Resume-Building Side Hustles for Psychology Undergraduates

Hi everyone, Joanna Sie here, a research intern at One Psychology Clinic. When I was an undergrad considering clinical psychology, one thing I didn’t fully realize early on was how important it is to start building relevant experience as soon as possible. 

The good news is that there are plenty of accessible and meaningful ways to do this during undergrad! Some are easy to get into and great for getting started, while others are more competitive but can add a lot of value to your profile. 

Here’s a breakdown of useful “side hustles” to help you build a strong foundation: 

1. Crisis and support roles

   Accessibility: relatively easy to apply

• Crisis lines, text support services, and helplines are one of the best entry points into mental health work

• These roles give you: 

  • Direct experience supporting individuals in distress

  • Training in active listening, empathy, and de-escalation

  • Exposure to real-world mental health concerns

• They simulate core counselling skills in a structured, supervised environment

2. Research Assistant (RA) Positions 

   Accessibility: moderate to competitive

• RA roles are essential if you’re considering grad school. While they can be competitive, there are multiple ways to find them:

  • Cold emailing professors

  • Leveraging connections

  • Undergraduate mailing lists

  • Work-study or co-op programs

  • Course-based research opportunities

• These positions help you build: 

  • Research design and data analysis skills

  • Academic writing experience

  • Strong relationships with potential referees

3. Summer Research Programs

   Accessibility: Competitive

• If you’re looking to go deeper into research, structured summer programs are an excellent option

  • Some examples: SickKids SSuRe Program, Sunnybrook SRI Summer Student Research Program 

• These programs typically offer: 

  • Full-time research experience

  • Mentorship from established researchers

  • Opportunities to present or publish work

• They often require some prior research experience, so they’re a great next step after getting your first RA role

4. Mental Health Clubs & Student Organizations

   Accessibility: Easy to join

• Joining a club is a great way to:

  • Demonstrate sustained interest in mental health

  • Take on leadership roles

  • Organize events, workshops, or advocacy initiatives

• Involvement shows initiative and commitment (qualities grad programs value)

5. Clinic Volunteering

   Accessibility: Moderate

• Volunteering at a psychology or psychotherapy clinic gives you behind-the-scenes exposure to how mental health clinics actually run

• You can find these roles by:

  • Checking mailing lists

  • Reaching out directly to clinics (cold emailing works here too!!)

• What you gain: 

  • Insight into clinical workflows

  • Understanding of patient interactions and intake processes

  • Exposure to interdisciplinary teams

• This is especially useful for confirming whether clinical work is truly the right path for you

6. Peer Support and Mentorship Roles

   Accessibility: Relatively easy to apply

• These roles are often overlooked but incredibly valuable, especially if you’re interested in working with youth

  • Some examples: Youth Assisting Youth Mentorship Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto Volunteer Program

• Benefits include:

  • One-on-one support experience

  • Building communication and trust with others

  • Developing leadership and mentoring skills

• They’re also highly relevant for applications focused on child and adolescent populations!!

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to do everything, but it’s helpful to aim for a balanced mix of experiences with: 

• Some direct helping experience (crisis line, mentorship)

• Some research experience (RA roles, summer programs) 

• Some involvement/leadership (clubs, volunteering)

Remember, more is not always better! The goal isn’t to stack as many experiences as possible, but to engage meaningfully with what you do. Build relationships, ask for opportunities, and focus on learning!

You got this!

-- Joanna

Joanne Sie, Research Intern