients in whom you are interested.
4. Speak with your advisor and express your interest in a supervised volunteer experience for course credits.

Reflecting On My Experience
I opted to complete an Applied Experience with the Department of Child and Family Services in Corpus Christi, Texas.  At Child Protective Services (CPS), I had the unique opportunity of working with social workers and meeting with the licensed clinical psychologist who works with cases referred by CPS.  I was able to ask questions and understand the process of getting families the help and services that they need.  This was also my first opportunity to speak with a psychologist and learn about the day-to-day life of working with clients.  At CPS, I observed interviews between the caseworkers and children and shadowed caseworkers during home visits.  I attended court hearings and witnessed parents lose custody of their children and had the opportunity to provide guidance and modeling during parent- child supervised visits.  Each caseworker that I shadowed was such an inspiration to me and I was amazed at the training they received in self-care.  In a career that experiences so much burnout and stress, these social workers demonstrated the importance of mentally removing themselves from their jobs and “detaching from the office.”  This was one of the best pieces of advice that guides me as a graduate practicum student now working with my own clients.
This experience allowed me the opportunity to realize my interest in working with trauma cases and specifically survivors of childhood abuse.  When applying to graduate Clinical Psy.D. programs, I knew that I wanted to be in a program that would allow me the opportunity to develop specialized knowledge in the field of trauma psychology. If you are able to complete an applied experience, remember that it is what you take away from the experience that will help you to develop professionally and set you apart from other applicants!

Editor’s Note: Jenna Lyons is a third-year clinical PsyD student at Nova Southeastern University.

5 Tips to Help You Manage Your Public Speaking Anxiety

davisMiller3Many students dread making public presentations. Glossophobia, or fear of public speaking and speech anxiety, is one of the most common phobias, effecting as much as 75% of the population. Yet giving presentations and other forms of public speaking is an important part of developing professionally. Therefore it is important for students to overcome these fears and to find ways to excel at public speaking.

Here are 5 tips for students to help overcome a fear of public speaking:

1. Know your material. It is important to know the material you are presenting well and to be able to speak fluently about the subject matter. Having a firm grasp and understanding of what you are presenting will help you feel more comfortable during your presentation and will also project confidence to your audience. Be sure that you understand the material being presented inside and out. Come up with potential questions that the audience might ask and be prepared with your answers. Again, the better you know the subject matter, the more confident you’ll feel.

2. Think positively. We’ve all heard the benefits of positive thinking. These benefits can also apply to your presentation. Going into the presentation with a positive outlook will not only give you a boost of confidence, but that will also be projected to the audience. Thinking positively in general has been known to lower stress levels. Focusing on a positive reaction to your presentation and successful outcomes will help reduce your anxiety around public speaking. Do you remember the last time you achieved something amazing? How did that feel? Use those emotions to your advantage and make them your weapon on stage. Focus on these good emotions and try to avoid thinking of things that might go wrong during your presentation.

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. –Zig Ziglar

3. Learn from others. Public speeches come in a wealth of forms: Seminar series, conference talks, journal club meetings, student presentations and more. One can learn a lot of things from observing these talks. Make a point to observe others in public speaking roles and consider: Which speech did I enjoy and why? Which speaker was most appealing? What made one speech better than another? After assessing other speakers, think about your presentation style, and how you can imitate some of the characteristics of the speakers you preferred.

4. Be aware of your body language. Non-verbal communication is an important skill to master when giving presentations. Your body language may convey unintended messages to your audience. For example, excessive fidgeting shows nervousness and conveys a sense of anxiousness. When practicing your speech, do so in front of a mirror. Notice any repetitive movements you may be making. Make a concerted effort to avoid fidgeting, shuffling, or any other movements that may indicate to the audience that you are nervous. There are several tricks to help you avoid making these unconscious nervous movements  (e.g., mindfulness, holding a pen or paperclip firmly when speaking, and so forth). Avoiding these movements should help you as the presenter to feel a sense of calmness and ease during the presentation.

5. Practice. One of the most important things you can do to lessen anxiety before a big presentation is to practice. For one, this will allow you to find any hiccups in the presentation that you’d like to avoid. If there is a phrase or sentence that causes you to become tongue-tied, toss it or change it. Record yourself. Hear how the presentation sounds. Practice in front of a mirror and in front of friends. Allow others to give you honest feedback about the presentation. Determine what your strengths are in presenting and focus on those, and work on areas that need improvement.

 DavisMiller2You can do this!

Humans are often terrified that our deepest fears and emotions will be noticed by other people. We sometimes believe that they’ll uncover these fears through our tone of voice, sweaty faces, or accelerated breathing. Fortunately, we can give ourselves a boost of confidence by becoming comfortable with what we’re trying to convey.

It is common to be nervous when giving public speeches. Many people have this fear, so know that you are not alone! Public speaking is not a natural-born skill for anyone, nor is it even a miraculous talent for most people. Consider it a learned ability that can be mastered over time by trying some of these tips. Visit the London Speaker Bureau for more information about public speaking.

Editor’s note: Davis Miller is a student in psychology at the University of Alberta.