First Steps on Career Paths

2017 Spring Career Fair, February 22-23

fair

For over a decade, Mason’s Career Services has hosted a semi-annual two-day career fair in February and October, open to all Mason students and alumni. These fairs are a great way for students to network and learn about internships, co-ops, and full- or part-time jobs.

For nervous first-time attendees, Career Services offers “Prepare for the Fair” workshops where students can have their resumes critiqued and practice their interviewing skills with actual recruiters. Career Services also provides an online listing of the employers that will be attending each day of the fair, so students can conduct research and prepare specific questions for each organization. This year, the first day of the event focused on STEM careers and the second day centered on business, non-tech, and public service employers. Over 223 employers and 3,200 job-seekers attended.

 

Internship Spotlight: Association for Psychological Science (APS)

We spoke with two students in the BS program about their internship experiences with the Association for Psychological Science. To learn more about internship opportunities, please check out the department's career blog.

 

Ami Getu, Senior, B.S. in Psychology

 

Ami GetuWhat are your main duties in this internship?

I assist the Science Writer in developing the weekly summaries of new articles published online in the Psychological Science journal. I also assist the journal’s department in any administrative tasks that are needed for all APS journals, and I participate in the weekly journals meetings with all the managing editors, director, copy editors, etc.

What is the best part about it?

I love learning how manuscripts move from reviewer approval to actual publication. I’ve had the opportunity to see what the full process entails and it is an invaluable lesson that will stay with me, as I will hopefully have my own articles published in the future.

How will this internship aid you in your job search moving forward?

Since I plan on applying to doctoral programs and am involved in research currently, I viewed this internship as a chance to gain insight into the process of publications beyond what I see from the academic perspective. It gives me a view of the other side of the same coin.

What is one piece of advice for students who want to get involved in psychology outside of classes?

I would say, don’t wait. Look up what faculty in your field of interest are working on, and submit research assistant applications. Stay proactive, ask questions, and share your thoughts. The more time you spend in a lab, the broader your growth, as you receive more responsibilities and opportunities.

 

Briana Rudolph, Senior, B.S. in Psychology

Briana RudolphWhat are your main duties in this internship?

I am responsible for data mining psychological advancements in countries across the globe to potentially recruit new members based on their current studies/research. On the small scale, my job is finding potential new members to join APS but on a larger scale, it's keeping me and my colleagues informed on current psychological advancements and exposing me to the different fields of psychology I wouldn't otherwise care for.

What is the best part about it?

I learn about fields in psychology and research in completely different atmospheres than I am used to learning about. There are professors in third world countries making groundbreaking findings in the psychological sciences, being recruited by universities all over the globe and being offered grants from plenty of big name corporations to fund and continue their extensive research. 

How will this internship aid you in your job search moving forward?

Working with APS and data mining different countries has highlighted Human Factors as an area of psychology that is fairly new, and growing at a rapid rate. I am thankful I have been given the opportunity to work in an environment that allows me to expand on current themes of psychology while also expanding my interest in a more specific field—human factors and ergonomics. I have even reached out to some of these professors regarding their research at their university and expressed my interest in joining their lab for my graduate studies.

What is one piece of advice for students who want to get involved in psychology outside of classes?

Opportunities won’t always be handed to you, and you'll have to advocate for yourself to get certain positions in any profession. If you are interested in a certain field, do some research, find some people who know the field best, and shoot them an email. Ask questions and never be afraid to push your limits. You'll have to step out of your comfort zone to find your niche but when you do find it, you'll be thankful you took the leap.