Competitive vs. Arrogant Doctoral Applicants
~QUOTE OF THE DAY~ "There is no respect for others without humility in one's self"-Henri Frederic Amiel
In striving to obtain a spot at a corporation or university, people often say that competitiveness is required. Yet, students must decipher the difference between competitiveness and arrogance. There is a fine line between those two dispositions. Students must remember that tripping your neighbor (fellow student, intern, or applicant) will not necessarily knock them down and elevate you to the top. In fact, many doctoral psychology programs frown upon applicants that sound way too bold (such attitudes usually comes off as vicious). Applicants that sound arrogant will cause the faculty member reading your statement of purpose or conducting your interview to have reservations about your maturity, compassion, ethics, and fit with the program at hand.
Even if faculty members are not looking, always treat fellow colleagues, faculty, and staff with respect. An increasing issue is not only arrogance on interviews, but some students denigrate other students and interns in order to get ahead. I have read about how this practice will back fire. I recall reading about an intern who constantly pilloried another intern without just cause. The intern who received constant and unwarranted criticism from the other student ended up being a supervisor over the angry and boastful intern. How ironic! This scenario may not play out in every organization, but it does show that life can turn in insidious directions. Do not uphold negative character traits and expect doors to open.
Students must remember that the field in which we are studying is psychology. Professors and supervisors will begin to wonder about the mentality of a student that tries to get ahead by sabotaging and scathing other students. Another issue in exhibiting negative character is that such behavior communicates to others a tendency towards being unethical. If a student will spread gossip (true or not) about another intern or communicate to an intern that they are unqualified compared to the other person, then such a student needs to "rethink their motives" for practicing in the field of psychology. Students have to remember that psychology is a helping profession. How can we help clients to trust us, when our colleagues cannot trust us? Psychology is a field that is interactive in working with both colleagues and clients. Students that want 100% of the recognition will easily become frustrated in their role as a fellow apprentice alongside other students and interns. Make sure that this does not describe you!! If it does, then seek counseling and consider another field to study.
A competitive applicant is one that has the credentials to back their enthusiasm. Let your credentials speak for you. If a student has to resort to bullying, this is a sign of concern over their chances of success. A competitive applicant understands that other qualified students are applying to a particular program. Instead of creating a ploy to make others look bad, the competitive applicant focuses on strengthening their weakest areas. Such an applicant will be a team player, who is also willing to demonstrate leadership skills. Universities like a competitive applicant who has the maturity to use psychology to enhance the lives of others versus entering the field in order to be an overnight authority figure.
Furthermore, a competitive applicant has spent sufficient time preparing for interviews and admission writing prompts. This type of student is wise because they allocate their time to obtaining research and mentor experiences. Overall, the competitive applicant understands that they have options for attending an alternative university if the one in question does not accept them. Unlike the arrogant student, the competitive student sees the glass half full, not half empty.
The recommended approach for every student is to consider your level of sensitivity, ethics, and compassion to students who may be male, female, tall, short, thin, thick, Middle Eastern, Black, White, Latino, old, young, liberal, conservative, introvert, extrovert, etc. All students and interns deserve respect regardless of one's agreement with the beliefs or practices of the other individual. Remember that the seeds you sow in your career will rise up as plants that you will have to deal with later on in your professional life. Are you planting poisonous plants or useless weeds or a flower garden?
Below is a brief article from the APA on "What do graduate programs look for in clinical applicants?"
http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2007/11/cover-gradprograms.aspx
In striving to obtain a spot at a corporation or university, people often say that competitiveness is required. Yet, students must decipher the difference between competitiveness and arrogance. There is a fine line between those two dispositions. Students must remember that tripping your neighbor (fellow student, intern, or applicant) will not necessarily knock them down and elevate you to the top. In fact, many doctoral psychology programs frown upon applicants that sound way too bold (such attitudes usually comes off as vicious). Applicants that sound arrogant will cause the faculty member reading your statement of purpose or conducting your interview to have reservations about your maturity, compassion, ethics, and fit with the program at hand.
Even if faculty members are not looking, always treat fellow colleagues, faculty, and staff with respect. An increasing issue is not only arrogance on interviews, but some students denigrate other students and interns in order to get ahead. I have read about how this practice will back fire. I recall reading about an intern who constantly pilloried another intern without just cause. The intern who received constant and unwarranted criticism from the other student ended up being a supervisor over the angry and boastful intern. How ironic! This scenario may not play out in every organization, but it does show that life can turn in insidious directions. Do not uphold negative character traits and expect doors to open.
Students must remember that the field in which we are studying is psychology. Professors and supervisors will begin to wonder about the mentality of a student that tries to get ahead by sabotaging and scathing other students. Another issue in exhibiting negative character is that such behavior communicates to others a tendency towards being unethical. If a student will spread gossip (true or not) about another intern or communicate to an intern that they are unqualified compared to the other person, then such a student needs to "rethink their motives" for practicing in the field of psychology. Students have to remember that psychology is a helping profession. How can we help clients to trust us, when our colleagues cannot trust us? Psychology is a field that is interactive in working with both colleagues and clients. Students that want 100% of the recognition will easily become frustrated in their role as a fellow apprentice alongside other students and interns. Make sure that this does not describe you!! If it does, then seek counseling and consider another field to study.
A competitive applicant is one that has the credentials to back their enthusiasm. Let your credentials speak for you. If a student has to resort to bullying, this is a sign of concern over their chances of success. A competitive applicant understands that other qualified students are applying to a particular program. Instead of creating a ploy to make others look bad, the competitive applicant focuses on strengthening their weakest areas. Such an applicant will be a team player, who is also willing to demonstrate leadership skills. Universities like a competitive applicant who has the maturity to use psychology to enhance the lives of others versus entering the field in order to be an overnight authority figure.
Furthermore, a competitive applicant has spent sufficient time preparing for interviews and admission writing prompts. This type of student is wise because they allocate their time to obtaining research and mentor experiences. Overall, the competitive applicant understands that they have options for attending an alternative university if the one in question does not accept them. Unlike the arrogant student, the competitive student sees the glass half full, not half empty.
The recommended approach for every student is to consider your level of sensitivity, ethics, and compassion to students who may be male, female, tall, short, thin, thick, Middle Eastern, Black, White, Latino, old, young, liberal, conservative, introvert, extrovert, etc. All students and interns deserve respect regardless of one's agreement with the beliefs or practices of the other individual. Remember that the seeds you sow in your career will rise up as plants that you will have to deal with later on in your professional life. Are you planting poisonous plants or useless weeds or a flower garden?
Below is a brief article from the APA on "What do graduate programs look for in clinical applicants?"
http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2007/11/cover-gradprograms.aspx
