Category Archives: Psychology

Molly, Human Resources, Recruitment and Training

Business and Management, Human Resources Recruitment and Training, Psychology

Molly, MSc Human Resource Management student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain knowledge about the field of Human Resources and becoming more confident in professional situations. Through the scheme, Molly was matched with a Politics Graduate from the University of Exeter, is a Human Resources Consultant at West Sussex County Council.

Molly tells us more about her experience below:

What objectives did you achieve?

From talking to my career mentor I have a better understanding of HR in different sectors and types of organisation. I also have a better understanding of more general HR roles as well as more specialised ones. This knowledge will really help me with deciding what kind of HR role would suit me best.

What were your highlights of the scheme?

I really enjoyed getting to know my career mentor a bit better, and hearing how she got into HR in the first place. It was great that I was able to meet her and she was very supportive of me and what I was doing.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

I would definitely recommend applying for the Career Mentor Scheme as it is an excellent opportunity for you to be able to talk to a professional in the field for a long period of time. This was immensely helpful for me and built my confidence about applying for jobs. My career mentor also helped me with my CV and answered all of the many questions I had about that profession. We have stayed in touch and they have kindly offered to provide further help or guidance if I need it which is amazing.

Katie, Healthcare and Wellbeing

Healthcare and Wellbeing, Psychology, , , ,

Katie, an Applied Psychology student, was interested in a career as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner but recognised the competitive environment of this career path. Katie had also considered a career with related Charities such as Headway. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Katie was matched with a Clinical Psychologist for Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. This mentor has a vast employment history of working in Psychology, including roles in child learning, psychological interventions, and group work on depression.

“It was really nice just being able to talk to somebody who had been in my exact position before”

Katie achieved all of her objectives including identifying key skills that are required for the job that she didn’t necessarily have experience demonstrating, received academic support and received support to improve her CV.

What were the highlights of the scheme?

It was really nice just being able to talk to somebody who had been in my exact position before, and the routes they took to get to where they are today. My mentor was very good at replying and offered to help me in the future.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into chosen profession and what it consists of on a daily basis

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Do it, but make sure you pick someone whose career will be useful to you no matter what. Be aware of what you want from the scheme and set goals.

Aimee, Human Resources

Human Resources Recruitment and Training, Psychology

Aimee participated in the Career Mentor Scheme during her second year. Interested in Human Resources, Aimee was matched with a University of Exeter alumnus and Human Resources Manager for the General council of the bar.

Aimee was able to visit her mentor’s place of work in Sitingbourne to gain invaluable insight into the field and felt that her objectives for the mentor scheme had mostly been met. She was able to improve her confidence and personal skills necessary for graduate employment as well as learn about good and bad aspects of the sector. Aimee also felt that she had made a friend and future professional contact in her mentor.

Aimee shared some insights into the ways in which the scheme was beneficial to her:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

I met my mentor at their place of work and I was able to talk with other members of the department as well as my mentor.  

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I gained valuable insight into my chosen profession and advice on the methods that are available to me in order to achieve a successful career in the field.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

It is a very useful scheme that enables you to gain an invaluable insight into your chosen profession and in particular from an individual, in my experience, who is more than happy to provide plenty of advice and guidance! 

Megan, Healthcare and Wellbeing

Healthcare and Wellbeing, Psychology, ,

Megan, a Psychology student, was looking to get help and guidance into the Healthcare and Wellbeing sector. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Clinical Psychology at Research Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology University College London.

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The partnership helped Megan in various ways, including improving her confidence to seek graduate level employment and improved her professional contacts. Megan revealed more details about how the scheme was beneficial to her.

How do you feel the mentoring process has enhanced your employability?

I have a much more thorough understanding of how to approach gaining entry to the DClinPsy and necessary experience prior to this. I also have a much better understanding of what the job itself entails, which is one of the crucial things they look for in applicants. I feel more confident in talking about Clinical Psychology (the terms used etc.) and have been able to ask questions in a supportive environment. I’ve also had really valuable feedback on tailoring my CV to my field, and putting the year’s mentoring scheme on there is great in itself!

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into the career, and what an “average day” looks like has probably been the most valuable experience. Because getting work experience or shadowing is very difficult in clinical psychology, the opportunity to gain inside knowledge and just to hear the way things are discussed (getting used to the terms and abbreviations used etc.) is really useful. Also the opportunity to ask questions which may seem silly and you wouldn’t want to ask in a more formal setting. As such a competitive course to get on, any advice on the interview process and which jobs are the best kind of experience prior to the doctorate, is like gold dust!

Why should students apply to have a mentor?

Any experience you can gain during your time at University will help you once you graduate. The chance to be paired with a professional in your field, who has signed up solely to help you and enhance your career chances and understanding, is amazing! It’s small things like being able to ask those questions that seem a bit too obvious, or silly to ask someone in a more formal setting that really make the scheme worthwhile. I can’t explain how much I’ve learned and gained from this, definitely recommend.

Isabelle, Healthcare and Wellbeing

Healthcare and Wellbeing, Psychology, , ,

Isabelle, a third year Psychology student, interested in healthcare and wellbeing took part in the Career Mentor Scheme and was assigned a Service Development Facilitator at Royal Devon and Exeter NHS trust since 2013. This mentor had a variety of qualifications including BA (Hons) in Music in 2000 from Exeter, a Professional Diploma in Financial Services Management, 2011, BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing in 2012 from Plymouth, and became a Registered Nurse in 2012.

