Getting a foot in the door: The written internship application.

Abstract

For graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology, the predoctoral internship represents one of last opportunities to obtain extensive supervision and training. Articles concerning the predoctoral internship application process have focused a great deal on how prospective interns can evaluate and select internship sites (Grace, 1985; Kurz, Fuchs, Dabek, Kurtz, & Helfrich, 1982). Generally, a brief overview of each step in the application process is given, from gathering information about specific internship programs to what to do if the applicant receives no offers on the notification day (Belar & Orgel, 1980; Brill, Wolkin, & McKeel, 1985). Although this approach helps applicants anticipate what to expect at various stages of the process, the focus is more on style than substance. Regardless of the type of internship setting, applicants are generally required to provide basic information about their education, clinical experience, teaching, affiliation with professional organizations, and research experience (Casey Jacob, 1987). However, it is also important to focus attention on how an application can be strengthened by going beyond the basics. This article provides an in-depth discussion of how increasing the substantive information in the written application can influence how an applicant is perceived by the internship site. The absence of a thorough and informative written application may make time spent gathering information about the internship site or preparing for the interview