NIBPS & PSI Joint Careers Event What to do with your psychology degree Dr Barbara McConnell Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Studies

Overview What next after doing your degree? Marketing yourself effectively Questions

Overview What next after doing your degree?

Why study psychology? 2 nd most studied degree in UCAS 2014, graduates in psychology 20/25% of all graduates go onto further study in psychology in subsequent years

Psychology Graduate Destinations – Class of HECSU

Clinical Psychology Counselling Psychology Educational Psychology Forensic Psychology Health Psychology Neuropsychology Occupational Psychology Sport & Exercise Psychology Clinical Psychology Counselling Psychology Educational Psychology Forensic Psychology Health Psychology Neuropsychology Organisational Psychology Sports Psychology There are lots of professional training pathways in psychology....

Psychology Graduate Destinations – Class of HECSU

Why study psychology? “ Psychology graduates are highly regarded by employers and have a good chance of finding employment. This is because the skills they acquire are transferable across many careers ” HECSU, 2010 “Least likely graduate to be unemployed – 8.3%”

SKILLS GAINED STUDYING A PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE Communicate effectively, both face-to-face or in writing. Understand, analyse and use complex data. Retrieve and organise information from different sources. Handle primary source material critically. Engage in effective team work. Solve problems and reason scientifically to consider alternative approaches and solutions. Make critical judgements and evaluations to gain different perspectives on a question. Be sensitive to contextual and interpersonal factors, including behaviour and social interaction. Use personal planning and project management skills to become more independent and pragmatic. Be computer literate

What lies ahead for the Psychology Class of 2016?

2.1

The ‘perfect’ graduate applicant Academic achievement Employability Skills Work experience Drive & motivation Understands the role & organisation Engaged with their community

Employability Skills – What?

Employability Skills – How? Work experience – part-time / summer jobs Internships Volunteering Clubs & societies Class Rep / Peer Mentor / Student Ambassador Student competitions

Overview Marketing yourself effectively

Matchmaking What is the employer looking for? – Qualifications – Experience – Knowledge – Skills/competencies How do you match up – (evidence-based) Read between the lines – what do they really need?

CV’s & Applications Top Tips Good structure & presentation Tailored Skills section – give evidence! Complete yet concise Factual Positive Error free

30 seconds to make a good impression…

Strong, clear verbs Planned Organised Designed Analysed Presented Delivered Developed

Cover Letters – so important! Always accompany your CV with a cover letter An opportunity for you to personalise your application – to stand out, 1 st chance to make a strong impression To demonstrate your suitability for the job by focusing on key strengths & experience

Be a STAR at interviews Situation: Describe the situation or problem. Task: Describe the task you had to complete / role you were assigned Action: Describe the actions you took to complete the task successfully and any obstacles your overcame. Result: Highlight outcomes achieved.

Play the recruitment game Telephone interviews One to one interviews Group interviews Assessment centres

Assessment Centres Presentations Group exercises Individual exercises Psychometric testing Competency based interviews Social events

2013 GradIreland Graduate Salary and Graduate Recruitment Trends % of graduate employers believe relevant work experience enhances employability can help you find an internship both in NI and ROI

Internships For the company it’s… testing the waters – Avoiding risk – Assessing ‘fit’ For the graduate it’s… – Getting work experience – Putting theory into practice – Developing skills – And lots more…

Top Tips for Psychology Graduates Don’t put all your eggs in one basket - Have a plan A, & a plan B… Know yourself Be flexible What’s so special about you? Manage your own career Quality applications - do your research Start networking & be opportunity aware

Resources ww.psihq.ie Graduate Recruitment Tests: 70,000 hits a month mostly from graduates

For further information: Web: Telephone: +44 (0)