Smith Psychology Club

Career Resources

Frustrated that the Lazarus Center for Career Development knows a lot about jobs in finance, government, and healthcare but knows next to nothing about jobs in psych? You’re not alone. The Psychology Club has created and curated relevant resources for psych students.

Psychology Research Careers

The American Psychological Association (APA) has an online guidebook called Exploring the Wide Range of Psychological Science (PDF)

More resources will be added. Stay tuned!

Social Service Careers

All Smith students have access to the Vault, regardless of class year or major. This up-to-date career library includes career guidebooks for a variety of industries, blog posts about topics ranging from job interview tips to perfecting your cover letter, and internship rankings for each industry.

The Vault Guide to Social Service Jobs, Second Edition contains key information about social service jobs, such as common job responsibilities, typical salary ranges, required certifications, tips for entry, and so much more.

With a Smith College email address, you can access a PDF copy of the Vault Guide to Social Service Jobs, Second Edition for your perusal. You’re also welcome to access the guide on Vault.

More resources will be added. Stay tuned!

Other Careers

In 2021, colleges in the United States awarded 134,407 bachelor’s degrees in psychology to the graduating class, showing how psychology has become one of the most popular undergraduate majors nationwide (Stamm et al., 2023). And before you ask, no, not all 134,407 of them went on to careers in clinical practice or scientific research. There are plenty of careers out there where psychology knowledge is needed—some that might surprise you and others that hide in plain sight.

If students don’t want to provide therapy or conduct research, they can consider becoming an admissions counselor, career counselor, forensic psychologist, human resources coordinator, industrial/organizational psychologist, marketing manager, market research analyst, probation officer, training and development specialist, teacher, UX researcher, and so much more! Check out the resources below for more information:

Professional Development Resources

How to Write a CV

Here is a link to a sample CV template

How to Write and Send a Cold Email

How to Write a Cover Letter

coming soon…

How to Request a Letter of Recommendation

coming soon…

Tips for Interviews

coming soon…

Funding for Psychology Students

Professional Development Opportunities

Conferences

In psychology, conferences are professional gatherings where clinicians, researchers, and scholars come together to present and discuss their latest practices, findings, and theories. From major organizations, such as the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, to more specialized and niche gatherings, psychology conferences offer opportunities suited to virtually every student’s interests and career goals. It’s highly recommended for students to attend at least one conference during their time at Smith.

For more information on what conferences look like, visit Psychepedia’s article on conferences. If you’re worried about cost, check out the Lazarus Center’s Professional Development Fund.

With a Smith College email address, you can access this folder containing video interviews with Smith students about applying to, attending, and funding academic conferences.

Professional Affiliation Organizations

coming soon…