My career – what can I do now?

School of Psychology & Neuroscience
My career – what can I do now?
SHONA MACH, CAREERS ADVISER - SPRING 2014
Why am I talking to you now?
• Great time to get started thinking about your career
• For psychologist roles, need to develop a portfolio of work
experience
• Employers are filling many graduate positions with
successful summer interns
• Get involved: position yourself for committee involvement
• A degree from St Andrews is a great advantage …. but it’s
not enough on its own
Where to find us
• 6 St Mary’s Place
• Opposite the Student
Association/Union
• 24 on the Campus Map
• www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers
Using my degree - Neuroscience
(2012 graduates)
 PhD Neuroscience (x2)
 MSc Neuroscience
 MBChB Medicine
 BSc Midwifery
 MA Trade Advertising
 Hospitality administrator, travel company
Using your degree - Psychology
(2012 graduates)
Further study examples:
 PhD Psychology
 MPhil Social & Developmental Psychology
 MSc Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology
 MSc Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
 MRes Clinical Psychology
 PGCE (Teacher training)
 MBA (Management)
 MA Accounting & International Finance
Using your degree - Psychology
(2012 graduates)
Closely related to Psychology:
 Assistant psychologist, NHS
 Counsellor, Alzheimer’s Society
 Support worker (caring for children with ASD), Cambian
 Support worker, women’s aid organisation
 Nurse, NHS
 Communications assistant, Bowel Cancer UK
 Teaching assistant, primary school
 HR assistant, NHS
Using your degree - Psychology
(2012 graduates)
Wider range of options:
 Graduate buyer, Tesco
 International graduate trainee, Volkswagen AG
 Finance grad trainee, BackBay Communications (PR & marketing)
 Graduate assistant, Posterscope (media & digital comms)
 Learning & development administrator, Aberdeen Asset
Management
Career Options
I want to be a …. Psychologist
 Consistently good academic record (2:1 or above)
 Research – ideally relevant project; research experience within
School
 Obtain work experience:
 wide range of experiences valued
 essential to reflect on how your experience relates to the
branch of psychology you are pursuing
 show how it allowed you to apply psychological principles in
practice
 Joint degree okay as long as it’s BPS-accredited
Find Psychology-related
work experience during term-time
 Visit “Careers A-Z … Psychologist” on Careers Centre website
Research in the School of Psychology
 Personal helper, Peer Support Volunteers (PSV), Nightline
 Families First, Home-Start
 LINK (volunteer befriender)
 Stratheden Hospital (via SVS)
 Volunteer Counsellor, Childline Edinburgh (via NSPCC)
 Admissions Access projects with Fife schools

Find Psychology-related
work experience during vacations
 Visit “Careers A-Z: Psychologist” on Careers Centre website
 Find organisations offering services relating to your area of
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interest, eg mental health, drug addiction, PTSD
Local council websites have lists of local mental health and
other services/charities
Apply to assist with research in the School of Psychology &
Neuroscience at St Andrews, other universities or hospitals
Use LinkedIn and BPS ‘Find a Psychologist’
Apply for HR internships (for occupational psychology)
Speculative applications important
Internships and Work Experience
University internships & summer research
University Research Internship Programme URIP (deadline 14 March 2014)
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/
students/academic/internships/
Vacation Scholarships for summer research
See School of Psychology & Neuroscience
website:
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/
psychology/research/vacationscholarships/
St Andrew Summer Internship Scheme
(deadline 28 Feb 2014)
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers/wiki/
St_Andrews_Summer_Internship_Scheme
Look out for …
Saltire Foundation
UG Internship Programme for
penultimate year students
(deadline: November)
www.saltirefoundation.com/
British Council Thailand
English Teaching Project 2014
Work as a language assistant
with a Thai teacher this
summer.
(deadline: 7 March 2014)
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/award