Going Beyond Internship: Publishing

For this final post in my Going Beyond Internship series, I wanted to talk a little bit about getting published. This is more than writing this blog and different than writing a novel. I'm talking about submitting an article for a peer-reviewed journal.

Now having a publication on my CV is something that has appealed to me for a while now. Not because it is something that would set me apart from other applicants, but because when I was younger I dreamed of becoming an author. Writing an article for a peer-reviewed journal is one step that melds my authorship desires and my current dream of becoming a school counselor.

However, knowing that this was something I wanted I have been unsure of how to get there. Perhaps my greatest barrier was the lack of confidence I have had in my writing. The "peer-reviewed" piece of submitting something is slightly terrifying. It was not until my professor encouraged me to submit a theory-based paper I had written for class that I considered publishing as a possibility.

After multiple revisions and discussion of what to add or take away, the process of finding places to submit emerged. While my professor and I were looking at where we could submit, there were a couple of key considerations. First, was the journal appropriate for the topic being submitted. Second, was there a peer-review component. Third, what memberships were required to submit. Finally, what was the deadline and what other components were needed.

So after finding the opportunities and editing to ensure that I was happy with what was written, I submitted the paper to the American Counseling Association's VISTAS Publication.

And now we wait.