THE Latest
Volume 2, Number 1
January 2004

New book offers career advice for graduate students

"The Portable Mentor: Expert Guide to a Successful Career in Psychology" (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003)—a how-to manual with tips on starting graduate school through landing a first job—features chapters written by more than 35 significant contributors to psychology, such as APA Past-president Robert J. Sternberg, PhD; Raymond D. Fowler, PhD, APA's former CEO; Philip G. Zimbardo, PhD, APA's 2002 president; and Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, one of the most published psychologists in the field.

"The book has some of the field's best mentors all in one document," says Mitchell J. Prinstein, PhD, co-editor of the book with Marcus Patterson, a doctoral candidate at Boston University. Prinstein, Yale University's director of clinical training in the department of psychology, and Patterson are both past chairs of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students.

The comprehensive book—targeted to graduate students and early-career professionals—covers academic, science and practice-oriented jobs in psychology by describing professional development topics related to each of these career paths.

For example, a chapter on teaching outlines four steps to designing a college course in psychology, as well as advice on how to develop teaching goals, organize a lecture, plan a course, write a syllabus and select a textbook. A section on starting a private practice offers tips on how to obtain a referral base and organize files. And a chapter on getting a postdoctoral fellowship provides pros and cons of different postdoctoral positions—and a weighting system to aid students in making a decision. Additional chapters review grant writing, discuss the internship application process and offer suggestions for balancing personal and professional demands.

To make the text more reader-friendly, Prinstein says the book includes bulleted lists and illustrative examples for a variety of topics. For example, a chapter on finishing the dissertation provides a checklist and a timeline to help students get it done.

For ordering information, visit Kluwer online at www.wkap.com.

—M. DITTMANN

Additional resources for surviving graduate school:
• Johnson, B., & Huwe, J. (2002). Getting mentored in graduate school. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Sternberg, R.J. (1997). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Walfish, S. & Hess, A.K. (Eds). (2001). Succeeding in Graduate School: The Career Guide for Psychology Students. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
• Williams-Nickelson, C. & Prinstein, M. (Eds). (2003). Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Match. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

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