Apply to Pre-Approved Fieldwork Placements

1. Plan early and do not procrastinate! Recall the deadlines for having a fieldwork set up.

· Since sites often take fieldworkers on a "first-come, first-chance-at-being-accepted" basis, students should act early to ensure that a greater number of sites will be available to them.

· Also, students need to allow plenty of time for the other people involved to process and respond to fieldwork application information.

· Remember: A time crunch emergency for a student does not translate into a time crunch for a Site Supervisor or the Fieldwork Coordinator.

2. Speak with your Academic Advisor about how you can make a meaningful choice of placement that connects with your career pursuits. Clarify the characteristics of the ideal experience, such as the type of:

· setting - research, school, residential, hospital, outpatient, business office, etc.

· age groups - children, adolescents, adults, etc.

· populations - developmentally disabled, psychiatric patients, criminals/juvenile delinquents, etc.

· responsibilities - work with people, administrative duties, teaching, research, counseling, etc.

3. Prepare to make contact: create lists of questions to ask over the phone, update resume, etc. Prepare to identify yourself and give the following information:

· Indicate that you a Marist Undergraduate Psychology Major

· Tell them what “year” you are: junior or senior.

· Indicate what semester you hope to do Fieldwork.

· Inform them of the Fieldwork Schedule you are interested in: 9-, 18-, 27-, or 36-hour/week schedule

· Give them your contact information.

4. Make contact

· Call or email, offer a resume, and schedule interviews (optional). Note: The Contact Person you try to reach is likely to be very busy. Be clear on how and when you are available for them to try to reach you.

· Dress professionally for interviews.

· Give forethought to all the details to ask about. Students should be clear in knowing what their own needs and expectations are and those of the fieldwork sites.

· Get a description of fieldwork activities and responsibilities.

· Discuss scheduling of fieldwork hours.

5. Accept, Reject, or Hold offers of fieldwork positions.

· Students must inform agencies of their decision to either accept or reject an offer of a position in a timely manner. Agencies need to know if their offer is being refused so that they may offer the fieldworker position to another student.

· After accepting a position, write up the required fieldwork contract (see the Fieldwork Contract section below under “What is Expected of Fieldworkers) with assistance from your site supervisor.

· In some cases, a student might receive an offer, but needs time to think it over or time to see if another site will make an offer. In these cases, the student should clearly state that they are requesting to Hold the offer for a specific amount of time, and then respond with an acceptance or rejection. Note: Fieldwork sites are not obligated to say yes to such a request.