Psychology Work Experience
Okay so I would like to study psychology at university and were being told to start planning what to write for our personal statements. We are now also being urged to look for work experience. But since I want to do psychology Im not really sure where to start for work experience...
For those who study psychology or plan to, what did you do for work experience?
Thanks!
For those who study psychology or plan to, what did you do for work experience?
Thanks!
Scroll to see replies
You don't really need work experience for an academic degree like psychology. Focus your efforts on researching the topics covered in degree courses and then doing further reading/watch lectures /documentaries/take MOOCs on those topics that interest you most.
Work experience is useful for its own sake. Don't worry about how it will boost your PS. Instead try to find somethibg interesting that you will enjoy and get the most from.
Work experience is useful for its own sake. Don't worry about how it will boost your PS. Instead try to find somethibg interesting that you will enjoy and get the most from.
please do not listen to post 2. Look at what other people from your school have done. Would you like to work in a school (child psychology), a local university (academic research), possibly something like the probation service. What matters is not where you go but how you can relate it to your course. You might even find a psycholgist who would let you shadow them, although that is unlikely.
Original post by parentlurker
please do not listen to post 2. Look at what other people from your school have done. Would you like to work in a school (child psychology), a local university (academic research), possibly something like the probation service. What matters is not where you go but how you can relate it to your course. You might even find a psycholgist who would let you shadow them, although that is unlikely.
Can you explain what parts of my post are misleading?
Original post by PQ
You don't really need work experience for an academic degree like psychology. Focus your efforts on researching the topics covered in degree courses and then doing further reading/watch lectures /documentaries/take MOOCs on those topics that interest you most.
Work experience is useful for its own sake. Don't worry about how it will boost your PS. Instead try to find somethibg interesting that you will enjoy and get the most from.
Work experience is useful for its own sake. Don't worry about how it will boost your PS. Instead try to find somethibg interesting that you will enjoy and get the most from.
If you look at the PS criteria for universities where they are made explicit it is very clear they are looking for applicants with academic interests in the subject as a science and around research. A PS that is overly focused on psychology as a degree is unlikely to do an applicant any favours as it demonstrates a misunderstanding of the focus of the degree. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/media/undergraduate/admissions-statements/2015/psychology.pdf
universities want people who are going to finish their degree and not drop out. Work experience shows that you are already planning a future that involves psychology and are therefore likely to be more committed to the course. Schools require pupils to do some form of work experience and to do it in an area you can't relate to pschology suggests a lower degree of commitment.
Of course the best way is to say my work experience at ... encouraged me to research ... area of psychology or to read this psychology book related to what I was doing.
And if the OP wants to work in any area that uses their degree the sooner they start getting work experience the better, because the mst serious psychology students will be starting their work experience now and getting more in the holidays/ voluntering in term time or both.
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
Of course the best way is to say my work experience at ... encouraged me to research ... area of psychology or to read this psychology book related to what I was doing.
And if the OP wants to work in any area that uses their degree the sooner they start getting work experience the better, because the mst serious psychology students will be starting their work experience now and getting more in the holidays/ voluntering in term time or both.
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
(edited 8 years ago)
I would suggest thinking about which area of psychology interests you the most.
If it's child, volunteer in a school, speak to school councillors(sp?). If it's mental illness volunteer in an institution, if it's treatment then find an outreach programme which offers support like care in the community. You may have very specific interests such as anorexia so you can volunteer in a clinic.
Alternatively you could book yourself into a summer school looking at psychology.
Also, schools are linked to agencies such as chams and various others whic offer behavioural support for kids. There are social skills taught to some children as well as anger management. It's worth speaking to your pastoral team in college and see what you can help out with. They may let you TA with autistic children or those with adhd.
Above all, you don't NEED work experience but showing an interest in the subject and also having something to talk about in the interview goes a long way.
I would also advise reading a few books. There is one (can't remember the name) about an autistic child and what the world is like through his eyes.