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Isabelle said she achieved all of the objectives she had set-out for the Career Mentor Scheme including:

  • Improving her personal skills for graduate employment e.g. listening skills, general confidence
  • Gathering information about how to get in to the career she was interested in, and obtaining help with these next steps
  • Gaining help with cover letters and application forms
  • Making a future professional contact in her mentor
  • Gaining insight into the industry she was interested in and finding out about good and bad aspects

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

A particular highlight included visiting my mentor’s place of employment for a shadowing experience which was extremely interesting. It was also eye-opening to see another industry that I previously had not considered for graduate employment. More generally, an outside perspective and opinion on my choices for graduate employment was extremely beneficial.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Personally, the major benefit from the scheme was gaining the confidence to seek graduate level employment, specifically outside the sector I had been narrowing my search to previously. In addition, there was a number of hints and tips given to aid my seeking of graduate employment which I would have otherwise not have been aware of.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

The Scheme is an extremely useful tool provided by the University to allow students to gain insight into real-life graduate recruitment, and the options available after the particularly scary reality of graduating. Personally, I have gained invaluable experience that has boosted my confidence to allow me to seek graduate employment with more belief in oneself.

Isabelle’s mentor added his thoughts about the scheme –

“ It was lovely to work with a younger person and give them the encouragement and insight I wish I had had.”

Kathryn, Science

Psychology, Science, ,

Kathryn, a final year Psychology student, was interested in going into the Scientific Research and Development sector and applied for a mentor in this industry. She was matched with a UX Research Consulant at cxpartners. This mentor has recently moved from academic research into user experience research in the private sector.  Her main role is to carry out research on technological problems and to suggest solutions and designs to improve the experience for users by making the interaction simpler, effortless and enjoyable.  11139355_10155516572190181_484725343416135809_n

Kathryn gave us an insight of the benefits of the scheme to her career development:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Getting reassurance throughout the year when I didn’t get a graduate scheme or bouncing ideas off them about what I really want to do.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into the different roles Emma had had and whether I was suited to them; guidance with career paths and graduate schemes.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Do it – you will gain so much from just a few emails, whether it is reassurance, advice, networking opportunities. It will all help you even if you don’t realise it at the time.

Gabrielle, Politics and Government

Politics and Government, Psychology, , , ,

Gabrielle participated in the Career Mentor Scheme during her first year. Interested in politics and government she was matched with the Head of Corporate Services at Dorset, Devon and Cornwall Community Rehabilitation Company. This mentor’s main responsibilities included corporate services and business development for the CRC, acting as an Executive Board Member and was Secretary to the Board. He was a member of the Parole Board in England and Wales at the time and had previous experience as a probation officer.

PP Gabrielle

Having met in person multiple times, Gabrielle felt her objectives for the scheme had been met. She was able to improve her personal skills, gain professional experience and an insight into both the good and bad aspects of the profession. She shared some of the ways the scheme was beneficial to her:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Being able to get an insight into the different range of professions I can do with my degree and having the opportunity to network with professionals and gain an understanding of how they chose their own career pathways.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into my chosen profession.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

The Career Mentor Scheme allows students to gain insight and practical understanding of what they can do after their degree. It can either reinforce your notion of a particular job or completely change your views. It is definitely a worthwhile programme, and I would strongly recommend it.

Samantha, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, Psychology, , , ,

Samantha, a postgraduate Social & Organisational Psychology student was interested in going into Charity and Development work. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Communications and Project Manager at Oxford Brookes University.

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Samantha shared with us what the advantages of the scheme were to her. She felt she achieved every single objective she and her mentor set at the beginning of the scheme, such as developing her interview techniques, gathering information about the sector and improving her personal skills needed for graduate employment.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Visiting my mentor, sorting out my CV, and identifying how to network and build networking skills.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Going to visit my mentor and shadow her/others with her employer as it helped me understand precisely what I did and didn’t like about the sector.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Definitely apply as you learn lots about the job area and why it is or isn’t right for you which is something research alone won’t tell you and importantly you make a friend you can keep in contact with in the future.

“I enjoy helping my mentee develop her confidence and reassure her that she doesn’t need to have every single answer just yet.” – Samantha’s mentor

Leah, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, Psychology, ,

Between May of her penultimate year and October of her final year, Leah, doing Psychology was mentored by a Fundraising and Communications Manager at Headway Devon.SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

Leah shared some insights from the scheme with us.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

My highlight was meeting my mentor in person, and being able to discus my career options, and gain insight a specific sector.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

It was really useful to gain personal feedback on my CV and to practice application forms.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

The Career Mentor Scheme is really worthwhile, and I would urge all students to participate. It enabled me to receive personal feedback and advice for the future, gain an insight into the sector, and build a friendship with my mentor.

Wing, Education, Teaching, Research

Education Teaching and Research, Psychology, , ,

Wing, completing a Psychology degree was looking to go into Education, Teaching, Research. During her second year she was accepted to participate in the Career Mentor Scheme and matched with an Associate Research Fellow at the University.

An experienced professional, this mentor’s previous experience includes being a Research Assistant in Psychology at the University of Manchester, Transcriber at Max Planck Institute and Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Manchester.

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Wing had some really positive feedback to share about the scheme!

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

When I went to the memory clinic to do a job shadowing and chatted with an assistant psychologist.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I found the insight into my chosen sector and the advice in job hunting most helpful.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

It is an opportunity to learn more about of a sector that you couldn’t learn about in lectures. A mentor would give you a lot of advice from job hunting to CV proof reading.