In the assignment this week you will be exploring two clinical psychology positions and then comparing them to your career goals. As such, a helpful first step is taking a closer look at your career interests and goals. You may already have a clear picture of what you want to do in the field. If so, this discussion may help to confirm or fine tune that. If you are still exploring options, pairing interests to your career goals is one way to help ensure a good match.
First complete the O*Net Interest Profiler (Employment & Training Administration, n.d.). Take your time and follow the directions carefully for the most accurate results. Note that several career options will be suggested toward the end of the exercise. There is typically a range of options and several of the suggestions may not be in the psychology field. This is not an indication to rule out options and positions in the field. Another important area of focus is the Interest Profiler results page which rates your interests in terms of characteristics such as realistic, investigative, artistic, etc. Take note of this page (just after the questions) and your two highest scoring categories. Click on the links for those categories and jot down notes on what types of careers are a good match for that area of interest. Then proceed to the Job Zones and Careers steps.
Once you have completed the above steps discuss the following for this discussion:
What were your two highest scoring Interest Profile categories? Briefly describe each one (be sure to cite this website).
Share your reaction to this information. Do you agree or disagree that these two areas are a good fit for you, and why?
Describe two careers suggested in the Careers step. How do these align with your current career goals? How do they align with the Interest Profile categories in which you scored highest?
Choose one of the careers described in this week’s reading. Explain how it relates to the areas of interest identified in your interest profile.