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If it's child, volunteer in a school, speak to school councillors(sp?). If it's mental illness volunteer in an institution, if it's treatment then find an outreach programme which offers support like care in the community. You may have very specific interests such as anorexia so you can volunteer in a clinic.
Alternatively you could book yourself into a summer school looking at psychology.
Also, schools are linked to agencies such as chams and various others whic offer behavioural support for kids. There are social skills taught to some children as well as anger management. It's worth speaking to your pastoral team in college and see what you can help out with. They may let you TA with autistic children or those with adhd.
Above all, you don't NEED work experience but showing an interest in the subject and also having something to talk about in the interview goes a long way.
I would also advise reading a few books. There is one (can't remember the name) about an autistic child and what the world is like through his eyes.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by parentlurker
universities want people who are going to finish their degree and not drop out
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
It is a fairly stock response. In both psychology and law applicants PSs Most common mistake is to focus on the degree as a career. Both degrees are academic and the proportion of students likely to end up continuing in a career in the area are in a minority (a very small minority for psychology). Applying with a career focus demonstrates a misunderstanding of the degree applied for.
Universities do not want to recruit students likely to drop out - and that means not recruiting applicants who don't understand that a course is academic. Disillusionment is a major drop out risk factor and one that admissions staff are looking out for when reviewing a psychology PS particularly.
Original post by parentlurker
universities want people who are going to finish their degree and not drop out. Work experience shows that you are already planning a future that involves psychology and are therefore likely to be more committed to the course. Schools require pupils to do some form of work experience and to do it in an area you can't relate to pschology suggests a lower degree of commitment.
Of course the best way is to say my work experience at ... encouraged me to research ... area of psychology or to read this psychology book related to what I was doing.
And if the OP wants to work in any area that uses their degree the sooner they start getting work experience the better, because the mst serious psychology students will be starting their work experience now and getting more in the holidays/ voluntering in term time or both.
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
Of course the best way is to say my work experience at ... encouraged me to research ... area of psychology or to read this psychology book related to what I was doing.
And if the OP wants to work in any area that uses their degree the sooner they start getting work experience the better, because the mst serious psychology students will be starting their work experience now and getting more in the holidays/ voluntering in term time or both.
I've noticed you making similar comments elsewhere and feel you made a stock response rather than an informed comment
Hi
I wouldn't normally do this, but I do feel the need to point out that PQ is actually one of the most experienced posters on the site in terms of admissions, and has contributed a huge amount to the site.
PQ's advice on this post echos what most, if not all admissions tutors say about psychology (and academic degrees in general).
Psychology is an especially hard area to get relevant work experience, as a lot of placements would require you to be over 18 for various reasons- I have spoken to admissions tutors who deliberately ignore work experience in Psychology personal statements for this reason.
It's also not true to say that all schools/colleges require work experience. Many don't participate in work experience at all anymore, or don't require it for sixth form students.
Equally, many students take psychology and then go on to careers that aren't directly linked to the course. To become a qualified psychologist in any field requires years of postgraduate study and work experience. Most unis are after students who understand this and are interested in studying psychology for the next three years, rather than a specific job.
Original post by AnnaMossy
Thank you all! I was thinking of maybe volunteering for childline in the summer? our school unfortunately has made work experience optional opposed to have to doing it, so possibly i could do any for of work experience now and the volunteering in the summer?
If you want to do this, I'm sure it will be beneficial to you, especially when applying for jobs in the future. It probably won't make any difference in terms of university admissions though unless, perhaps, you are able to get training in certain areas that might be related to psychology.
It would be a really valuable thing to do for its own sake, though, so if it's something you're interested in then do go for it
Original post by AnnaMossy
Okay so I would like to study psychology at university and were being told to start planning what to write for our personal statements. We are now also being urged to look for work experience. But since I want to do psychology Im not really sure where to start for work experience...
For those who study psychology or plan to, what did you do for work experience?
Thanks!
For those who study psychology or plan to, what did you do for work experience?
Thanks!
I don't have any work experience related to Psychology but still got offers from all of the 5 universities I applied for.
