Reflection on my Career Path
Much like Donald Super’s holistic theory of career development, I find it difficult to reflect on my career path and occupational experiences without incorporating aspects of my personal life; the two are forever intertwined. It really is amazing to think of how different life roles become more or less prominent depending on the individuals current context, and how an event effecting one role can have indirect, lasting consequences on how one embodies their other roles. I can’t help but think what kind of career or academic pursuits I would have followed had it not been for certain key events in my life.
I specifically remember a guidance counsellor coming into my class in grade eight and asking everyone what they thought they’d like to do when they grew up. Everybody had different things that they’d thought of, but when they came to me I half-jokingly said “a drifter”. I didn’t think that there were any attainable jobs out there that I would enjoy, so to my grade eight mind the search for a career was pointless.
Until grade ten I had always been an unmotivated student. I enjoyed the work and had the ability to perform at a high level; however, I never saw the need to put in the time to excel. I was one of those kids who would always get “Matthew is very smart, but he just doesn’t apply himself” on his report cards. That is until I met my girlfriend, Britt, and began to take more specialized science courses. Britt pushed me to work hard through friendly competition and her own drive to succeed motivated me to perform. My introduction to chemistry, biology, and especially physics introduced me to topics that I found to be intrinsically rewarding and challenging. This was I was an innately curious individual, but Britt and these new courses motivated me to harness this curiosity into what I saw as a future in scientific research.
I entered the University of Toronto (U of T) to study cell and molecular biology based on a 12th grade presentation and report I wrote on ribonucleic acid interference. I remember my first year of university being one of great social and academic social change, but I performed well and enjoyed doing it. The program offered me the chance to immerse myself in cutting-edge information about biological research and technology. Genetics and especially gene therapy were areas that I was very compelled by. I saw them as an opportunity to potentially help many people and make a lasting, positive change in the world. It was hard work, but I loved doing it.
At the end of the first year of my undergraduate degree, my brother, Mark, died in his sleep. Despite dealing with significant mental health problems, I returned to school approximately four weeks after his death. It was immediately clear to me that I was no longer interested in my academic path. I saw the value of it, but being so deep in grief and struggling with mental illness, I was more focused on learning what was happening to me than how cells communicated with one another.
This is around the time that I discovered psychology; however, it wouldn’t be another year and a half before I made the official transition to mental studies. In the meantime I continued taking a mix of both psychology and biology courses, and landed a co-op research placement at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH) in Toronto. While I knew throughout most of my time at SMH that I was no longer interested in strictly focusing on biology, the skills and experiences I gained from my time there have proven invaluable. I learned what it was like to collaborate with others in a research intensive environment, how to design experiments with robust methodology, the importance of funding and how to apply for it, and the essentiality of publishing and presenting your research in order to succeed in academia. These are certainly lessons that I have carried with me into future positions, specifically those that were research-focused.
Upon my return to U of T I reframed my academic and career goals by emphasizing the investigation of psychological phenomena. I retained my curiosity and drive to learn, it had just changed focus. I quickly began applying to numerous clinical psychology researchers I was interested in working with on campus and landed a competitive position as a research assistant in Dr. Zakzanis’ clinical neuropsychology lab. This was my introduction to proper psychological research, and I loved it. I was able to carry a lot of what I had learned in my biology courses and my time at SMH, while learning more specific techniques and strategies for researching in psychology. Working with Dr. Zakzanis also gave me the opportunity to collaborate with other students and researchers at different stages in the development of an academic career, something I am currently pursuing. It showed me how to plan out different phases of my career, and perhaps most importantly, how to work with the inevitable set-backs that people face in this industry. I continued working hard for Dr. Zakzanis, taking any projects that were available in order to gain further experience, while simultaneously volunteering around campus and finishing my courses. While I’ve always been a hard worker, this period taught me how to effectively manage my time while working on a variety of competing projects, something that has proven very important in my transition to graduate school.
It was at this time that I began applying for graduate programs in counselling psychology, eventually being accepted into the University of Western Ontario’s program. I see this as the next step on my journey to becoming a research/professor in an academic setting. Along with ongoing work as a research assistant, an upcoming clinical internship as a counsellor in the Student Development Centre, and a recent offer to become a full-time teaching assistant in September, I believe the skills and experiences I gain Western will prove effective when pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience or clinical psychology. I certainly look forward to see what I am able to accomplish in the future!
