How do you get involved when you live so far away from UCF? Use the internet!
Do a general search of the career field you are interested in and include your location. For example: Sports Psychology, Miami FL.
Try to contact with people who are in the career you have in mind. Ask if you can meet with them to do an “informational interview” to learn more about that career. Some example interview questions are here. Maybe one of your questions could be, “what are some internship opportunities I should be looking for?” Who knows, maybe they are in need of an office assistant and you can gain experience with them?
Anywhere you can volunteer with your relevant clientele is a great way to get experience. What nonprofit organizations around you work with children, veterans, abused women, mental health, drug abuse, etc?
You have to remember a degree alone will not land you a job nor will it get you into a graduate program. You need to have relevant connections that can write you letters of recommendation and help mentor you. Remember, this is not just a line on your resume/CV, you also need that experience to help you decide which path is right for you. You don’t want to say, “yes I am going to be a Mental Health Counselor”, if you’ve never met one and got to see what their life is like!
Keep searching, and keep asking!
Good luck!
-Erin
If you have specific questions about this blog post or about being an online Psych major, email us at psychadvising@ucf.edu with the title “online advising”