Preparing for Internship Interviews

REPRINT: Asian American Psychologist Association Newsletter, November 2016

Submitted by Dr. Jocelyn Buhain (Associate Director/Training Director), Dr. Jade Garneau-Fournier (Psychological Resident), Dr. Anna King (Licensed Psychologist), Ms. Yiset Perez, Licensed Clinical Social Worker University of Central Florida Counseling and Psychological Services

This is a very busy time of year as many doctoral students are preparing their internship applications and wondering where they may find themselves next year. By the time this newsletter gets printed, many application deadlines may have passed and applicants will begin to hear back about whether they are being considered for on-campus, phone, or video interviews.

While in my position as the Training Director at the University of Central Florida’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) APA-Accredited Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology, I observed many bright and talented individuals who have strong applications struggle during the interview phase of the internship selection process. In coordination with members of CAPS’ Training Committee, we offer the following tips in hopes that you may have a better experience during your interviews:

• Embrace your cultural background. Include in your answers information about how your unique cultural background has been influencing your values, theoretical orientation, career goals, and areas of interests.
• Take a moment to reflect on your journey as a psychologist-in-training before your interview and find ways to feel empowered.
• Learn about the internship site. Review the agency’s website as well as the specific internship website to find out what excites you about their program. As the internship selection committee, it is great to hear about the parts of the program an applicant is interested in. For example, be able to name specific therapy groups that you want to lead during internship.
• Prepare 2-3 clinical case examples. Focus on your strengths as a clinician – What do you do well? Does it highlight your theoretical orientation? Your focus on diversity? How did you use supervision?
• Be mindful about your non-verbal behaviors. Behaviors sometimes speak louder than words.
• Review your written application materials. You may be asked to clarify or expand on what you wrote in your cover letter and/or essays.
• Allow the interviewing process to be interactive, ask clarifying questions, and share about your challenges and strengths.
• Be ready to ask well thought-out questions for each site. Is there something that is important to you that you would like to know?
• Practice interviewing with someone – either in person, on the phone, or via video. Ask the person you are interviewing with for constructive feedback regarding your responses. Was it clear? What could be improved? What information was missing?
• Connect with a mentor. Is there a psychologist, professor, or past supervisor who can provide you extra support and encouragement?
• Reach out to current interns, and learn from their experiences going through the interview process.
• Continue practicing good self-care. The interview process can be a costly experience in terms of time, financial resources, and energy. Identify ways to rejuvenate yourself between interviews to stay fresh and invested in the experience.

We wish you the very best during this challenging process. If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share with us, please feel free to contact us at JocelynMichele.Buhain@ucf.edu