I specifically remember a guidance counsellor coming into my class in grade eight and asking everyone what they thought they’d like to do when they grew up. Everybody had different things that they’d thought of, but when they came to me I half-jokingly said “a drifter”. I didn’t think that there were any attainable jobs out there that I would enjoy, so to my grade eight mind the search for a career was pointless.
Until grade ten I had always been an unmotivated student. I enjoyed the work and had the ability to perform at a high level; however, I never saw the need to put in the time to excel. I was one of those kids who would always get “Matthew is very smart, but he just doesn’t apply himself” on his report cards. That is until I met my girlfriend, Britt, and began to take more specialized science courses. Britt pushed me to work hard through friendly competition and her own drive to succeed motivated me to perform. My introduction to chemistry, biology, and especially physics introduced me to topics that I found to be intrinsically rewarding and challenging. This was I was an innately curious individual, but Britt and these new courses motivated me to harness this curiosity into what I saw as a future in scientific research.
I entered the University of Toronto (U of T) to study cell and molecular biology based on a 12th grade presentation and report I wrote on ribonucleic acid interference. I remember my first year of university being one of great social and academic social change, but I performed well and enjoyed doing it. The program offered me the chance to immerse myself in cutting-edge information about biological research and technology. Genetics and especially gene therapy were areas that I was very compelled by. I saw them as an opportunity to potentially help many people and make a lasting, positive change in the world. It was hard work, but I loved doing it.
At the end of the first year of my undergraduate degree, my brother, Mark, died in his sleep. Despite dealing with significant mental health problems, I returned to school approximately four weeks after his death. It was immediately clear to me that I was no longer interested in my academic path. I saw the value of it, but being so deep in grief and struggling with mental illness, I was more focused on learning what was happening to me than how cells communicated with one another.
This is around the time that I discovered psychology; however, it wouldn’t be another year and a half before I made the official transition to mental studies. In the meantime I continued taking a mix of both psychology and biology courses, and landed a co-op research placement at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH) in Toronto. While I knew throughout most of my time at SMH that I was no longer interested in strictly focusing on biology, the skills and experiences I gained from my time there have proven invaluable. I learned what it was like to collaborate with others in a research intensive environment, how to design experiments with robust methodology, the importance of funding and how to apply for it, and the essentiality of publishing and presenting your research in order to succeed in academia. These are certainly lessons that I have carried with me into future positions, specifically those that were research-focused.
Upon my return to U of T I reframed my academic and career goals by emphasizing the investigation of psychological phenomena. I retained my curiosity and drive to learn, it had just changed focus. I quickly began applying to numerous clinical psychology researchers I was interested in working with on campus and landed a competitive position as a research assistant in Dr. Zakzanis’ clinical neuropsychology lab. This was my introduction to proper psychological research, and I loved it. I was able to carry a lot of what I had learned in my biology courses and my time at SMH, while learning more specific techniques and strategies for researching in psychology. Working with Dr. Zakzanis also gave me the opportunity to collaborate with other students and researchers at different stages in the development of an academic career, something I am currently pursuing. It showed me how to plan out different phases of my career, and perhaps most importantly, how to work with the inevitable set-backs that people face in this industry. I continued working hard for Dr. Zakzanis, taking any projects that were available in order to gain further experience, while simultaneously volunteering around campus and finishing my courses. While I’ve always been a hard worker, this period taught me how to effectively manage my time while working on a variety of competing projects, something that has proven very important in my transition to graduate school.
It was at this time that I began applying for graduate programs in counselling psychology, eventually being accepted into the University of Western Ontario’s program. I see this as the next step on my journey to becoming a research/professor in an academic setting. Along with ongoing work as a research assistant, an upcoming clinical internship as a counsellor in the Student Development Centre, and a recent offer to become a full-time teaching assistant in September, I believe the skills and experiences I gain Western will prove effective when pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience or clinical psychology. I certainly look forward to see what I am able to accomplish in the future!