As I reflect on my six years of graduate training, I gain a deeper appreciation for the time and energy I directed to psychological associations on the local, state, and national level. My journey began like most graduate students. I entered wanting to do good, to help people with their personal lives, and in return, gain a sense of gratification within my own spirit for the work that I enjoyed several years prior as an undergraduate student. However, not long after my entry into the field of psychology, I began to wonder just what exactly I embarked upon.

Six years ago, and currently, I continue to hear the diverse range of perspectives from professional psychologists whose years in the field range from 3-30 +. One of the most striking aspects of these perspectives is that there is no consistency. In essence, some have internalized the societal worldview of mental health services and mental health providers. That is, many have begun to see themselves as less notable and of less importance when compared to those in the medical, law, or business fields. As an entering student in the field and an early career professional, these perspectives can be quite devastating. Many students enter with enthusiasm and with a purpose as to why they have entered the field of psychology. Unfortunately, their purposes can become compromised and altered in ways that cause students to begin to feel lost and without direction. Without the proper mentoring and guidance, students continue to struggle. Thankfully, not all students have the same experience. I write this article out of personal experience and experience in dialoging with others throughout the country in various programs. I often hear positive perspectives, but continue to hear doubt in many students who are on their own journey, without having any idea where they will end up. More importantly, many students believe that the control they have to determine their own outcomes is minimal.

My participation in organizational psychology (psychological associations) started in my second year of graduate school. It manifested through a desire to have more control over my own career as a graduate student and future psychologist. It surfaced because some people who said, “You could do this, but you may not be able to do that”, surrounded me. I wanted to see what was out there; I needed to see what was out there. I began my involvement locally in the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (I would advise most students to start locally where relationships can be nurtured and a sense of connectedness can develop more easily). Little did I know where I would be one, three, or five years later. My involvement soon moved to the California Psychological Association, and eventually my efforts extended to the national association in APA where I served as an APAGS State Advocacy Coordinator for California, student representative in my graduate school program for APAGS, and a student committee member in the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (APA Division 45). More recently, I have become actively involved in Psychologists in Independent Practitioners (APA Division 42), and now sit on Division 42’s Board of Directors. It was through my involvement that I met psychologists whose values and perspectives resonated with my own. This made a significant difference in my professional career as a student and now as an early career psychologist. I felt a sense of empowerment. I now not only have the ability to help the populations I enjoy working with, but now also have the potential to understand and possibly influence aspects of psychology that influence me. Once you get involved, you soon realize that there is a place for everyone whose interests range from academia to organizational, to practice issues.

My contributions permit me to remember why I entered the field. Yes, our interests change, but these changes need to come from a developmental growth within each of us, not from a forced choice from external forces we believe are out of our control. Organizational Psychology is a way to educate oneself beyond what is taught in graduate school. More education means more empowerment, and ultimately, more control. I have met people from all over the country, great mentors, additional opportunities that I may not have had otherwise, and a continuous desire to create professional opportunities that parallel my values as a person and a psychologist. I have been fortunate enough to have lobbied at our nations capital and in Sacramento for psychology, travel to new places, and create relationships with colleagues that have yielded new job possibilities. Many of the colleagues that I have met have offered to help me in my career by connecting me with other psychologists and by recommending me to additional job possibilities. This continues to help me as I progress through my career. The networking that I have done has been instrumental in furthering my career. Most importantly, my involvement allows me to give back to other students pieces of my journey that facilitated my growth and development. After all, that is why we do what we do, isn’t it? I want others to be enlightened in ways that I was not when I began my journey. If you would have asked me where I would be six years later, I could have never predicted the outcome. I trusted the process, held onto my values and beliefs, and found others who were willing to give me guidance along the way. Much of this would not have occurred had I not extended my education and knowledge beyond the walls of my graduate program. We mustn’t get caught up with the idea that what exists in our programs or workplaces are the only perspectives out there. Ask and you shall receive, look and you shall find. Your careers do not, and should not, begin after you have graduated. Begin this process now and look to see what is out there for you. Looking does not automatically translate into committing. By expanding your perspectives, you also expand your options. It is a process that is different for all of us. This is my process, hopefully someone has given you permission to identify your own.

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