Improving my CV

Faith

I want to get into Clinical Psychology. My academic background is fairly strong, and I have a reasonable amount of voluntary work experience already. However, I have yet to even get an interview from any assistant psychologist jobs that I've applied for. I feel that not having a Masters (even though I have two degrees) is possibly holding me back. I'd really rather get a job than do a Masters for now (at most, I'd do a distance-learning Masters). Can you suggest any training courses and the like that I can do to improve my CV? I'm currently looking into doing the SAFEtalk and hopefully the ASSIST courses in suicide prevention. Is there anything else that I can do that will make my CV more impressive?

I'm also collaborating with my supervisor to get my thesis published, but that's a very slow-moving process currently.

JuliusCaesar

This might be useful to you, and to anyone hoping to get into Clinical Psychology

Faith

Thanks, I'm already a member of that, but all that goes up there is questions about applications for clinical, and the odd job (75% of the time those jobs are voluntary too). I could ask my question there for sure, but I don't think there's currently any useful information that pertains to my question there

CiaranMT

What are you qualified in at the minute?

I'd have thought that one would specifically need a Master's in Clin. Psych. before you apply for a job as one.

WesternNight

CiaranMT wrote: »

What are you qualified in at the minute?

I'd have thought that one would specifically need a Master's in Clin. Psych. before you apply for a job as one.

A degree in Psychology and some research/applied experience is what you (supposedly) need for Assistant Psychologist jobs. It's kind of a stepping stone to then be in a better position to apply for the DClinPsych proper, which requires X amount of experience especially if you don't have a Masters.

Faith, best of luck with finding something. Let us know how you get on! (so I can do the same when the time comes.. )

The Black Oil

Pursue the research angle and develop it a bit more, perhaps. I've never completed a clinical application, but it's one of those components they always banged on about when our department had presentations on professional training courses.

Semele

With your academic background and an upcoming publication you would be as well to apply for research assistant posts. They're as highly valued as AP ones for the purposes of the clinical application and often involve contact with clinical populations, training in administering psychometric tests etc. Although an AP post is the holy grail of experience a lot of people get onto courses without ever having had one- in fact it's statistically harder to get an AP post than to get onto training (in the UK at least). Any experience that involves contact with a clinical population and contact with clinical psychologists (especially if this involves supervision) is useful and your ability to learn from and reflect on your experiences is what will give you an edge, not just the job title itself. People tend to get very hung up on getting an AP post (and to be fair I think the Irish courses are still more geared towards this), however in the UK there is a growing acceptance that experience gained in a wide variety of posts is equally valid.

Do you have any basic clinical experience? For example as a support worker or similar? Most AP post will require some experience of working with a clinical population on top of any academic qualifications, so maybe it would be worth your while to seek this sort of experience for a while, while you get your thesis published (covering all bases!)

Faith

Thanks guys . Semele, I've worked part-time with a clinical psychologist for about 18 months now (one day a week, usually). While I was finishing my degree, my title there was "Research Assistant", but in reality I was an AP. I administered, scored and interpreted (under supervision for the interpretation) a large range of psychometric tests, including the WAIS-IV, collaborated in writing key reports and so on.

That's really interesting about it being statistically easier to get a place on a course than an AP position! I meant to apply for the doctorate this year, but didn't realise how early the closing date was.

I must sign up to jobs.ac.uk and keep on top of RA posts coming up, but they're lower paid than AP jobs which is frustrating. I applied for one recently in Dublin but didn't get it. The feedback was that my application was strong, but there was a high rate of applicants with Masters degrees and previous experience of paid employment as an RA. I'm trying to keep my eye out for short training courses that will make my CV stand out a bit now, in things like Addiction Studies and the like.

Ostrom

On the research side, if you have a background in statistics, you could take the royal statistical society certificate exams? They carry past papers and application details on their website. Some of the components are a little dated but it is at least some sort of formal recognition.

EUSSR

Lie. Make sure the lies are almost impossible to refute/verify. Please keep in mind the risks associated with this route. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The companies are lying to you too. You must keep ahead of their tricks. They will look for any minor issue on a cv to bin you from the race. Employers aren't generally being honest these days. Unpaid jobbridge schemes are an example of this abuse. Good luck.

Take my unpopular position on board, but don't commit to it without SERIOUS thought. If you are bad at lying, you WILL get caught.

Odysseus

Telling lies in order to engaged in clinical work, would go against the ethics of clinical work in and of itself; and I'm sure the OP would not engage in such behaviour. So I don't want to hear anymore of this.

JuliusCaesar

EUSSR wrote: »

Take my unpopular immoral and unethical position on board,

FYP