A Solution To Help Trainees
Recently, I wrote about how preparing for the BACB exam seems more challenging and more stressful than ever. Over the last three years of tutoring students, I’ve learned a lot about what students experience while preparing for the exam.
Students feel pressure to pass from their peers and, sometimes, from administration. Some companies are really depending on trainees to pass the exam so they can take on a caseload.
Students feel pressure from their supervising BCBAs. Students have shared that BCBAs will talk with them about the high fail rate for the exam. Others have described supervisors who are very focused on them passing because the supervisor wants to continue being able to market their high pass rate for trainees.
Students know they may be entering the field without much support. Many students have shared that they already have a job lined up once they pass the exam, but they won’t have a supervisor supporting them as they begin. That is a pretty drastic change from their fieldwork experience, where they have a designated BCBA to work with, learn from, and ask questions. Suddenly, they are expected to step into a full-time BCBA role on their own.
I think some amount of pressure is good and normal. But some of these experiences seem extreme.
I’ve continued to brainstorm ways to make the transition to the exam and then into a BCBA career be more seamless for trainees. I think trainees now more than ever need more support through these two important components of the transition: passing the exam and starting their first BCBA job.
That brings me to my solution – CareerBridge. CareerBridge is a transition program for trainees who know they could benefit from an additional kickstart as they move from exam preparation into their first BCBA career. My goal with CareerBridge is to establish a longer-term relationship with aspiring BCBAs, not only helping them prepare for and pass the exam, but also supporting them as they transition into their first career.
And because I’m always interested in learning from the work I do, I’m also hoping to collect some data along the way. Two areas I’m particularly interested in are:
Social validity: How do trainees in the CareerBridge program feel about their transition into their first BCBA role? Do they feel more prepared, supported, and confident?
Ongoing check-ins: I’m hoping mentees will be open to periodic check-ins where they can share their experiences as BCBAs. Over time, if I’m able to compare their responses with those of BCBAs who had similar training experiences but did not participate in CareerBridge, it could provide some interesting information about the potential impact of a transition program like this.
I’m excited about the possibility of combining two of my passions—supporting future BCBAs and using data to better understand their experiences into one program.