Topics

How do I determine my interests?

  • What kind of work do you enjoy?
  • In what specific area of development would you like to pursue a career (public health, planning, finance, human rights, education, environment, etc.)?
  • What skills do you have or need to acquire to meet your career objective and how will the job/internship help you meet those goals (field work, practical experience, opportunities for networking or building professional relationships)?
  • What kind of institution do you want to work with?
  • What is your desired income?
  • Do you have an interest in a particular geographical area or issue area?

Beginning the self assessment piece of career planning and development forces student to THINK which will ultimately be revisited for their next job/internship choice (ex: I hated this, or I loved that) and also helps them prove or disprove assumptions of self.

What kinds of experiential learning opportunities are available in psychology?

  • “Internships” are typically learning opportunities outside the classroom that may be:
    • For course credit (or not)
    • Paid (or unpaid)
  • The psychology department does NOT offer what we call “internships” for course credit but several other experiential learning opportunities instead.
  • Community Service Learning (1, 2, or 3 credits)
  • Research Service Learning (1, 2, or 3 credits)
  • All of these require permission numbers by instructor. Advising workshops will provide more information about options for next semester.
  • This does not mean that you should not pursue experiential learning that is not for course credit!

Students seek experiential learning…

  1. as a way to connect their academic training with the external world
  2. to "test out" a possible career direction
  3. to earn money in order to stay in school
  4. to develop skills
  5. to gain experience and professional contacts

Experiential Learning

  • Demonstrate greater career focus, and thus have more full-time employment options after graduation
  • Strengthen lessons learned in school while applying them alongside professionals
  • Often an expectation for many graduate programs and jobs

Internships—some options

Volunteering

Employers are 95% more likely to hire a recent graduate who has professional experience.

Networking: Make the most of professional development

Use the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) for internship / job postings, networking events, trainings and workshops (professional development).

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with more than 930 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Student Gains

  • Experience
  • Knowledge
  • Confidence/Self-esteem
  • Networks
  • Resume builders
  • Transferable skills
  • Well roundedness

UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center

Main Office
University Crossing
220 Pawtucket Street, Suite #450
Lowell, MA 01854-5148

Satellite Office
O'Leary Library
61 Wilder Street, Room# 105
Lowell, MA 01854-5148

Phone: 978-934-2355
E-mail Career Services: career_services@uml.edu
UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center website

What can Career Services do?

Individual Career Counseling Appointments

  • Career assessments (Focus2, SkillScan)
  • Career exploration
  • Resume/cover letter assistance
  • Interview preparation/practice interviews
  • Graduate school consultation

The UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center website includes:

  • What Can I Do With This Major?
  • FOCUS
  • O’NET
  • Handshake (online job/internship/co-op listings)
  • Hot News (information, announcements, events)
  • How-to Articles
  • Career Videos
  • and much more

Events

  • Career fairs
  • Workshops (career fair prep, interviewing, etc.)
  • Employer info sessions/on-campus interviewing
  • Dine & Dress for Success
  • Daily drop-in hours

Career Research

  • Human Services
  • Research
  • Education
  • Human Resources
  • Business & Industry

Massachusetts Graduate Programs

  • There are many MA, MS and Ph.D. programs statewide
  • Counseling, Education, Clinical Psychology, Social Work
  • Statewide website list will be posted on the CAST website

You can also contact Alice Frye by email: alice_frye@uml.edu for assistance.

Join the Psychology club!

The Psych Club is one of many student organizations at UMass Lowell. We welcome all students to join regardless of ones major. Being a club member is an opportunity to develop and fine tune leadership abilities and organizational skills. Working as a team and being an active member of any club enhances ones resume, opens doors to new friendships and is the genesis of professional networking. More importantly it is a prospect to a more meaningful understanding of psychology what with its complexities ranging from social to community, personal, gender and behavioral impact; together we help students learn about psychology inside and outside the classroom. We organize activities that benefit fellow UMass Lowell students and the greater Lowell community with our events.