Original post by SlowlorisIncognito
Hi
I wouldn't normally do this, but I do feel the need to point out that PQ is actually one of the most experienced posters on the site in terms of admissions, and has contributed a huge amount to the site.
PQ's advice on this post echos what most, if not all admissions tutors say about psychology (and academic degrees in general).
I wouldn't normally do this, but I do feel the need to point out that PQ is actually one of the most experienced posters on the site in terms of admissions, and has contributed a huge amount to the site.
PQ's advice on this post echos what most, if not all admissions tutors say about psychology (and academic degrees in general).
Just want to add another voice in this - PQ works in university admissions and has forgotten more than most of us could ever aspire to know about this put together. If PQ says it is so, it is so.
Original post by PQ
Applying with a career focus demonstrates a misunderstanding of the degree applied for.
.
.
Doing work experience and "applying with a career focus" are not quite the same thing. Choosing to get work experience relevant to psychology shows that you are thinking of a career related to psychology and therefore have more interest than someone who thinks it looks interesting or will give you some generic skills or is vaguely scientific. Most jobs in psychology require years of work experience so if the applicant is serious about pychology the sooner they start acquiring it the better.
To say they need to relate work experience to the academic degree is fine, to suggest they are better off without it is misleading.
IME it is not at difficult to get work experience in a school nor is it imposible for keen students to get work experience elsewhere.
I have no idea what universitie look for in lawyers, but the question isnt about law.
Original post by parentlurker
I have no idea what universitie look for in lawyers, but the question isnt about law.
I'm sure that @PQ could tell you a thing or two about law as well
Original post by parentlurker
Doing work experience and "applying with a career focus" are not quite the same thing. Choosing to get work experience relevant to psychology shows that you are thinking of a career related to psychology and therefore have more interest than someone who thinks it looks interesting or will give you some generic skills or is vaguely scientific. Most jobs in psychology require years of work experience so if the applicant is serious about pychology the sooner they start acquiring it the better.
To say they need to relate work experience to the academic degree is fine, to suggest they are better off without it is misleading.
IME it is not at difficult to get work experience in a school nor is it imposible for keen students to get work experience elsewhere.
I have no idea what universitie look for in lawyers, but the question isnt about law.
To say they need to relate work experience to the academic degree is fine, to suggest they are better off without it is misleading.
IME it is not at difficult to get work experience in a school nor is it imposible for keen students to get work experience elsewhere.
I have no idea what universitie look for in lawyers, but the question isnt about law.
The thing is, work experience in a school is not relevant to a psychology degree. It is relevant to becoming an educational psychologist. As I understand it, most newly qualified educational psychologists now come from a background of teaching, especially teaching SEN students. Indeed, in some circumstances, an undergraduate psychology degree is not necessary.
To get work experience in a clinical psychology setting, indeed in many settings, you have to be 18, and normally have the right connections. Most unis are very wary about placing too much weight on this kind of work experience, as in some cases it could be considered indirect discrimination. This is actually a common problem for unis in general when it comes to things mentioned in the PS- the uni I went to (and worked for) actually ignored any mention of paid for volunteering/placements in the PS, as it's not something all students can access.
Many, many psychology students do not go onto a degree directly relating to psychology- many will go onto business roles such as marketing, PR, HR etc, where there degree is relevant but not essential.
Unis are keen to get students who understand the course they are committing to- i.e. a non-vocational degree focusing on the scientific study of human behaviour. Students who give the impression they think an undergrad degree will qualify them as a psychologist in some way are often avoided, as it shows they haven't properly researched the degree.
Like others on this thread, I got offers for psychology with no work experience at all- and before applying I carefully researched what admissions tutors actually want. Work experience is generally seen as irrelevant.
In general, unless you're applying for a vocational degree, your career aspirations aren't really relevant to your undergraduate uni application at all.
