Advice not given
This book is not intended to teach you everything there is to know about a career in psychology. I can't cover everything.
This book is not intended to teach all the skills you'll need to succeed in life.
I try to address some major shortcomings in certain "how to" entries:
- How to write undergrad assignments
- How to write a paper for publication
- How to dress like an academic
- How to present findings
- How to ask questions
- How to read a paper
- How to review a paper
However, I do not cover everything:
- How to manage your time
- How to manage your stress
- How to manage your research projects
- How to manage your data (e.g. naming conventions, version control)
- How to manage your relationships (e.g. your supervisor, lab-mates, collaborators)
- How to manage conflict or misconduct
- How to manage your finances or employment contracts
- How to write certain documents (e.g. ethics applications, grant applications, CVs)
- How to write for certain audiences (e.g. for the public, for social media)
- How to prepare for exams and thesis or dissertation defenses
- How to mentor
- How to teach
- Non-traditional pathways (e.g. international study, returning students, mid-career change)
- Family planning
- And plenty more besides!
Several of these are topics on which you can find help elsewhere.
You may find help through books, workshops, summer school programs, or other avenues, such as YouTube channels or personal mentors.
Several of these also have idiosyncratic qualities.
For example, there are many different ways that different people manage their time. I offer some idea of how I've managed by time, especially in My pre-pandemic day-to-day, but the specifics of how I manage my time might not apply to you.
For some of these, I don't feel qualified to comment.
For example, I have not taught a course as a course instructor so I don't feel that I have sufficient expertise to teach other people how to teach. I've been trained to teach and I've got untested opinions, but it wouldn't be prudent of me to speak about a topic where I haven't developed expertise.
That reminds me: I also lack expertise in clinical psychology, counselling, psychotherapy, social work, and everything else in that sort of applied mental health arena. Other than attempting to empower you as a reader, this book refrains from trying to teach any mental health skills or commenting on the details of the clinical aspects of clinical programs. My psychology career advice holds true for the research aspects of clinical programs, but I cannot speak to clinician-training or internship/practicum work or clinical examinations and credentialing.
If you are interested in my advice on any specific topics not currently covered in the book, feel free to reach out to me through my website: thomasanderson.ca
I cannot commit to writing an entry for all of the above reasons, but if I notice a trend in requests for specific entries, I'll see what I can offer, whether that would take the form of my advice or of providing a collection of links to other sources of advice.
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