The Psi Chi International National Honor Society at Saint Xavier University (SXU) held an event for students obtaining a Bachelors of Art (BA) of Bachelors of Science (BS) degree in Psychology on Monday, October 9.
The Honor Society had Dr. Timothy D. Ritchie speak to students interested in psychology about opportunities for internships, jobs, and careers in psychology.
Dr. Ritchie received a B.S. in Psychology with a Philosophy minor from Loyola University in 1997. In 1999 he obtained a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University and earned a Ph.D. in Social and Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Northern Illinois University in 2006.During the event students learned about the top 100 job search engines in the USA and caution and tips on how to find the perfect job.
According to Dr. Ritchie’s powerpoint, if you’re looking for a job you should narrow your search from the top-down, don’t come through 150 results, and you’re better off reviewing fifteen results that match your interests then hundreds.
President of The Psi Chi National Society Chanelle Wilcox, further explained what the event offers to students. “The sole purpose of the Jobs in Psychology with a Bachelor’s Degree event was to provide psych students with resources to find jobs upon graduation.
We know that not every student may be interested in continuing their education into graduate programs or have the resources to attend graduate school, so we wanted to make sure that they were aware that they can still find work with only having a bachelor’s degree in psychology” said Wilcox.
Psi Chi secretary Fadia Judeh said, “This event is great for seniors who are feeling nervous about finding a job after graduation.
Some people have trouble find jobs straight out of college because they aren’t using the right resources and Dr. Ritchie gave great advice on finding the right job.”
Dr. Ritchie was a good choice to have as a lecturer as Wilcox said, “I think the reason Dr. Ritchie was preferred for this event was because he has always been very open about his paths of study and careers and how they constantly changed.
I think students were able to relate with not having a concrete path or with having multiple interests and not being absolutely certain how far they wanted to take those interests.
Providing students with the resources to find ways to explore those interests via internships, shadowing opportunities, paid jobs, etc. was very important so that they did not feel pressured to go straight to graduate school.”
According to the university’s website Psi Chi hosts a series of events related to professional development opportunities in psychology every other week which are regularly open to all students interested in psychology.
This year they will be hosting many events for students to attend. “The major event(s) we plan to host this year is the Psi Chi Induction Ceremony which welcomes and honors new Psi Chi members, as well as honoring alumnus members, current members, and faculty.
We also have planned an event that covers the differences between programs of study in psychology (e.g., MA, PsyD, PhD,etc.) as well as the differences between concentrations and careers in counseling, social work, clinical, and research. Additionally, we will be holding clothing drives for Pillars to support victims of sexual assault” said Wilcox.
For more information on Psi Chi or their events you can contact Dr. Angela Pirlott. Pirlott is SXU’s Chapter Faculty Advisor.
You can send her an email at Pirlott@sxu.edu.
Shadia Judeh
News Reporter