Original post by SlowlorisIncognito
The thing is, work experience in a school is not relevant to a psychology degree. It is relevant to becoming an educational psychologist. As I understand it, most newly qualified educational psychologists now come from a background of teaching, especially teaching SEN students. Indeed, in some circumstances, an undergraduate psychology degree is not necessary.
To get work experience in a clinical psychology setting, indeed in many settings, you have to be 18, and normally have the right connections. Most unis are very wary about placing too much weight on this kind of work experience, as in some cases it could be considered indirect discrimination. This is actually a common problem for unis in general when it comes to things mentioned in the PS- the uni I went to (and worked for) actually ignored any mention of paid for volunteering/placements in the PS, as it's not something all students can access.
Many, many psychology students do not go onto a degree directly relating to psychology- many will go onto business roles such as marketing, PR, HR etc, where there degree is relevant but not essential.
Unis are keen to get students who understand the course they are committing to- i.e. a non-vocational degree focusing on the scientific study of human behaviour. Students who give the impression they think an undergrad degree will qualify them as a psychologist in some way are often avoided, as it shows they haven't properly researched the degree.
Like others on this thread, I got offers for psychology with no work experience at all- and before applying I carefully researched what admissions tutors actually want. Work experience is generally seen as irrelevant.
In general, unless you're applying for a vocational degree, your career aspirations aren't really relevant to your undergraduate uni application at all.
To get work experience in a clinical psychology setting, indeed in many settings, you have to be 18, and normally have the right connections. Most unis are very wary about placing too much weight on this kind of work experience, as in some cases it could be considered indirect discrimination. This is actually a common problem for unis in general when it comes to things mentioned in the PS- the uni I went to (and worked for) actually ignored any mention of paid for volunteering/placements in the PS, as it's not something all students can access.
Many, many psychology students do not go onto a degree directly relating to psychology- many will go onto business roles such as marketing, PR, HR etc, where there degree is relevant but not essential.
Unis are keen to get students who understand the course they are committing to- i.e. a non-vocational degree focusing on the scientific study of human behaviour. Students who give the impression they think an undergrad degree will qualify them as a psychologist in some way are often avoided, as it shows they haven't properly researched the degree.
Like others on this thread, I got offers for psychology with no work experience at all- and before applying I carefully researched what admissions tutors actually want. Work experience is generally seen as irrelevant.
In general, unless you're applying for a vocational degree, your career aspirations aren't really relevant to your undergraduate uni application at all.
what are they looking for?
im hoping to read a few books over the summer any reccomendations?
Original post by scrawlx101
what are they looking for?
im hoping to read a few books over the summer any reccomendations?
im hoping to read a few books over the summer any reccomendations?
Firstly, they are looking for an interest in all aspects of psychology- not just clinical, and an understanding that psychology at uni is studied as a science, and that it will look at lots of different aspects of human behaviour rather than just focusing on abnormal behaviour. Focus on modern approaches to psychology as well.
I think I recommended a book on your other thread. There are lots of pop-psychology books out there that would probably look good on a PS, reading a range of stuff is probably a good idea.
Original post by Emily.97
I don't have any work experience related to Psychology but still got offers from all of the 5 universities I applied for.
Hello, what did you mention in you PS as I want to secure an offer for psychology but so confused about what to mention in my PS
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Original post by PlayerBB
Hello, what did you mention in you PS as I want to secure an offer for psychology but so confused about what to mention in my PS
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Hi,
Have you see TSR's PS builder? http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/personal_statement_help#navapply It's not subject specific, but it is a good place to start for academic subjects like psychology.
For psychology specifically, I think it's a good idea to include things which show you're interested in all aspects of psychology and show that you understand what the course content of psychology at uni would be like. This is especially important if you haven't studied psychology at A-level. Remember, it's not a vocational course leading to a qualification as a counselor or clinical psychologist.
Original post by PlayerBB
Hello, what did you mention in you PS as I want to secure an offer for psychology but so confused about what to mention in my PS
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Hi, I got offers from all 5 of the universities I applied for (including 2 Russell Groups). I'd be happy to send you my personal statement if it would help?
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