Midterm Project: Career Pathway & Professional Development P…

Purpose of the Assignment

Psychology graduate students and undergraduate majors often focus heavily on diagnoses and treatments while remaining vague about what they actually want to do after graduation. This project is designed to push you to think realistically, concretely, and honestly about your future career and how you plan to get there. The goal is not to have a perfect plan. The goal is to demonstrate insight, planning, and self-reflection.

This is more than a one sentance “I want to work with children someday” or “I want to be a profiler”. This involves seriouos reflection.

Part 1: Career Goals Statement (40 points)

Write a 9001,200 word paper describing your intended career path. That is about four or so typed pages.

Your paper must address all of the following:

1. Primary Career Goal
2. Clearly state what you want to do professionally (for example clinical psychology, counseling, psychiatry, social work, research, healthcare, education, law enforcement, human services, or another relevant field). Be specific. Helping people is not a career goal.
3. Rationale
4. Explain why this career fits your interests, strengths, values, and personality. You may reference relevant coursework, personal experiences, or skills you have developed.
5. Education and Training Pathway
6. Describe the degrees, certifications, licensure, and training required to reach this career. Identify realistic programs or routes rather than hypothetical ones.
7. Obstacles and Constraints
8. Discuss potential barriers such as GPA, finances, competitiveness, geographic limitations, family responsibilities, or mental health demands. Ignoring obstacles will reduce credit.
9. Alternative or Backup Plan
10. Identify at least one alternative career path if your primary goal does not work out. This should be thoughtful, not an afterthought.
11. If you do not have goals, that is fine. Describe what your goals might be and what you would do to meet them.

USE PARAGRAPHS. 900 words usually result in 6 to 9 paragraphs.

Part 2: Timeline and Action Plan (30 points)

Create a clear timeline outlining how and when you plan to reach your goals.

This can be presented as a table, bulleted list, or structured narrative, but it must include:

• Short-term goals (next 612 months)
• Medium-term goals (13 years)
• Long-term goals (310 years)

Your timeline should include concrete actions such as:

• Courses to complete
• Research or clinical experience to obtain
• Exams (GRE, etc.)
• Applications and deadlines
• Skill development or certifications

Vague timelines such as eventually or someday will not receive full credit.

Part 3: Curriculum Vitae (CV) Submission (20 points)

Submit a professional CV appropriate for someone pursuing a psychology-related career.

Your CV should include, as applicable:

• Education
• Relevant coursework
• Research experience
• Clinical, volunteer, or work experience
• Skills
• Honors, awards, or certifications

This does not need to be perfect. It does need to be honest, organized, and professional. A rsum is not the same thing as a CV. Formatting, clarity, and appropriateness matter.

Part 4: Professional Reflection (10 points)

In 250300 words, reflect on what you learned by completing this project.

Address:

• What surprised you about the process
• What felt unrealistic or challenging
• How this project changed or clarified your thinking about your future

Grading Breakdown (100 points)

• Career Goals Statement: 40 points
• Timeline and Action Plan: 30 points
• Curriculum Vitae: 20 points
• Professional Reflection: 10 points

Academic Integrity and AI Use

This project must be written in your own words. You may use spelling and grammar tools, but using AI to generate content, structure, or wording will result in a score of zero. Plans that appear generic, implausibly polished, or disconnected from your actual academic record will be flagged for review. OUCH. No fun.

This assignment IS a pain. But it is valuable because it makes you reflect on YOU.

Final Note to Everyone

This is not a fantasy exercise and it is not a promise you are locking yourself into. Careers evolve. Life interferes. That is normal. What matters here is that you show me you are thinking seriously about where you are headed, how you plan to get there, and whether you understand what the path actually requires. If this project makes you a little uncomfortable, that is probably a good sign