Your Competitive Edge:
Strategies for Becoming a Successful New Psychologist

 

Surviving Your Post-Doctoral Job Hunt
Part I: Make Sure You Meet State License Requirements
by Dr. John T. Carlsen

In looking for a post-doctoral job, might find yourself juggling many different priorities - some personal and some professional.  The following guidelines will help you maintain your focus and help you to balance these priorities as you uncover your best possibilities:

• Set definitive criteria for accepting a job offer that enables you to fulfill state licensing requirements
• Spell out in detail the kinds of work you want to do - and identify places you have the best chances of doing it - without compromising your priorities.
• Identify and describe the unique qualifications you offer to prospective employers - and be prepared to tell them how hiring you could help them reach their agency or departmental goals.

Your highest priority for your post-doctoral job is making sure it will enable you to become a licensed clinical psychologist. . . in every state in which you plan to practice.  To achieve this, the position must prepare you to fulfill the requirements of each state's Clinical Psychology Licensing Act.  

Because states may differ in these exact requirements, be sure to verify the specific criteria for the states in which you want to practice. Some states, such as California and New York, require their psychology applicants to complete oral exams in addition to the written exam and direct service hours.  To ensure that you understand clearly what is expected of you, you can start your preparations by downloading copies of your state’s psychology licensing act and the application for state licensure. (For example, Illinois applicants can find out how to obtain these documents from the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.)

Expand Your Employment Possibilities

Contrary to what you might have believed, most states do not limit you to applying for official "post-doc" positions in satisfying license requirements. Unlike the pre-doctoral internship, few states have formally structured the post-doctoral year. As a result, only a small number of these formal positions actually exist.  

In fact, if you apply for post-docs you see advertised publicly, you are likely to face strong competition because of their increased public exposure.  This is especially true for those advertised in publications like the "APA Monitor on Psychology" or your state association’s newsletter.  These positions generally focus on helping interns to acquire competence in particular areas, learning skills to use with specific populations. Because they emphasize training over work productivity, employers often feel justified in offering stipends that fall well below the salaries they would have to pay if these were traditional jobs.  If such post-doctor training will further your specific professional goals,  by all means, give them your best shot.

In most cases, you may accept any clinical job that meets licensing requirements, regardless of its officially- designated title, including clinical therapist, case manager, and, even, mental health worker. You might have to swallow a bit of your pride to accept one of these jobs - especially having earned the title "Dr."  Yet, the benefits of "getting your foot in the door" for a later promotion while also satisfying your license requirements right away and can more than compensate for any temporary loss of status.

(For the record, my first full-time position after graduation was working for six months as the receptionist at a not-for-profit agency. I was often tempted to answer the phone, "Contact Chicago, Dr. Carlsen speaking. How may I direct your call?". Talk about over-qualified. . . .)

As hard as it might seem to accept this scenario, you owe it to yourself to try.  Regardless of how much pride you  have to swallow, you might need to compromise your ego in order to move forward with your career.  If you have the opportunity to work in one of the lower-level mentioned earlier  - and can use it to satisfy your license requirements -  go after it with open arms.  In the mean time, you can always compensate by using your new title to guarantee a table for four at your favorite restaurant. 

John T. Carlsen, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist who trains and supervises psychology interns and externs in the Chicago Department of Public Health.  He offers personal coaching and other resources for graduate students as they apply for their practicum, internship, and post-doctoral training.  For more information about personal coaching, click here. To submit comments, questions, or topic suggestions for future issues of Your Competitive Edge™, click here

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