Tip #1: Get to know your professors. Faculty are a very valuable resource of the Maryland community so seek them out. Stop in during their office hours. Ask professors about their own experience as an undergraduate student and inquire about how they decided on a career in psychology. What factors did they consider in deciding to go to graduate school? How did they develop their research interests? People like to talk about themselves, especially professors so don't hesitate to inquire!
Tip #2 Get involved in research. This can be conducting an independent research project or serving as a Research Assistant in a lab under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Regardless of how you obtain research experience what's most important is that you are developing research skills that include data collection, data analysis, interpreting results, and reporting findings. If you produce favorable research with a faculty member you can then submit your research for publication or presentation at a professional psychology conference. Advertised Research Assistant opportunities can be found at the following link:
http://umdpsyc.blogspot.com/search/label/Research%20Assistant%20positions
Tip #3: Seek internships and practicum experiences. Internships are supervised, professional experiences that allow a student to sample or test drive a particular career path. This is a great way to apply what you are learning in the classroom while acquiring valuable real world experience that you can market to future employers or graduate schools. Internships can be completed on a volunteer basis or for academic course credit. For more information on psychology internships go to: http://psychology.umd.edu/ugrad/internships.html
Tip #4: Take classes to enhance your communication skills. Employers value communication skills so you may want to consider taking some classes that will allow you to develop and hone your oral and written abilities. These might include additional writing, speech or communications courses that will fulfill elective requirements and add some flavor to your transcript. Leadership positions are also a great forum for practicing and developing your communication skills.
Tip#5: Get Work or Volunteer experience. Pursue a part-time paid or volunteer position that will allow you to explore a psychology related career. Volunteering shows that you are a civic minded individual and the knowledge or awareness that you are helping an individual, group, or organization can be very rewarding. Suggestions for psychology related work or volunteer positions can be found at the following link: http://umdpsyc.blogspot.com/2012/07/thinking-about-volunteer-position-in.html
Tip#6: Become a leader on campus. Get involved in an extracurricular organization or two here at Maryland. Don't just join the organization but become an active participant. Once you've become acclimated to the organization and demonstrated a commitment to its mission, consider pursuing a leadership position within the organization. For a full list of Maryland Clubs and Organizations go to:
https://stars.umd.edu/orgs/
Adapted from Careers in Psychology, Kuther T.L. and Morgan, R.D. (2010).
