No job after college? Just go to grad school? It’s not that simple!
How many times have you heard this piece of advice? “Can’t find a job in the Recession? Just go to graduate school.” If only it were this easy. Even Oprah’s career gurus make this false leap of logic. Featured article “Landing Your First Job” by Jean Chatzky and writer Arielle McGowen state that: “This year’s college grads are stepping into a bleak job market. As the unemployment rate continues to climb, more members of this year’s graduating class are heading straight to grad school, many no doubt hoping their employment prospects will brighten by the time they finish.”
The matter of fact is that getting into graduate school is really not as easy as most people think. You simply cannot decide that the job search isn’t panning out any prospects and then magically gain entrance into your graduate program of choice. Successful applicants have had their eyes on the prize – getting accepted to grad school – since their Sophomore or Junior years. They have systematically identified future faculty mentors, studied hard to raise GRE scores, written several drafts of personal statements, sought out stellar letters of recommendation, and applied to graduate programs that were a good fit for their interests and professional goals.
Competition is likely to be especially fierce during this application cycle to graduate school. Universities themselves have been hit hard by the Recession. Many universities are anticipating being flooded with applications and may actually have fewer open slots reserved for the upcoming cohort of grad students. This is especially the case for the nation’s top ranked graduate programs because many students are admitted with fellowships in hand (and if the university money pool dries up, there are fewer fellowships to go around in the first place).
However, Oprah’s career experts did have some wonderful gems about landing your first job out of college that work equally well when applied to getting into graduate school. Chatzky and McGowen state that the key to success is knowing how to find openings and standing out from the competition. Following these same three skills will absolutely get you into graduate school as well.
1. Cast a Wide Net
Without a doubt, you will need to become more innovative in your grad school search. Universities may offer Graduate School Career Fairs. Make a point to be in attendance. You also want to take some initiative and conduct independent research. Use the Internet to your advantage to research which graduate programs are a good fit.
2. Work Your Network
Many students get into graduate school with the help of word of mouth reputation. Ask professors that you work closely with to recommend potential faculty mentors or good programs for graduate study. The fact is that your professors likely have a wide network of colleagues that work at other universities. Having one of your professors advocate on your behalf may mean the difference between an acceptance and rejection letter.
3. Focus on what you have to offer.
When competition is fierce, shift your focus to what makes you stand out from the crowd. What unique perspective do you potentially bring to your area of study? Is your Bachelors in Biology complementary to a particular area of psychology research? Does your work experience give you an unique perspective on a psychological issue? Does your ethnic or cultural background lend towards your contribution to an underresearched area of psychology? Consider your background experience and extracurricular activities as a stand-out factors from the competition. Weave these themes into your personal statement – and you may have a winning combo on your hands!
Do you have the Psychology Major’s Handbook? Many students are lost without it!
Click the pic to get your guide to success in undergrad and beyond – getting into graduate school!
