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Psychology Seminar –Spring 2008

Olson
NEXT STEPS CHECKLIST
Directions: Please check “next steps” you think would be important for you to pursue during your time at SMSU.

Assessment of Interests

o Take the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory


to sort out my career interests (need appt. w/ o Take a wide variety of courses to sort out what
Career Resource Office for this) my main interests are

o Review course catalogue(s) to see what o Talk to my faculty advisor (or other faculty
courses look most interesting to me and think member) about my interests
about specific reasons that they are appealing
to me o Talk with a family member, friend, minister,
or other person that cares about my personal
o Review textbooks from different fields to see and career development
which ones sound the most interesting (i.e.,
What topics seems to “grab me” or energize o Look for volunteer experiences that could help
me right away?) me clarify my interests

o Buy a self-help book on careers and walk o Look for internships that could help clarify my
through the interest assessment portion interests

o Interview someone in a field that is appealing o Attend a lecture or other special event on
to me campus that could clarify my interests

o Pay attention to my day dreams about what o Other________________________________


would be fun to do
o Other ________________________________
o Look up national professional organization
information (such as, American Psychological o Other ________________________________
Association. American Counseling
Association) and see what interest groups or o Other ________________________________
divisions (i.e., specific disciplines within a
professional organization) seem most
interesting to me

Assessment of Abilities

o Take a variety of courses to assess (and o Look for volunteer experiences that could help
enhance) my knowledge and skills for me get a better sense of my abilities
different academic topics
o Look for internship experiences that could help
o Take a risk and try something new (e.g., me get a better sense of my abilities
start a club, become a leader in an existing
club, try out for a part in a play) to o Try out one or more athletic activities to get a
discover more about my abilities better sense of my abilities related to physical
strength, coordination, being a “team player”, etc.
o Get feedback from friends, family
members, coaches, advisors and others o Other ________________________________
who know me pretty well about their
perception of my abilities o Other ________________________________

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Psychology Seminar –Spring 2008
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Enhancing Knowledge of Diverse Populations

o Attend multlicultural events on campus and in o Seek ways to spend time in other regions of
the community the United States (e.g., Spring Break trips,
summer employment)
o Seek volunteer experiences, internship or paid
work experiences w/ diverse populations, o Seek ways to spend time in other parts of
involving work with: the world (e.g., Global Studies Program,
language training program, eco-tourism
__ children experiences)
__ youth
__ young adults o Seek information about local, national and
__ adults international service-learning opportunities
__ seniors (see SMSU Office of Civic Engagement
materials)
__ urban populations
__ rural populations o Get information about VISTA, Peace Corps,
and other Corporation of National and
__ lower social class status (i.e., poor ) populations Community Service programs that involve
__ upper social class status(i.e., rich) populations year (sometimes less) of service
opportunities
__ people w/ different ethnic/racial background than
my own o Enroll in courses that heighten my
awareness of diversity concerns
__ people from a different geographic region than the
geographic region(s) where I have lived o Learn a foreign language

__ people who have a mental health or physical o Seek friendships with people with whom I
disability might not typically spend time

__ people who have a history or trauma o Seek “slice of life” experiences (i.e., put
myself in situations that might make me a
__ people who have a different religious background little uncomfortable – in a good way)
than my own
o Other ____________________________
__ people who have a different sexual orientation than
my own
o Other ____________________________

Gathering Information about Graduate Study/Professional Certification

o Review Peterson’s Guide to get more o Call students at graduate programs of interest
information about graduate programs that are
available in my field of interest o Find out what it takes to get certified/licensed
in my area of interest (see O*Net website)
o Interview people working in my area of
interest to find out more about advantages and o Find out what national qualifying exams are
disadvantages of pursuing a graduate degree typically used for my area of interest (e.g.,
in my field GRE, MCAT)

o Call or email to request graduate studies o See opportunities to help out with or initiate
information from colleges and universities of my own research study(ies)
interest
o Participate in the Annual SMSU
o Contact faculty members at graduate Undergraduate Research Conference
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Psychology Seminar –Spring 2008
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programs of interest
Other ____________________________

Gathering Information about Financial Aid and Job Salaries

o Meet with a financial aid advisor to figure out a o Determine how many loans I am willing to take
plan for funding my academic training out over the course of my academic training
(i.e., how much debt am I willing to take on )
o Look up information about scholarships in my
area(s) of interest o Ask prospective work sites whether they assist
with tuition for graduate studies
o Interview people in my field of interest to find
out how they funded their formal education o Gather information about loan forgiveness
options for professionals working in mental
o Ask graduate programs funding they provide health fields
for their students
o Gather information about how to fund cross-
o Look up information on salary.com or O*Net cultural experiences
about salary of job(s) in my area(s) of interest
o Other _________________________________
o Interview people in this region to find out how
much I may be expected to earn my field of o Other _________________________________
interest

Figuring out Ways to Market Myself as a Recent Graduate with a B.A. in Psychology

o Learn how to describe myself in terms of my o Practice doing an interview (preferably


knowledge, experiences, values, etc. as they videotaped)
relate to my area(s) of interest
o Think in a broad way about how to acquire a
o Put together or update my resume broad range of learning experiences (in-class
and out of class experiences)
o Get feedback from more than one person (from
faculty member, person working in field of o Other _______________________________
interest, and career counselor
o Other ________________________________

Creating a Business of My Own

o Get information about starting a non-profit o Get information about starting a for-profit
agency business

o Get information about micro-financing of a o Other _____________________________


small business

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