Actually, contrary to what you might believe, you have much greater influence over the job hunt initially than the employer does. That is, you have a much greater chance of knowing and finding what you want in a job than any particular employer has of either tracking you down as an ideal applicant, or hiring you for a job that gives you what you want.   You have the time to focus on sufficiently preparing yourself for the job hunt.  Employers know nothing about you.  They are simply at the mercy of the applicant pool - having to wait until the right person finds them, so they can to fill the open position as soon as possible and get back to running their agency or department..

Once again - as in most of life - luck favors the well-prepared over the merely hopeful.

Typically, new graduates start out trying to fit their qualifications into whatever job openings they hear about or see advertised.  Driven by a sense of competition or desperation, they frantically resort to filling their resumes and CV’s with "buzz" words they hope will catch an employer’s attention. Or, they stretch their credentials and inflate their experience (read: lie) to fit the requirements of a particular job.

If you are like most recent graduates, you feel overwhelmed by the challenges of finding a post-doctoral job and more than a little disoriented. After all, you have spent the last several years satisfying the requirements of others - supervisors, professors, and administrators. Your graduate training has consisted mostly of moving through structured experiences shaped by others - classes, practicum training, and internship. Now, with only minimal preparation, you are expected to find a professional position. . . in the completely unstructured world of work. So, how are you supposed to cope successfully with this shift?

You can start by giving yourself a break.  Slow yourself down enough to gain some perspective on the tasks ahead of you.  And, give yourself some time to get prepared for this job hunt. Ideally, your post-doctoral job will enable you to satisfy two important criteria. First, as recommended in Part I of this article, this job will prepare you to fulfill your state’s requirements for becoming a licensed clinical psychologist.  (By the way, remember that you cannot legally call yourself a "psychologist" until after you have become licensed - unless you work in a government position which has that title and then only within that work setting.  You may, of course, use the title of "Dr." as soon as you have satisfied the requirements for graduation, usually on the day that you have completed both your internship and your dissertation. A Quick Aside:  One way to celebrate that occasion right away is to call and make restaurant reservations:  "A party of four for Dr. Carlsen". Another is to have "Dr." printed on your next order of checks.)

Secondly, your ideal post-doctoral job will provide opportunities to work with your chosen population(s) while continuing to develop and refine your skills. To achieve this goal, you must start by defining clearly what you want and need from any position you might consider. This means knowing when and under what circumstances you can afford to compromise your priorities.  Without having such a firm sense of direction, you might waste inordinate amounts of time and effort pursuing job leads that fall short of meeting your requirements . . . and your personal needs.  Given this public exposure, be prepared for some serious competition from other applicants.

Of course, if you really need structure in your job hunt, you might choose to apply to the small number of formally-structured post-doctoral fellowship positions that exist across the country.  Unfortunately for clinical graduates seeking licensure, however, they generally emphasize research over clinical training. And, they tend to emphasize the needs of the host institution over those of the applicant.  (Consider, for example, the ration of job responsibilities to salary.)  So, how can you take charge of this difficult process and increase your chances of success? 

Follow each of these guidelines carefully:

1. Articulate what you want from your post-doctoral position. Allow yourself to dream about your ideal position, and write about this dream in detail. Remember the clients you most enjoyed working with during your practicum and internship. Re-read your applications for graduate school and internship to refresh your memory about what you originally wanted to do in this field.  Boil down these descriptions into a short list of your main priorities. As with applying for training, many graduates start the post-doctoral job hunt by preparing to fit themselves into whatever position openings they can uncover. They limit themselves to applying for positions they see advertised in the APA Monitor on Psychology, on school bulletin boards, or through list-serves. While it does not hurt you to use these traditional methods, however, you must realize that they will invite a very large number of applications and create unnecessary levels of competition from your peers.
2. Clarify the areas in which you want additional training, knowledge, and experience. Talk with your professors and supervisors from your practicum and internship training. They will most likely have specific suggestions for the kinds of professional experience you need to do the work you want.  Moreover, your post-doctoral year will be your final period of working under supervision before you are licensed for independent practice. Take advantage of this opportunity for exposing yourself to new areas of learning and for working with more challenging clients while you still have the safety of regular discussions with your clinical supervisor.
3. Recognize the indisputable power of knowing what you want   As mentioned above, articulating your dreams offers you no guarantee that you will find the job you want . . . at least not right away. By not putting these dreams into words, however, you greatly diminish your potential for success.  No matter what else you might overlook, you owe yourself the benefits of having defined your priorities. .After all, you never know when the position you want might become available so you can pursue it. More importantly, simply knowing what you want allows you to stay deeply connected to your passion for this field. This passion that led you to invest so much time, energy and money in pursuing your professional training is one of your greatest allies. A job hunt that is firmly grounded in your soul by what you want significantly bolsters your motivation.  Even if a job lacks some of the elements you would like, being in touch with your passions helps you to convey enthusiasm to any prospective employer. Furthermore, knowing what you want enables you to compromise temporarily in accepting a position without losing sight of your long-term professional goals. And, this solid emotional foundation strengthens your ability to face the inevitable disappointments that accompany any job hunt without taking them to heart and becoming hopeless about your prospects.
4. Avoid the temptation to accept the first position someone offers you. New graduates often ask me: "In a down economy, with a tight job market, shouldn’t I simply take whatever job I can get? After all, I need to get to work." Of course, if you are the sole bread winner in your family or a self-supporting single person, you might have no other choice. You might simply have to start earning income whatever way you can so you can pay the bills. In that case, you can put off earning your post-doctoral hours and your license while regaining financial stability. If so, consider taking the position and setting aside time to continue pursuing the post-doctoral job you want. There is no hurry to acquire your license . . . not, at least, at the expense of sacrificing what you need to meet state requirements. (For further discussion of the pitfalls of cutting corners with your post-doctoral experience, see Part I of this series.) This will enable you to fulfill your basic needs and provide for your family while continuing to hold tight to your dream internally.
5. Keep in mind that the majority of positions are filled from within an organization and that most are never widely-advertised publicly. Some organizations fill their open positions only by promoting current employees.  In this case, your best strategy might involve "getting your foot in the door" by initially accepting an entry-level position, such as mental health worker or case manager. (Often, if a licensed psychologist is available for supervision, one of these positions can provide enough direct clinical experience to satisfy state licensing requirements. Licensing boards seem to care more about the quality of the clinical experience rather than the job title held by the applicant) Also, as stated earlier, the process of filling open positions often takes a great deal of time for a clinical director. A job-hunting strategy that also includes "cold calls" to prospective employers might result in your "being in the right place at the right time." (For more specific guidance in "getting your foot in the door" and "being in the right place at the right time," stay tuned to articles on generating job leads and professional networking in future issues of this newsletter.)

Ultimately, no matter how much effort and time you need to invest in preparing for your post-doctoral job hunt, your care and attention will pay off. Knowing clearly what you want from the position and feeling comfortable communicating your priorities will give you a level of confidence that employers will find impressive. Few employment situations look more pathetic than a job applicant who has no idea what he or she is looking for from a position. Or, one who has no idea how - and therefore cannot articulate how - he or she could play a part in helping the department or agency reach its long-term goals.  (I strongly believe this is one of the primary reasons so many professionals in the country remain unemployed.)